Our modern lives are hazardous for our nails and hands. Typing on a computer all day is one of the worst things one can do to their nails, but there is hope for the desk-bound bride. Obviously a weekly professional manicure is ideal, but for the majority of brides who don’t have the time nor the cash to cover this, here are a few hints:

Use a moisturising hand cream every night before you slip under the covers. Take off that stunning engagement ring before you do this and read a book to relax and let the cream soak in.

Paint your nails with a nail strengthening polish such as Sally Hansen’s Nailgrowth Miracle. Ideally you should do this every 3 days, but you can get away with reapplying this once a week. It’s clear and quick drying so you can do it after supper quickly or whenever you have 10 minutes to spare.

A good quality nail file is also a must. We don’t all want really long nails and some brides prefer rounded nails to square ones. Use your nail file gently to smooth rough edges, your nails aren’t a piece of wood that you are sanding.

There are numerous other products that you can use, but the above are the basics.

If you are suffering from peeling hands, which can be stress induced, use a more intensively moisturising hand cream. My dermatologist prescribed SBR cream for me which you can get over the counter at most chemists. Using this in conjunction with a scrub works wonders. For an easy, cheap, homemade scrub add a couple of spoons of sugar to body cream and give your hands a good scrub, then apply your moisturising hand cream and let your hands absorb as much as possible.

Final step: have a professional manicure or get a friend to spoil you the day before your wedding. You can touch up on the morning of your wedding if necessary.

Fake Nails: Whether you decide to go for gel or acrylic, know that this will damage your nails to some extent. You will need to go for a refill approximately every 2 weeks so if your honeymoon is more than a week your likely to end up with not-so-cool looking nails at the end of your lovely time away. Admittedly this do look awesome for the day and you don’t have to worry as much about breaking a nail.

Don’t forget to put your engagement ring on your right hand before the ceremony so that your groom has easy access to slipping that stunning wedding band straight onto your left ring finger. You can move your engagement ring back onto your left hand when you and your new hubby go off to sign the marriage register.