Cuticles: Care for Healthy Hands

If you think that beautiful and well-groomed hands are just those with painted nails, then you should probably reconsider. 

The cuticles on the nails it is an important part of both the health and aesthetics of your hands as a whole. 

Healthy, clean nails without cuticles and cuticles are strong and help maintain a manicure for longer, while being free of fungus or other infections. 

See how to take care of your hands by removing the cuticles correctly and regularly, so that you can always keep your nails healthy and beautiful.

What are cuticles?

Let's first see what exactly they are cuticles. This is the layer of thin skin at the bottom of the nail plate. 

Many people often confuse the cuticle, which is essentially a strip of living skin at the bottom of the nails, with the cuticle, which is the very thin layer of dead skin at the base of the nails.

Cuticles develop to protect the nail from bacterial and fungal infections. 

So in order to avoid unwanted infections, it is important to keep the cuticles in the right shape, so that your nails grow healthily.

Why push back cuticles?

There are several reasons why we need to push our nail cuticles back. 

First, cuticles can often grow quite high on the nail plate. 

Therefore, by pushing back the cuticles you can lengthen the nail bed and have more space available to apply the nail polish you.

Second, when you paint or apply extensions over cuticles, they can lift or pull away from the rest of your nail bed.

How to push back cuticles

It is also very important to know how to push back the cuticles so that you do not cause any damage to the nail or the cuticles themselves. 

Learning how to use them manicure sticks Cuticle repellants are easy, as long as you know the proper technique to do it. 

Follow these four steps to properly push back your cuticles:

1. At first, remove the polish or whatever else you might have on your fingernail.
2. Subsequently, pour a few drops fabric softener and massage lightly for a few minutes on the area where the cuticles are and on the skin near them to soften and moisturize. 
3. Then, use the rounded sides of the cuticle pusher to to gently and firmly press the cuticles towards the near fold of your nail (the skin at the bottom of the nail). 
4. Finally, if necessary, use one nail clipper to carefully remove the extra dead skin. Tweezers are also useful for cutting off any cuticles, the pieces of skin that sometimes protrude from the sides of the nail. 

You should carefully remove only the dead skin from the cuticle and the skin that is still attached to your finger and never cut the cuticle or the fold of your nail. 

Also, you should not completely remove the cuticle because in this way the nail can be open to infections. 

There are three types of tools for pushing cuticles back: wooden, stone, and steel. The wooden ones are suitable for soft cuticles, the stone ones for harder cuticles in order to exfoliate at the same time, while the steel ones help to repel very hard cuticles.

How to use cuticle remover

Optionally, you can also add a liquid to remove the cuticles as you push them back. The cuticle softener simultaneously exfoliates and softens the cuticles that are still attached to the nail plate. 

This liquid to remove the cuticles is not necessary, but if you want to use it, the procedure is as follows:

1. Apply the conditioner to your cuticles.
2. Let it act on your cuticles for about 30 seconds (depending on each product). 
3. Push back the cuticles using the tool of your choice. 
4. Clean any excess product or dead skin from the cuticles. 
5. Apply one lucky oil.

Daily care for the cuticles

In preparation for the manicure, it's important to know not only how to push back cuticles, but also how to keep them soft and groomed. 

Dry and flaky skin around the nails is anything but a highlight of your new manicure. In addition, it can lead to infections without proper care.

The most important tips for care that cuticles need are the following:

1. Use cuticle oil

If your cuticles or the skin around them tends to be hard and tear easily, then cuticle oil can really work wonders. 

There are many factors, such as harsh chemicals and daily wear and tear, that can make your fingers and nails prone to damage, but applying a small amount of cuticle oil every now and then will go a long way in helping your nails.

When applying the cuticle oil, simply massage the cuticles, nail bed and surrounding skin thoroughly. 

Try to adopt this habit as part of your daily manicure care just before you go to bed, your cuticles and nails will always be kept at their best!  

Tip:: The cuticle oil can also be applied after the manicure, so that your nails look even shinier.

2. Stop biting

If you get used to pinching or biting your cuticles, then there is unnecessary damage to both the cuticles themselves and the skin surrounding them. 

If you have a pesky ingrown toenail, it's better to cut it carefully with tweezers rather than pulling down on the skin, causing further painful damage.

3. Give your nails a break

In case you've tried all of the above, but your cuticles are still dry and cracked, try to reduce the number of manicures you do, as there are often some harsh chemicals and dehydration involved in applying it. nail gel and acrylic. 

Also, try as much as possible to use an acetone-free nail polish.

See also: GEL OR ACRYLIC MANICURE? THE PROS AND CONS OF EACH METHOD

Infected cuticles

If your cuticles are often irritated and cracked, you have to be careful not to get an infection. 

An injury to the cuticles or the surrounding skin from biting or pushing them down too much can cause a bacterial infection known as paronychia.

You will know that cuticles are infected when:

• Redness on the surrounding skin
• Soft sore skin by touch 
• Changes in the shape of the nail, in its color or texture 
• Blisters full of pus
• Detachment nails

So if you notice any of these changes in the cuticles or the skin surrounding them, make sure to make an appointment with a doctor. 

The daily and proper care of the cuticles is therefore the key to the health and the elegant appearance of your hands as a whole! 

If you find it difficult to follow the above steps to maintain them cuticles your as you should on your own, then close on time and on a regular basis appointment for manicure at Oh My Beauty for a comprehensive, professional hand treatment that delivers well-shaped cuticle-free nails and revitalized tips.