Is It Really That Bad To Cut Your Cuticles?

The American Academy of Dermatology Association says that your cuticle is the extra skin around the bottom of your nail that covers the nail bed (AAD). In a sense, your cuticles protect the sensitive area at the base of your nails from the rest of the world. By cutting away this skin, your manicurist can polish your nails down to the bottom. But putting aside how it looks, is it wrong to cut your nails?

What Happens When You Cut Your Cuticles?

  • Chance of Getting Sick

As we’ve already said, your cuticles protect your nail bed from anything your fingers touch. The AAD says that when you cut away this skin, your nails are more likely to get sick. When you cut or trim your cuticles, you expose your nail bed and root to the outside world. This makes it easier for dirt and bacteria to get into your body and cause an infection. And since your fingers and toenails touch so many things every day, the risk is pretty high.

  • Nail Damage

When you cut your cuticles, you can also hurt or hurt your nail bed. The American Society for Surgery of the Hand says that nail bed injury nail bed injuries aren’t usually too bad, but they can make your nails look funny or cause them to crack and break.

  • Should you instead push your nails back?

It might look nice to push back or trim your cuticles, but it’s best to leave them alone. Some people like to use a flat-edged tool to push back cuticles instead of cutting them off or trimming them. The AAD says that you should also avoid doing this, though. Even though pushing back your cuticles isn’t as bad as cutting and decorating them, it still leaves your nail bed open to the elements and puts you at risk for an infection.

How to Take Care of Your Nails

  • Moisturize

The Mayo Clinic says that moisturizing is one way to take care of your nails and help heal damaged cuticles. You can help your skin stay healthy by rubbing hand lotion into your nails, nail beds, and cuticles.

  • Clean your tools

The AAD says that you should always clean your nail tools before using them to kill germs and avoid getting sick. At least once a month, it would be best to use 70–90% isopropyl alcohol to clean your tools. Scrub your nail clippers and scissors well, then rinse them with hot water. To get their nails done, people who go to a salon should ensure the technician cleans their tools well. Today, it’s pretty standard for your nail tech to pull clean, sanitized tools for your nails out of a sealed package before they start working.

  • Avoid Artificial Nails

You may like the look of long nails, but acrylics are unsuitable for your nails or cuticles. The AAD says that acrylics are not only bad for your nails but also bad for your cuticles. Part of acrylic nails is filing down your natural nails (usually a drill). During this step, a technician usually removes your cuticles to ensure the fake nail’s base is even.

So, is it that bad to cut your nails?

Your cuticles probably aren’t the most important thing to worry about regarding your health. Still, avoiding cutting your cuticles is easy and better for your health. Even though trimming this skin once in a while (for example, for a special event) probably won’t hurt much, it’s best to leave your cuticles alone.

Last Updated on July 28, 2023 by john liam