Why remove cuticles

Among the more niche life lessons my mother drilled into my sister and me was that when bathing every night, we should push back our cuticles with the corner of a flannel. I do it every day on autopilot without really thinking about it.

Some other niche life lessons from my mother include a bizarrely specific towel-folding method, a very intricate Tupperware storage system, and always keeping a bag of 'bad' peas in the freezer to ice sprains. That being said, I understand your confusion.

I asked Juanita Hubert-Miller, founder of my favourite nail bar, Townhouse , for her take. This has to come off when having a manicure as paint and gel sticks best to a clean nail. What most people refer to as the cuticle is actually known as the eponychium, the fold of skin at the base of the nail.

This you need to be much more gentle with as it is living tissue. It is absolutely fine to push it back and this is best done after a shower or bath, or in the salon with professional equipment to avoid damage or splitting. Essentially, the 'never cut your cuticle' thing is more a case of mistaken identity, not misinformation. If you go to a salon for a manicure, do not ever let your nail tech cut this skin.

The best way to keep this skin soft and tight to the nail plate is with a high quality, jojoba wax ester based penetrating nail and cuticle oil. How the cuticle is created is fascinating to me and sounds like it should be painful. The eponychium is a very important guardian seal preventing germs and bacteria from getting into the matrix. Not surprisingly, the tissue that sits upon the nail plate is very different from the visible eponychium.

The underside of the eponychium nail fold has a strange, sticky texture. This is why it is so important to NOT dig a tool underneath the nail fold. As the nail cells are created and pushed forward, the nail plate literally rips the bottom layer of eponychium cells with it. Cuticle cells also tightly grip the proximal fold of the eponychium. This creates a nice, tight guardian seal.

For people like me, that death grip is too strong. My cuticle will pull the nail fold and stretch it out very thin. In the photo above, you can see both examples. When you release the grip, your proximal fold is able to stay nice and tight. I did an experiment to figure all of this out. I stopped pushing back my nail folds for 3 weeks to see what would happen. The proximal folds were stretched an additional 3 millimeters! I also started getting those painful, thin hangnails that tear and bleed on my eponychium.

When I released the nail folds from the cuticle, the skin remained stretched out. Within 24 hours that skin was drying out and I had a strong desire to clip it. I had finally figured out why people clip their proximal folds! Geeky…but that was an exciting discovery for me.

I started oiling and massaging that skin several times a day. Within a week my proximal folds were back to normal and looking beautifully healthy. Simply use your fingernail to gently push back the proximal fold to break the death grip about every 4 to 7 days. If your nails are really short, you can use an orange wood stick. Just be gentle. If you keep your skin hydrated with a high quality, jojoba wax ester based penetrating nail and cuticle oil , then it will be easy to push back your nail folds.

This can also be done in the shower. Just make sure you are wearing one coat of base coat when showering. Again, some people are able to scrape the cuticle off with their fingernail in the shower.

Lye is largely used in the soap making process. All cuticle removers contain lye. You can purchase them at most beauty supply stores or online. The area around the nail bed is very delicate. You can use cuticle oil or moisturizer to hydrate them. You can also apply Vaseline overnight to soothe damaged cuticles. Avoid picking at your cuticle. If you have a hangnail, carefully remove it with tweezers or clippers, instead of ripping it out or biting it off.

Also limit your use of harsh nail polishes and removers. Use an acetone-free formula for a nail polish remover. Paronychia is an infection of the skin around your cuticles. Symptoms may include:. Mild forms of paronychia can usually be treated at home. Your doctor can prescribe an antibiotic or antifungal medication for more serious cases. If you experience chronic paronychia, see your doctor for treatment. This supplement is known for strengthening and hardening nails.

Taking care of your cuticles is important for your health. They protect your nail area from infection. And ask the technician to skip cutting your cuticles if you are uncomfortable.

Talk to your doctor or dermatologist if you notice signs or symptoms of a nail infection. They can recommend a treatment plan. Ingrown fingernails can often be treated at home, but sometimes they'll require a trip to the doctor. If you want nails that grow faster, you can start by taking good care of your body and using the following tips. Fingernail moons are the rounded shadows at the base of your nails.

The moon on your fingernail is also called a lunula, which is Latin for little…. Peeling nails can result from trauma to the nail. Picking off nail polish and pressing on your nails can cause them to peel. The Brazilian offers complete pubic hair removal — front and back.