Top Five Tips for Healthy Cuticles
Written for Walgreens.com
Cuticles are something that most people only notice when they’re dry and unhealthy. But the truth is, cuticles never have to get that way. In fact, if you can add a few easy tasks to your beauty routine, you may never get a hangnail again. Read on for our top five tips for healthy cuticles.
1. Exfoliate
Most people know that their skin needs to be exfoliated, but many never think about the skin on and around their cuticles. It, too, needs to be exfoliated. It’s one of the easiest steps in the quest for healthy cuticles. Although many people prefer to exfoliate their cuticles as part of a manicure, you can make it part of your morning routine. Simply choose a hand soap that has fine particles in it, or create your own mixture of olive oil and sugar to rub around nails and nail beds. Press lightly to avoid damaging them, and rub in circular motions. This will help stop hangnails before they ever appear.
2. Moisturize
To keep cuticles from drying out and splintering, moisturize them often. This can be done easily before bed and is as simple as rubbing them with jojoba oil, coconut oil, a heavy hand cream, or even vaseline. Make sure to massage the oil or cream into the cuticles gently, then go to bed. For extra moisturizing power, slide your hands into cotton gloves and let the moisturizer soak into your hands naturally instead of rubbing off on your bedding, etc. Your cuticles will get healthier as you sleep.
3. Push
Because cuticles grow out with nails, it can be helpful to push them back for a more aesthetically pleasing look. This should only be done when the cuticles are soft and moisturized. One of the best things you can do is to soak your cuticles in a bowl of warm, soapy water for 5 minutes, then moisturize them with an oil or cream. Once the cuticles are ready, push them back gently with an orange stick, a metal cuticle pusher, or a rubber-tipped cuticle pusher. You can damage the nail and the nail matrix if you’re not careful, so push lightly. If you experience pain, stop. Cuticles are dead skin and there shouldn’t be any pain. You may need to reposition and try again.
4. Clip carefully
Dermatologists say there is no need to clip your cuticles and that doing so can damage them and the nail matrix, but if you simply must cut your cuticles, do so no more than once a month and use a very sharp pair of cuticle trimmers. It may sound counterintuitive, but the sharper your cuticle trimmers are, the less likely they are to damage your cuticles. When you trim your cuticles, aim to cut back hangnails and leave as much of the skin intact as possible.
5. Create a routine
To keep and maintain healthy cuticles, blend these easy steps into your beauty routine. That way, your hangnails will never get out of control and you may never need to clip your cuticles. Giving yourself a mini manicure once a week can be a fun and relaxing way to keep cuticles healthy and hands looking beautiful.