There are only so many ways a you can show off one beautifully manicured hand and hide a sloppier look. When you perform a home manicure, it is likely that you are going to battle a shaky non-dominant hand while applying nail polish. When you are forced to use your other hand to apply slow and smooth strokes of nail polish, the results often won’t exactly seem salon-quality until you learn how to steady your hand.

Why Do Hands Shake?
There are many reasons that hands can shake. In most instances, if a person’s non-dominant hand shakes but the other hand experiences no tremors, mere lack of use is the culprit. In the case of a right-handed person, she uses her left hand for basic needs, but naturally uses the right hand for detail-oriented work. When the left hand is forced to perform detailed work, it responds with a little performance anxiety.

Shaking hands can, however, stem from more serious medical conditions. Shaking hands can come from Parkinson’s disease, stroke, multiple sclerosis and medication side effects. If you experience violent hand tremors or are suddenly experiencing shakes for the first time, consult a doctor.

Tips for Steadying Your Hands
If you want to cut down on your non-dominant hand shakes, practice is going to make perfect. With more experience performing detailed work, the shakes will diminish. Exercise ideas include:

• Painting with clear polish: Don’t want unsightly polish streaks? Go clear instead. If you make a point of regularly painting your nails with clear polish, your hand will gain confidence from the action and steady itself.
• Practice penmanship:  You don’t have to be ambidextrous in order to apply polish smoothly. Try your hand at writing with your non-dominant hand. While the initial attempts will look more like a first-grader’s handwriting than your own, you’ll gain steadiness that will pay off when it comes to polish.
• Strength training: If you use a hand grip or, for a more affordable option, squeeze a tennis ball, you will strengthen your hand and develop muscles that can pay off when it comes time to apply polish.