So think it odd, the amount of effort we spend looking after our fingernails and, to a lesser extent, toenails. Today you can expect to find a nail bar almost anywhere, in stations, shopping centres, even in small villages, or at least someone prepared to visit you in your home and set u pshop around the kitchen table. Head into a larger population area and you'll probably see half a dozen salons in operation, their white-dressed nail technicians busy at work no longer just for brides to be or wealthy ladies who lunch but also for people who visit regularly. Having your nails done is now as everyday as visiting the hairdresser's. It's a phenomenon that has really taken off over the past 10 years. Of course there were places that would cater for ladies who didn't want to manicure themselves. But women were normally happy to treat their own nails rather than pay for the service.

Male manicuring is a different beast. It's probably fair to say that at the moment it is most common among company executives, those gym fanatics who value body tanning too and presenters on shopping channels. Some manicurists report working for months before they get their first man in their salons. But then other beauty industries have shown that the men will eventually arrive, for example skin care, where many men now adopted daily skin treatment routines, sometimes with a little prodding. It is now easier to find men's beauty products, particularly scented ones, that are definitely designed with the man in mind. But let's get the terminology straight first. Men don't like it to be called beauty treatment. With men, it's strictly grooming.

It's true that women have been looking after their finger nails for centuries. Polishes, softeners, cuticle treatments and various manicure implements have been just some of the options on the nail bar menu, not to mention extensions. Perhaps professional nail care really has upped its game recently and more people are convinced, or maybe we're just suckers for a little bit of pampering every now and again. For the many people still, looking after one's nails is something done at home; it is something we can do during TV ad breaks, while the kettle boils or the tea brews.

And there's a big difference between having a really professional looking nail job and just looking presentable for going to work or to meet friends for coffee. The fact that we're using our hands to treat our hands can lead to various issues, especially for people whose best hand is far more dexterous that the other one. Consider the times when you have seen one perfectly manicured hand and one that that could have been got at by an enthusiastic child?

As with most things in life somewhere in the middle ground is usually best when it comes to nail care. Pop down to the nail bar for a treat when you need picking up, but keep costs down with some DIY in between. With a little practice most of us can manage a decent job with our nails as long as there is no close follow-up examination, and if your other hand is really unsteady, that's where friends and maybe even other halves can prove their worth. Just imagine his face if it turns out he's rather good at it!