A manicure is a treatment for fingernails and hands. A manicure can treat just the hands, just the nails, or both.
Treatments for hands usually include soaking in a softening substance and application of hand lotion. The word “manicure” comes from the Latin manus, meaning “hand,” and cura meaning “cure”.
Paraffin Treatments
Sometimes your hands may be dipped in melted paraffin or wax. This is meant to impart heat to the hand for the purposes of relaxing the skin and making it better able to absorb lotion, which is sometimes rubbed on the hand before submersion into the paraffin. The hand is usually dipped more than once to allow a thicker wax coat to form, making the coating stay warm for longer and less likely to break or tear prematurely. After the hands have been dipped in the wax, they are wrapped in either plastic or tin foil, then covered with cloth to retain warmth.