If you’ve ever gotten your nails done at a salon, chances are that you’ve also gotten your cuticles removed. At least here in India, this seems to be the trend. Manicurists do this for multiple reasons and some of them are – to make your nails appear longer, help acrylic nails fit perfectly to your nails and finally, to beautify them. Manicurists have two common methods in dealing with cuticles, one is removing them with a cuticle remover and second, is pushing them back with a wooden orange stick. Which method is safer? More so, is cutting your cuticles really bad for you? Let’s find out whether that’s a myth or a fact.
Should You Be Cutting Your Cuticles?
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Let’s face it, getting your cuticles removed for the sake of pretty nails is a painful process. If not done correctly, you could run the risk of infection and in worst-case scenarios, losing the nail. You see, cuticles are skin tissues attached to your nail plates. They exist to seal the space between your skin and the nail plate. This prevents bacteria, dirt, germs and infections from entering and festering. Think of your cuticles as a door trying to protect the skin from coming in contact with bacteria. They’re there for a reason and you should probably just leave them alone and let them do their thing.
If you’re really bothered with the way your cuticle looks, push them back. Whatever dead skin remains underneath the cuticle, remove them. Also, dead skin is easier and less painful to remove when the skin is moist so make that you soak your fingers before attempting to remove them by yourself. If you don’t have a wooden stick to push your cuticles back, then you can use a hand towel or fingernails to do so. Whatever method you choose, be gentle. Pushing them too quickly and harshly can damage the nail bed and could cause an infection that can mushroom into a serious problem later on in life.
Final verdict, avoid messing around with your cuticles and don’t allow the manicurist to do so either. If in the case of acrylic nails, they may need to remove the cuticles, that’s fine as long as they’re doing it carefully, correctly and causing you no pain. And make sure those manicure tools have been sanitized before they use them on you!
And finally, if you’re struggling to keep your cuticles soft and well-groomed, befriend cuticle oil. Either buy one online or make it at home. Cuticle oil helps to soothe cuticles, prevent nail breakage, promote nail growth and treat dryness. After all, nail-care is also part of self-care.
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