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We all want healthy long luxurious nails, most people will do anything to get them too! Either by getting fake nails or using supplements or nail lacquers. But where do healthy nails start? And how do we even begin trying for them? First things first, cuticle care! Your cuticles aren’t there just to look pretty, they play a purpose! They sit on top of your nail matrix and act like a protective barrier. If you want long healthy nails, taking care of your cuticles is a good start. And here’s a few ways to do it.
As a rule of thumb, never cut your cuticles. Cutting them puts you more at risk then helping them. You put yourself at risk to infection, irritation, and stress. If you remove the cuticle completely you leave your nails completely vulnerable and exposed, anything can get in. Getting a bacterial infection would be all too easy and it’s just not worth the risk.
Moisturize! Cuticles have the tendency of getting dry, they can crack and peel and flake off if left unmoisturized. Any skin moisturizer will do, but most dermatologists recommend thicker ones including ointments or creams. Apply a generous amount to your hands and use whatever is leftover to massage into your cuticles. Hot wax treatments are another good way of caring for your cuticles. This treatment is usually found at most salons. A special type of oil is heated until it’s completely melted, patrons then dips their hands into the wax and then put on plastic gloves and a mitt which help seal in the heat. These are worn for about 10 to 15 minutes. Once removed, your nails, hands, and cuticles should feel immediately softer and moisturized. This is a wonderful treatment with amazing benefits. The more you lubricate your hands and nails, the better they will be!
Wear gloves! When washing the dishes or removing nail polish with acetone you must wear gloves! Drying agents are a death sentence for not only your cuticles and nails, but for your hands and skin! Even too much water, especially hot water will just dry your hands out allowing severe stress and breakage along the nails and cuticle. Protect your hands and the rest of your body with thank you.
One more important thing to remember when caring for your cuticles. Keep your hands and fingers out of your mouth! Your mouth is dirty, and saliva breaks down your skin. If you’ve compromised your cuticles or nails developing an infection is too easy. If you have a bad habit of biting your nails you have to kick that to the curb. Stress, damage, and infections are the only thing you will see as a result from that nasty habit.
