Nail care method, a nail care product, and a nail care kit

Abstract

There is provided a nail care method for treating the surface of a fingernail or a toenail to produce a nail having a smooth and desirably glossy appearance while minimizing the application of non-natural materials to the nail surface. Also, a nail care station is provided that is operable to perform the method of the present invention.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for treating a nail, the method comprising:
 engaging a surface of the nail with a moving profile at an engagement location in a manner in which the surface of the nail and the moving profile move relative to one another as viewed along a contact plane that is perpendicular to an alignment plane intersecting the nail and the moving profile and passing through the engagement location, the engagement of the surface of the nail and the moving profile effecting a reduction in the thickness of the surface of the nail;   following the engagement of the surface of the nail with the moving profile at the engagement location, contacting the surface of the nail with a moving profile in a manner that promotes retention of an additive material on or in the nail, the additive material being initially disposed onto the moving profile, the surface of the nail, or both the moving profile and the surface of the nail prior to contact of the surface of the nail with the moving profile; and   thereafter bringing the surface of the nail, with the additive material retained on or in the nail, into buffing contact with a moving profile in a manner which causes a decrease of the roughness of the surface of the nail.   
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the step of engaging a surface of the nail with a moving profile at an engagement location includes engaging the surface of the nail with a moving profile having a greater coarseness than the moving profile with which the surface of the nail is contacted during the step of contacting the surface of the nail with a moving profile in a manner that promotes retention of an additive material on or in the nail. 
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 2 , wherein the step of engaging a surface of the nail with a moving profile at an engagement location includes engaging the surface of the nail with a moving profile having pumice and the step of contacting the surface of the nail with a moving profile in a manner that promotes retention of an additive material on or in the nail includes contacting the surface of the nail with a moving profile having a cotton material. 
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 3 , wherein the step of contacting the surface of the nail with a moving profile in a manner that promotes retention of an additive material on or in the nail includes disposing a polishing material onto the moving profile, the surface of the nail, or both the moving profile and the surface of the nail prior to contact of the surface of the nail with the moving profile. 
     
     
         5 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the additive material is a wax material. 
     
     
         6 . A nail care station comprising:
 a surface reducing moving profile having an abrasive portion on its periphery;   a polish moving profile having a polish promoting surface portion on its periphery; and   a motive power source for moving the surface reducing moving profile in a manner in which the abrasive portion on the periphery of the surface reducing moving profile repeatedly passes through an engagement location and operable to move the polish moving profile in a manner in which the polish promoting portion on the periphery of the polish moving profile repeatedly passes through an engagement location, the motive power source (a) operating to bring the surface reducing moving profile in engagement with a surface of a nail of a user at the engagement location in a manner in which the surface of the nail and the surface reducing moving profile move relative to one another as viewed along a contact plane that is perpendicular to an alignment plane intersecting the nail and the surface reducing moving profile and passing through the engagement location, the engagement of the surface of the nail and the surface reducing moving profile effecting a reduction in the thickness of the surface of the nail, (b), operating bring the polish promoting portion on the periphery of the polish moving profile into contact with the nail, following the engagement of the surface of the nail with the surface reducing moving profile, in a manner that promotes retention of an additive material on or in the nail, the additive material being initially disposed onto the polish moving profile, the surface of the nail, or both the polish moving profile and the surface of the nail prior to contact of the surface of the nail with the polish moving profile, and (c) operating to bring a moving profile into buffing contact with the surface of the nail, with the additive material retained on or in the nail, in a manner which causes a decrease of the roughness of the surface of the nail.   
     
     
         7 . The nail care station according to  claim 8 , wherein the motive power source includes a pair of rotatable mandrels, each mandrel for mounting at least one of the surface reducing moving profile and the polish moving profile. 
     
     
         8 . The nail care station according to  claim 7 , wherein each of the surface reducing moving profile and the polish moving profile includes an annular outer periphery and the motive power source is operable to rotate each mandrel so that the annular outer periphery of each of the surface reducing moving profile and the polish moving profile rotates through the engagement location. 
     
     
         9 . The nail care station according to  claim 8 , wherein the motive power source includes a cylindrical rod having a pair of axial ends and the pair of rotatable mandrels are each mounted to a respective axial end of the cylindrical rod. 
     
     
         10 . The nail care station according to  claim 9 , wherein the motive power source is an electric motor. 
     
     
         11 . An apparatus and consumable products kit comprising:
 a consumable polish base material that can be applied to a nail of a user to promote a polished appearance of the nail; and   a nail care station including;   a surface reducing moving profile having an abrasive portion on its periphery;   a polish moving profile having a polish promoting surface portion on its periphery; and   a motive power source for moving the surface reducing moving profile in a manner in which the abrasive portion on the periphery of the surface reducing moving profile repeatedly passes through an engagement location and operable to move the polish moving profile in a manner in which the polish promoting portion on the periphery of the polish moving profile repeatedly passes through an engagement location, the motive power source (a) operating to bring the surface reducing moving profile in a engagement with a surface of a nail of a user at the engagement location in a manner in which the surface of the nail and the surface reducing moving profile move relative to one another as viewed along a contact plane that is perpendicular to an alignment plane intersecting the nail and the surface reducing moving profile and passing through the engagement location, the engagement of the surface of the nail and the surface reducing moving profile effecting a reduction in the thickness of the surface of the nail, (b), operating to bring the polish promoting portion on the periphery of the polish moving profile into contact with the nail, following the engagement of the surface of the nail with the surface reducing moving profile, in a manner that promotes retention of an additive material on or in the nail, the additive material being initially disposed onto the polish moving profile, the surface of the nail, or both the polish moving profile and the surface of the nail prior to contact of the surface of the nail with the polish moving profile, and (c) operating to bring a moving profile into buffing contact with the surface of the nail, with the additive material retained on or in the nail, in a manner which causes a decrease of the roughness of the surface of the nail.