Okay, nail biters… I’m mostly back on the wagon. I’m giving that whole “stop biting your nails” thing another try!
One problem I have is this: when I stop biting my nails, I tend to attack my cuticles instead. So to be completely honest, I’m only redirecting the chewing behavior, not stopping it. At the moment, I’ve got eight “good” nails, two slightly nibbled nails, and two hands full of sad looking cuticles.
Cuticles are dead skin that overlaps the exposed portion of your fingernail — the nail plate. The cuticle makes a seal between your skin and your fingernail to help keep out debris, bacteria, and fungus. Underneath the cuticle is the matrix — the place where the nail is formed. Think of the cuticles like armor for your body; without cuticles in place, all sorts of things can get under your skin.
Here are some tips to help keep your cuticles healthy:
- Use a moisturizer every time you wash your hands. This will help keep your cuticles from drying out.
- Try to limit nail polish remover use to once a week (or less). Nail polish remover can be very drying!
- Wear gloves to protect your hands when using cleaning products. Cotton-lined rubber gloves are best, but any protection is better than none at all.
- Be gentle with your cuticles. If you find them looking ragged, give them a soak in warm water and GENTLY rub them into shape with a soft washcloth.
- Don’t bite or cut your cuticles. Don’t push them too harshly. Don’t push them back too far.
- Always use sterile tools for a home manicure.
- Choose a manicurist who is licensed and clean. Watch to see that your technician washes her hands between clients and sterilizes her tools.
- Watch for signs of inflammation — minor redness around the cuticles. This can be caused by using harsh cleaning products or cutting/pushing your cuticles too harshly.
- Watch for signs of fungal infection — discolored debris under the nail or a separation of the nail and the bed.
- Watch for itchiness and blisters — these may be caused by certain nail polishes or acrylic nails. The usual culprits are methyl methacrylate (MMA), tosylamid resin, or formaldehyde resin.
- If you do have an inflammation or infection, you may need a doctor’s help. See a dermatologist, podiatrist, or your family doctor for an antifungal or antibacterial treatment.