How to Properly Trim Cuticles
Written for Walgreens.com
Cuticles may be small and delicate, but they have a tough job to do when it comes to protecting your nail beds. Although cuticles are dead skin, they sit atop your nail’s growth matrix, which is the part of your nail that grows, and protect the area from infection. Maintaining healthy cuticles can help them do their job well, as well as provide many aesthetic benefits such as making your nails appear longer. We’ve compiled some tips to help you learn how to care for your cuticles and properly trim them when needed.
Soak:
The first step in caring for and trimming your cuticles comes with a soak. Cuticles need to be softened to be pushed back and properly trimmed, so soak your fingertips and nails for 5 minutes in warm water to get the process rolling.
Remove:
After the cuticles are soft from soaking, dry them and apply some cuticle remover. This should be left on per the package instructions, anywhere from one to three minutes, and will help break down dead skin cells. Once the proper amount of time has elapsed, wash off the cuticle remover. Never leave it on for longer than directed.
Push:
Using an orange stick or metal cuticle pusher, lightly push the cuticles back towards the nail bed. This should be done very lightly and with minimal pressure. A metal cuticle pusher can go through your nail plate, so it’s important to watch how much pressure you use and the angle at which you push.
Buff:
Once the cuticles are pushed back, buff the dry, rough skin around them with a nail buffer. An exfoliating cream will also do the trick.
Trim:
Using either a V-shaped cuticle trimmer or a cuticle cutter, trim any hangnails that protrude from the cuticles. If using a cuticle cutter, close on the offending hangnail and lift upwards, like you’re tweezing a hair. If you can feel something, you need to reposition and try again. Remember, cuticles are dead skin and you shouldn’t feel any pain when you trim them. Many avid manicurists prefer to use a cutter with a 1/4” blade that is very sharp. This will ensure the most accurate removal of hangnails from the cuticles. Because the cutters are sharp, be careful. Cutting the cuticles open, instead of simply trimming them, could lead to infection or irritation. If you need to trim the cuticles themselves instead of just hangnails on top, try to do so no more than once a month to protect the health of the cuticles.
Maintain:
Although you should only trim cuticles once a month, it’s a good idea to lavish other attention on your cuticles more frequently. Push them back as often as once a week and moisturize them daily with cuticle oil to keep them in the best shape possible. If you do that, you can get away with not trimming your cuticles as often, and the entire area will stay healthier and more beautiful. If that doesn’t make your nails happy, nothing will.