To keep, or not to keep cuticles: that is the question 🤔

Cuticle Care

Cuticles are important to maintain at the base of your nail beds and should not be removed. They act as a barrier to protect your nails from bacteria and infection. Always tell your nail technician not to cut the cuticles, just trim hangnails and loose skin that is visible after pushing cuticles back.

Risk Of Infection

There is no benefit to trimming or cutting cuticles during a manicure, and it is done purely for cosmetic reasons. In fact, removing the cuticle is actually harmful to your nails. “The small area of skin is there to protect your nails from infection. When this skin is removed, your nail is left unprotected from bacteria and fungus. Cuticles should never be cut or trimmed as it leads to infections and ultimately damage to the nail. This is something that seems impossible to get across to the nail technicians,” says Dr. Joel Schlessinger, a dermatologist and cosmetic surgeon, founder of LovelySkin.com.

Sterilization Issues

Many nail salons lack proper sterilization of their tools, leaving customers susceptible to infections, especially when using tools improperly. When you remove the cuticle from the nail, and are using a potentially unsterile tool, you are creating the perfect breeding grounds for an infection.

So next time you visit a nail salon, be sure to tell them NOT to trim your cuticles. Pushing them back is sufficient!