A manicure is a beauty treatment for your hands and fingernails. During a manicure, someone carefully trims, shapes, and cleans your nails, pushes back your cuticles (the thin skin at the base of each nail), and often applies nail polish. Professional manicurists work in salons, but people can also give themselves manicures at home.

A manicure is all about taking care of your hands to keep them clean, healthy, and looking nice. Some people get manicures before special occasions like weddings or performances, while others get them regularly as part of their routine grooming.

A manicure serves both cosmetic and practical purposes. Keeping nails trimmed and clean prevents dirt from building up underneath them and helps avoid painful problems like hangnails or ingrown nails. Athletes, musicians, and people who work with their hands often keep their nails carefully manicured because proper nail care helps them perform their activities safely and effectively.

The similar treatment for toenails is called a pedicure. Together, manicures and pedicures are sometimes called “mani-pedis.” While manicures are often associated with painting nails bright colors, many people get them simply to keep their hands well-groomed without any polish.