The entire nail industry is built on one assumption: the nail is a surface that needs covering. Gel, acrylic, polish, extensions - everything offered in a salon starts from the premise that what's underneath isn't good enough. The Japanese manicure starts from the opposite.

The technique works on the nail itself, not over it. The goal isn't colour but condition - a smoother surface, a natural shine and a nail that looks healthier than when you walked into the salon. Nothing is glued on, nothing is built up.

What it looks like in a salon

First the nail is prepared and the cuticles tidied. Then comes a gentle buffing of the surface to even it out. Next, a nourishing paste is applied and worked in gently. Finally - sealing with a mineral powder that gives the shine. Four steps, none of which leaves a layer that later has to come off with acetone.

The home version is simpler: even filing, gently pushing back the cuticles, light buffing and then a clear or neutral strengthening polish. Tones that work: nude, sheer pink, soft beige and semi-transparent finishes.

Three mistakes that cancel out the whole effect

Over-buffing, or buffing too often - the nail is layered and every buffing takes some of it away. Tearing at the cuticles instead of pushing them back. And the third, most common one: the belief that if there's no polish, there's no upkeep. There is. Cuticles get moisturised regularly, hands get cream, and nails get protected from harsh products - which here means gloves when cleaning, not good intentions.

Of the recommended products, the most affordable is Essie's Hard to Resist Advanced clear strengthening polish, around 12.64 euros, which improves elasticity and reduces breakage within three days. Masglo's Advanced Total Care base costs around 14.27 euros and fills in ridges. OPI's Nail Envy, around 12.90 euros, works with wheat protein and calcium.

The numbers aren't incidental. For the price of one gel application in a salon - which lasts three weeks and then requires another - a person buys a bottle that lasts months. That's the calculation the industry doesn't do out loud.

The Japanese manicure is ideal for short, brittle or weakened nails - which is to say, for the state most people are in after a few years of uninterrupted gel. It isn't a trick and it isn't a miracle. It's just a reminder that sometimes the most expensive thing we've bought is the belief that something is missing.