Your cuticles have an important job; keeping your nails healthy by protecting them from bacterial and fungal infections. If your cuticles becomes dry and cracked, they can’t attach to the nail, leaving it vulnerable to damage and infection. Fortunately, with the right products and a little TLC, taking care of them is all too easy.
Moisturise … moisturise … moisturise
When cuticles dry out your nail plate becomes less flexible and your nails can become more brittle and susceptible to damage. Investing in a good cuticle cream or oil to help prevent this from happening. Ideally, you want your cutcles to be soft enough so that you can push them back. (If you try and push back dry, hard cuticles, this will only end up inflaming them.)
NEVER cut or clip
Not even your nail technician will use clippers on this delicate area. This is because you can easily damage the cuticles, causing them to detach from the nail and leading to nail infections or nail loss. If you prevent dryness and overgrowth in the first place, you won’t feel the urge to clip away your cuticles. Instead, push them back with a special cuticle stick, also referred to as an orange stick. It’s got a perfectly angled tip that you can place flat against the top of the nail bed so as to gently nudge the cuticle back.
Don’t forget about your feet
According to Dana Caruso, Sally Hansen’s nail expert, the cuticles on your toes tends to be thicker and harder to remove than those on your fingernails. ‘To eliminate dry rough cuticles on your toe nails, use an exfoliating cuticle treatment containing alpha hydroxy acids twice a week and cuticles will become almost invisible’, she says.
Nail 911
If you have a badly inflammed cuticle or nail infection, make an appointment with a dermatologist or podiatrist. Chances are they’re prescribe an antifungal or antibacterial cream.
Always make sure that your nail technician is licensed and sterilizes all tools used during a manicure.
If you’ve got consistently dry cuticles or brittle nails that break easily, this could be the sign of a nutritional definciency, so make a point of chatting to your doctor about it.
Once your cuticles are in good nick, why don’t you treat your nails to a Minx Mani? It’s the hottest thing to flaunt on your fingertips…
29 Responses
Sally Hansen is just the best when it comes to nail care!
awesome tips…..
Could the application of normal almond oil, purchased over the counter, also assist in promoting healthy cuticles? Interesting read…
Does anyone know of the The Body Shop Almond Oil nail and cuticle treatment (R95) is organic? I use pure apricot oil, works very good
I always have problems with my cutticles and I recently found cutticle oil from Dead Sea its amazing
The Body Shop treatment looks AWESOME!
I was never into long nails and stuff, because of using harsh products everyday and typing and so on. I think my keyboard is falling in love with my hands. LOL
In asia we apply cuticle remover on to the nails to soften it then we push it using a pusher similar to cuticle sticks,then cut or trim out the dry skin and cuticles that has been push iut using a nail nipper. It makes the nails clean, bigger or wider. Then we moisturize and apply nail polish.
I’ve never seen that IQ cuticle cream. It’s very affordable. I will definitely look out for it. My current cuticle oil isn’t working all that well. :(
Another great product I picked up today is Sally Hanson, instant cuticle remover, maximum strength. It’s works like a bomb!!! Sally Hansen you guys make awsome products!!!!