Atlanta Daily World

With the proper tool and a little knowledge of how to use them, and a little time, any woman can keep her fingernails in neat, healthy condition. The instruments are most important. The flexible file and curved, needle-point scissors should be of high grade steel, the best you can buy. They'll last a lifetime, so there is no sense in economizing. A poor file is an aggravation, dull scissors are next to useless.

Professional attentions, of course, are to be preferred, yet all manicurists are not skillful or conscientious by any means. Some of them clip the cuticle, causing wounds that invite infections. Not all are careful about sterilizing their instruments, though they are taught the need of that in beauty schools.

Busy women, especially the home bosses who have no household help and whose days are filled with many tasks, may find it impossible to spare time to center to the beauty-forum. They should learn how to attend to their nails. Neglect will cause the shell-like fabric to harden, lose coloring, or to become brittle.

Following is the correct routine. Do not start with a hand washing; begin by shaping the nails with the steel file, working from sides to center, being careful not to saw into the flesh at the sides. Cutting too low there will result in thickened cuticle.

Form a neat oval line. Extra long nails are not considered smart. Pass the orangewood stick under the eaves, then use the emery board, or beveling file, to give an extra smooth finish to the edges.

Now you are ready for a hand scrubbing with warm soap suds and a nail brush. Don't hurry this part of the treatment: the longer your hands are in the water, the better conditioned the cuticle will be. This is the time to pass the nail white pencil under the eaves, forming a neat, clear-cut line. Rinse and dry.

On the nails of the left hand place a spot of cuticle cream. If you chance to run out of this cosmetic, you can use olive or mineral oil. Using the orangewood stick with a circular motion, detach the cuticle from the nail, being careful not to press hard at the base where the matrix is forming new cells. If you flush up little shreds, remove them with the scissors, holding the ends away from the nail tip.

Now for another hand washing, which must be thorough. If any cream remains, the polish will not take a firm hold. Let the polish drain from the brush apply two light coats.

Distributed by King Features Syndicate