WELL tended hands are as important an element of our beauty regime as our faces, according to nail guru Leighton Denny.

Speaking at the launch of his new nail counter at Birmingham’s Selfridges store, Leighton, who has nearly 20 years of experience, says every woman – and every man – should look to their hands.

“Your hands are so important, just as important as your face,” he says. “They are on show all of the time. What do you do when you meet a new person? You shake their hand. What do you need to put in your chip and pin? Your hands. If people have grubby or scruffy nails it really shows. People will notice.

“The one piece of advice that I would give to everyone is do something. Don’t just ignore your hands. Even if it is just popping into a nail bar for a quick buff and polish, it will make so much difference.

“It will also give you so much more confidence. If you know your hands are nicely manicured, neat and tidy, you feel so much happier about them being on show.”

And he says there is plenty of advice available if people do have concerns about the state of their nails.

“Go and ask a nail technician as there is so much that can be done. People worry about having brittle nails or nails which are stained yellow but there are products which can be used to help all these kinds of problems. The one thing I would say is don’t just leave them.”