Proper children's manicure - what is it like? Manicure, like love, suits all ages. And such a variety as children's manicure has long ceased to be a delicacy among the services of beauty salons, and began to be confidently practiced by dainties with children of both kindergarten age and already young schoolgirls.
Source (Photo by: Alena Romanova).
As you know, the favorite pastime of little fashionistas is playing at adult beauties, namely the desire to have the same beautiful images on their nails as their grandmother, mother, aunt, or sister. This desire has translated into the particular popularity of children's and youth manicure as a salon procedure. However, many mothers, for various reasons, prefer to transform their little milkshake themselves. But before you please your baby with her own beauty ritual - a home baby manicure - you need to carefully prepare for it, especially if the mother decides to purchase everything necessary for a kit for caring for children's nails at home.
When can you start giving your child a manicure?
Many girls, looking at their mother’s nails, also wish for a beautiful manicure. It is worth noting that experts do not recommend resorting to this procedure at a very early age.
Manicures for children's nails can begin at about 6-8 years of age, depending on the structure of the girl's nails and only a European manicure. When your child turns 13-15 years old, you can start doing a classic manicure with professional tools.
Festive manicure for birthday
Designs that are suitable for long nails may look ridiculous on minimal lengths. We have collected examples of which designs can be used for different lengths and shapes of nails. From the short square to the daring long almond.
For short nails
For long nails
Pros and cons of manicure for children
Children's manicure has both advantages and disadvantages. The main positive qualities of manicure on children's hands:
- a beautiful children's manicure can wean a baby from the bad habit of biting her nails, because they look so neat and attractive;
- with proper competent care and treatment of nails, you can strengthen the nail plate and accelerate nail growth;
- manicure from an early age instills the aesthetic taste of the owner;
- A child learns from childhood to take care of his nails and hands.
Among the disadvantages of early children's manicure, the most basic one is highlighted - if the procedure is carried out incorrectly, you can injure the nail plate, which will lead to nail deformation or abnormal growth, and there is also a risk of infection or fungus.
The fashionable procedure is not harmless
Despite the fact that artificial plate lengthening is considered absolutely safe, there are several factors that suggest otherwise.
They are connected not only with the work of the master, so keep in mind that when performed at home, the procedure can also lead to consequences reflected in the quality of the nail bed.
The main dangers of the technology:
- Risk of an allergic reaction. Despite the fact that hypoallergenic gels with a gentle composition are used for extensions, if there is a hormonal imbalance during adolescence, they can always lead to allergies. It affects not only the health of the periungual area, but also the girl’s entire body;
- You can accidentally damage the periungual area. Even the most competent nail technician, if he moves the device or manicure instrument carelessly, can damage the integrity of sensitive skin. Because of this, there is a risk of accidentally introducing infection or contaminants into the blood;
- The plate can be damaged when removing tips. To remove gel polish, two methods are usually used: hardware and chemical. For sensitive fingers, the second method is usually used, but even this, when using a low-quality composition or overexposing it to the plate, can lead to side effects;
- The nail may gradually begin to deteriorate. Gel polish tightly clogs the surface of the nail bed, due to which the lack of air and microelements leads to gradual deterioration of the coating. And the occurrence of a detachment between the nail and the gel polish can lead to a fungal infection;
- Increased sensitivity during drying of the coating. Especially when the base layer polymerizes, women feel a burning sensation associated with a sudden surge of heat to the fingers. For girls, these sensations will be stronger; they can also cause inconvenience when drying the pigment.
A separate criterion that can greatly spoil the health of the nail bed is the use of low-quality compounds and solutions. Some masters save on gel polishes or other products without caring about their clients’ nails. This can result in a chemical burn or a common allergic reaction.
Even competent execution of the procedure can lead to side effects and various consequences, so when choosing a salon, pay attention to the competence of the specialist and the quality of consumables.
Many people prefer to do the technology at home to prevent consequences, but this often leads to the opposite effect - careless use of sharp tools can only ruin the result and the health of the sensitive skin of a girl’s hands.
Manicure recommendations for children
There are several important tips and recommendations that you should consider when deciding to give your child a manicure:
- Children's manicure on short nails looks neat and beautiful only if it is not very bright and provocative.
- It is best to choose water-based varnishes for children's manicure.
- The best file for a child is made of glass, with an abrasiveness of at least 240 units.
- Nail scissors should only be selected with rounded ends.
- Before starting the procedure, you need to steam your hands well in a nail bath.
- At the end of the procedure, lubricate your hands with moisturizer, and your nails and cuticles with oil, such as almond or tea oil.
- It is not recommended to give a child a manicure using gel polish and a UV lamp.
- It is best to push back the cuticle with a disposable orange stick.
- Don’t forget to thoroughly sterilize and disinfect all instruments before starting a manicure.
- To remove nail polish you need a product that does not contain acetone.
- You cannot give a child a hardware manicure.
- It is not recommended for a child to get a manicure more than 2 times a month.
Is hardware manicure allowed?
The use of special equipment is strictly prohibited. The principle of its operation is to remove dead cells from the cuticle, and this is very harmful for the child.
Moreover, in the future the cuticle may take on a thickened shape and a completely unesthetic appearance. But this is only the beginning of the problems. For children over 14 years old, special devices have been developed that take into account the characteristics of their age.
Varnishes for children's manicure
A child should not have a manicure done with adult polishes, much less gel polish.
The best option for covering children's nails is considered to be a water-based varnish mixed with natural resins. This polish can be removed from your nails using simple soap or simply holding your hands in warm water for a while. The varnish should not contain acetone or other harmful components.
As a rule, children's polishes have pastel or natural tones. Often the composition may contain vitamins to strengthen the nail plate and accelerate growth.
The most popular and high-quality manufacturers of children's nail polishes:
- Little Fairy - this varnish does not contain acetone and has a pleasant aroma;
- Princess - such varnishes wash off very well in warm water and have a pleasant aroma;
- Limoni Bambini is a varnish from this company that washes off easily and does not contain harmful components.
Age restrictions
There is no direct strict restriction related to the client’s age when fixing extension plates. As a standard, in salons, masters do not check the girl’s age when she comes for a session, so the salon is not responsible for the quality of work in this case.
It is definitely not recommended to undergo a cosmetic procedure before the age of 14. However, many masters advise starting it no earlier than 16 years, when the body finishes forming, since the main stage of adolescence lasts until this time. Then the technology will be absolutely safe for the girl, and its result will look harmonious.
You can do the technique earlier, but also take into account the visual result, which will last 3-4 weeks. If a girl has small fingers, a small nail bed, but grows long nails, relative to the proportions of the body, the effect may look awkward and sloppy. In addition, it is not always convenient for little girls to wear such a manicure, since not everyone learns to properly care for themselves early.
As for the decorative coating in the form of gel polish, it can be done earlier. It is less dangerous than attaching tips or forms to artificially lengthen the surface, so it is allowed to apply pigment from the age of 13-14. In addition, by using neatly decorated nails, you can fight the habit of biting them, since it is quite difficult to remove gel polish with your teeth, which is due to its strength.
The process of performing a European manicure
For a child, the most correct and safe manicure is European. It’s not difficult to do and quite simple, the main steps after the child’s nails have been well softened:
- Wash, disinfect and sanitize your hands and all instruments for the procedure well.
- Using a nail file, carefully give your nails a beautiful, neat shape, leaving 1-2 mm of free edge.
- If there are hangnails, cut them off with special pliers or scissors with rounded ends.
- If you need to treat the cuticle, you should apply a special softening agent to it.
- Use an orange stick to carefully push back the cuticle, without pressing on the nail itself.
- Wash your hands well and apply cuticle oil, followed by moisturizer on your hands.
If the manicure will be done with varnish, then you must first paint your nails, and only then, after drying, apply cuticle oil and hand cream.
Fashion trends in school manicure 2021-2022
Nude or neutral shades are encouraged in school manicures, so light gray or even white nails would be a great choice. This is the option chosen by the nail artists who worked at the Temperley London show. Milky white polish goes well with skin tanned after the summer season.
©fotoimedia/imaxtree
And at the Michael Kors shows, models' nails were covered in a light brown shade, which perfectly complements the classic school uniform.
©fotoimedia/imaxtree
A good choice in 2022 would be polishes with pearlescent shimmers, which we saw at the Bibhu Mohapatra show. This color looks good on the “soft square” nail shape. This manicure will not interfere with the educational process, as it does not distract attention.
©fotoimedia/imaxtree
At the Carmen Marc Valvo shows, models' nails were covered with pearlescent shine.
©fotoimedia/imaxtree
And if you want a little rebellion, then you should get a French manicure with bright tips. Saturated colors will be a must have for gray autumn days - no seasonal depression will be scary!
© bangbangnails
Nail art lovers in 2022 should turn their attention to minimalist designs in the form of drops, stripes, buds or dots. And to make the transition from summer to autumn not so abrupt, you can paint small flowers on your nails using brightly colored varnishes. To do this, you can use a dotter, an orange stick or a regular toothpick.
© nailallie
Popular ideas for children's manicure design
Children's manicure can be done in any design and style, the most popular are:
- an image of fruit, for example a slice of watermelon, a kiwi ring, a banana, a couple of cherries;
- cartoon characters;
- animals;
- birds, butterflies;
- hearts;
- flowers and other plants.
For everyday children's manicure, you can choose a plain coating or one with a not very bright and provocative image. You can also apply the design not to all the nails, but, for example, only to the middle or index fingers.
In the summer, you can use brighter colors of varnish, stand out images, for example, bright Mickey Mouses, minions, and cover your nails with different colors of varnish.
A children's New Year's manicure can be done by applying snowflakes or snowmen to the nails, or you can draw a Christmas tree.
Nail Design Ideas for Kids
Manicure for girls contains many ideas. All of them are bright and juicy, making fairy-tale princesses out of girls. There is a suitable option for any girl. It will help create an unusual image.
Fruits
This type of manicure is especially popular in the summer. I want something bright and unusual so that summer is always nearby. To realize this, ripe berries and fruits are painted on children's nails.
Nail plates can be decorated with ripe cherries or many strawberries. The end result is a playful, fun, childish design. Rich colors are used.
Each nail can have a different fruit drawn on it, or an assortment on one.
cartoon
Fans of watching cartoons will be pleased with manicures with images of their favorite characters. Each nail can have a different hero.
A great idea would be to use the following ideas:
- A different face of the hero with some emotion is applied to each nail plate.
- Manicure in the style of Mickey Mouse. The faces of popular characters are applied to the nails, to other well-known ears, and to the next Minnie bow. It turns out very bright and you can immediately find out what cartoon it is from.
The main thing is that the child likes the cartoon designs on the nails.
With animals and insects
Lovers of the animal world and insects will be very pleased with a manicure with their various images.
It is very important that the animals and insects depicted do not frighten the child. To do this, it’s worth finding out what insect and animal the girl is afraid of. A manicure should please you, not scare you.
Possible popular options:
- A clear coat is applied to all nails, cat faces are drawn, and the rest is decorated with multi-colored dots.
- Dog faces are applied to colorful nails. You can use a multi-colored base.
Such a manicure is touching; girls will appreciate it and appreciate such a design.
Everyday manicure
A manicure for every day should be gentle. For this, a pastel tone, a varied powdery shade, and a soft pink gradient are used. All this is decorated with the help of cute drawings and sparkles.
This manicure is suitable for children of all ages.
Manicure for school
For school you need a discreet nail design. It should not be bright, and not loaded with patterns. Natural colors are great. Glitter can be used and designed on one nail plate.
Shiny manicure
Instead of various designs, sparkles are used. They will not go unnoticed, but at the same time they will leave the manicure gentle and neat.
A good solution would be to use a gradient jacket. Arcs in the shape of a smile are formed from glitter along the edges of the nails. Sequins can be of different colors, but so that they do not merge with the shade of the base.
Children's manicure with stickers
An inexpensive option is to design children's nails using stickers. Nails become cute and elegant.
Stickers that are popular are:
- with animals;
- with flowers;
- with emoticons.
False nails for children
Children have their own false nails. They most often look like a set. These include nails and a sticky base. It should not contain harmful substances.
Such nails should not fall off, and the child should not be damaged by them.
Pink shades, nails with patterns and sparkles are used. They will delight little fashionistas aged 10 or 13 years.
Children's New Year's manicure
Manicure for the New Year should be festive. For long nails of girls aged 13 or 14 years old, shiny and bright designs are suitable, while for short nails it is best to choose patterns.
They will look ideal on a delicate base;
- snowflakes;
- stars;
- Christmas trees and much more.
Additional decorative elements for children's manicure
Children's manicure can be performed not only with varnishes, but with the use of additional elements. Nails decorated with stickers with beautiful images will look impressive. It is best to use water decals.
Using special glitter can decorate your nails. To do this, they can draw various elements on the nail plate. Many colors can be used.
How to apply water decal
In order to apply a water sticker on your nails, it does not require too much time or much effort. After the nails have been filed, the cuticles have been pushed back and the desired polish has been applied, you need to:
- cut out the desired water sticker;
- Using tweezers, lower it into warm water for a few seconds;
- Carefully remove the protective film from the sticker and apply it to the nail;
- If the sticker is slightly wrinkled or curled, carefully straighten it with tweezers.
- In order for the sticker to last for a long time, it is necessary to cover the nail with a transparent strengthening varnish.
It is worth remembering that if such a sticker is applied, you will not be able to remove it simply by holding your hands in warm water; you will need a special nail polish remover.
Basic rules for caring for children's nails
According to the advice of experts, manicures should be done starting from the age of 7. From the age of 12, the nail plate becomes thicker and it will be difficult to correct the shape of the nail.
Almost any beauty salon offers a children's manicure, but it can also be done at home. You just need to consider a few points:
- manicure for babies is done in a special untrimmed way so as not to cause discomfort to the child;
- all necessary cosmetics are from the children's series;
- Children's nails are brittle, so all procedures must be performed with caution. The length of the nail plate should be left at least 2mm;
- You need to trim your nails once a week.
