BEAUTY TIPS

By Guest Contributor

Your Cuticles are Peeling?

Here is How to Stop it!

Photo courtesy of Unsplash

The goal of your regular manicure is to maintain healthy nails and skin. Your nails may look pristine, but the cracked cuticles are something you do not want to see. Peeling, biting, ripping, and picking at cuticles is not the solution.

There is a way to deal with dry cuticles, and it doesn’t involve biting them. Before you look for solutions like cuticle remover, you need to find out the cause of your dry and peeling cuticles.

Why are my cuticles peeling?

Cuticles can get thirsty. Yes, thirsty. Hydration is the key for healthy nails and skin around the nails. However, even if you moisturize the skin, you might be using the wrong products. You probably think you are doing everything right, but there are still peeling cuticles out there.

For example, hand creams don’t work for cuticles. In fact, hand cream evaporates before it can even penetrate the cuticle area.

What you need to use is oil-based products. They can completely penetrate the cuticle area and moisturize your cuticles from the inside.

How to identify dry cuticles?

The cuticle is a layer of clear skin, located on the bottom of the finger or toenail. It is located along the nail bed. Cuticles protect your nails by serving as a barrier for bacteria.

This area is delicate and sensitive. As such, it can easily get dry and then crack. During colder months, dry cuticles are even more common, due to lack of moisture in the air.

How to know whether your cuticles are dry? Easily, look if they are flaking, cracked, or peeling. And it can be serious. Peeling and cracked cuticles allow bacteria to enter your nails, causing an infection. Therefore, you want to treat the condition as soon as possible.

Photo courtesy of Unsplash

Should you cut the cuticles?

If you know where should be cutting, yes, you can cut your cuticles using cuticle removers. The trick is knowing where to cut.

As mentioned previously, the cuticle is a layer of translucent skin shed from the underside of the living skin that protects the nail plate from bacteria. This tissue is dead, and most of it can be safely cut. Cutting this area will make it look clean, and improve adhesion of polish. It will also keep your nails healthy.

The problem is most people get the living eponychium, which is the living skin protecting the nail plate from bacteria as the nail grows. There are also methods of how to cut the cuticles. Never cut everything off. Trim only on the sides if you have thin cuticles. For thick cuticles, cut some off and leave a thin line of the cuticle to protect against infection.

How to treat dry cuticles?

The easiest and simplest way to treat dry cuticles and prevent peeling is to moisturize the area on a regular basis. You can use cream or oil. Hydration is the key to heal chapped, broken skin around the nails and cuticles. Your options include the following.

Cuticle cream

Look for ingredients like vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin E, and natural oils like almond oil in your cuticle cream. Oils help soften the cuticles, while the vitamins nourish your skin and strengthen the cuticles. Cuticle cream is basically an emollient that moisturizes and nourishes the area.

Wash your hands, and then massage just a small amount of it into the nail beds. Buy cuticle cream at any drugstore or a beauty store.

Vaseline

Being that Vaseline can lock moisture in, some people use it as a natural remedy for cuticles. Just remember to wear gloves, and apply Vaseline over the area before bedtime. Repeat a few times per week on a regular basis, and you will notice improvement.

Cuticle oil

Same as a cuticle cream, the oil is designed to soften and hydrate the area. Usually, cuticle oils are made of different oils and vitamins. Some ingredients you should look for include aloe vera, sunflower oil, grapeseed oil, and more.

Apply just a thin amount of it to the nail bed, and then use the fingertip as a soft brush.

Coconut oil

For those of you that are not ready to spend a fortune on cuticle products, coconut oil is good enough to do the trick. Coconut oil contains saturated fats that can soothe and strengthen nail beds. Massage a small amount of it into each nail bed.

Photo courtesy of Pixabay

Can dry cuticles cause health complications?

Generally speaking, dry cuticles do not cause health complications. However, problems can occur when dry cuticles peel off, leaving your nails without protection against bacteria and infection. If your cuticles are bleeding often, you should visit a doctor. Other signs of infection include swelling, pain around the cuticle, and redness.

How to prevent dry cuticles?

To put it simply, as long as you hydrate your cuticles on a regular basis, you should be fine. Use any cuticle cream, oil, or homemade solutions. Moisturize is the key to prevention.

In addition, you want to avoid products with harsh chemicals such as hand sanitizers, nail polish removers, and harsh soaps. These products can dry out your cuticles.

Read more: Right Food Choices for Your Skin Health

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