I Stopped Paying For Manicures After I Learned How to Use These Simple Nail Tools

These Professional Stainless Steel Cuticle Trimmers ($10) look a lot like scissors and work a lot like them, too. The narrowed head is designed to fit in the corner of the nail area, but while it's technically intended for your cuticles, we recommend you only use this tool to trim any hangnails or dead skin around the nails — not the cuticle itself.

Cuticle pushers should be used to gently push back cuticles to prevent the growth of bacteria and germs, and they come in all sorts of varieties with different tips. As a general rule, you should apply a cuticle softener before using the rounded flat end of the stick to push the cuticles up towards the hand, starting in the middle of the nail. You can also try this Cuticle Pusher 4-Pack ($10) with slanted or sharper ends to push down the cuticles at the corners of your nails and remove dirt near the cuticles.

Yeah, a nail file is a pretty straightforward tool to use when it comes to giving yourself a manicure, but it's important to remember that Stainless Steel Nail Files ($9) are harsher on the nail than your typical emery board and should be used with caution to prevent nail chipping or flaking.

This funny little tool stumped me for years, until I learned that a V-Shaped Cuticle Pusher ($8) is meant to help with getting rid of hangnails and trimming any peeling skin. Very handy!

Not every nail kit has one of these, but the Triangle-Shaped Cuticle Scraper ($6) is a handy tool to have if you're short on nail polish remover or need to peel off your gel manicure without damaging your nails.

If you'd rather just buy everything at once and hop right into becoming your own personal manicurist, you can also buy a Manicure and Pedicure Nail Kit ($12) that includes everything you need to give yourself the full beauty treatment.