People often ask me if they should remove their cuticles. This is a very hot topic filled with misinformation.

If you don’t wear nail polish or other nail enhancements, the answer is NO!

For a lot of people, removing cuticle tissue is NOT necessary.

There are only two types of people who need to remove their cuticles.

1. You wear solvent-resistant nail enhancements like gel, acrylic, polygel, or dip nails.
2. You wear traditional nail polish AND it chips at your cuticle line.

Notice how I don’t include nail polish in the list in #1? There’s a reason for this.

Before I explain more, let’s get some clarity about where the cuticle actually lives.

If you’re new to my articles, the truth might surprise you.

For most of us, we learned the names of different parts of our body in elementary/primary school.

We were incorrectly taught that the band of skin at the base of the nail is the cuticle.

This band of skin is actually the keratinized proximal nail fold.

Never Remove Cuticles? Really?

If you don’t wear nail enhancements, you NEVER need to remove the cuticles.

Refer to the photo above. The cuticle is actually a thin layer of colorless, nonliving tissue that sticks very tightly to the freshly made nail plate.

Combined with the keratinized proximal nail fold, the cuticle creates the most important guardian seal protecting the nail matrix from germs and bacteria.

Cuticle Confusion

Does this sound like you?

You are new to learning how to improve your nail care. You hop on the internet and YouTube for answers. 

You keep hearing/reading that you should remove the cuticle. But seemingly respectable websites, like WebMD, also have articles that tell you to never cut your cuticles.

Your anatomy lessons in school have set you up to make the wrong conclusion.

You assume that they’re talking about what “you think” is the cuticle.

In addition, it isn’t helpful that there is a product called the “cuticle cutter.” Now you assume that cuticles should be cut.

Again, incorrect.

The real truth is that gentle scraping is the only way to remove cuticles.

Reader Beware!

I write a lot that it’s important to find respectable resources who write truthful content.

But the internet is now a landmine of myths, falsehoods, and fear-mongering. How are you supposed to know?

The following photo is a snapshot of the beginning of an article published on WebMD. It is one of the thousands of articles that make me want to pull my hair out in frustration.

This article was written by a freelance author who is not a doctor. As you’ve already learned, she clearly doesn’t know the correct location of the cuticle.

As a result, the article is completely useless. But most people don’t know that and read it as truth.

Then to compound the problem, the article is reviewed by a doctor, who apparently approved this piece of “content” as truthful.

The Rise and Fall of WebMD

Sites that used to be respectful resources usually end up falling into the “cater to the Google algorithm” mentality. This is what has happened with WebMD.

WebMD started June 14, 1996 as Healthscape. In 1999 it was part of a three way merger with Sapient Health Network (SHN), Direct Medical Knowledge (DMK) and Healtheon. Articles were written by doctors.

In 2013, the Chicago Tribune reported that WebMD, “has struggled with a fall in advertising revenue with pharmaceutical companies slashing marketing budgets as several blockbuster drugs go off patent.” In response, WebMD began investing in changes to its site in order to entice users who use its site seeking specific information to linger on the site reviewing other material. ~Source: Wikipedia.org/wiki/WebMD

Since WebMD is now financed by advertising, third-party contributions, and sponsors, “investing in changes” means offering more content to keep the Google machine happy.

WebMD’s network of websites reaches more unique visitors each month than any other leading private or government healthcare website.

Writing in The New York Times Magazine in 2011, Virginia Heffernan criticized WebMD for biasing readers toward drugs that are sold by the site’s pharmaceutical sponsors, even when they are unnecessary. She wrote that WebMD “has become permeated with pseudo-medicine and subtle misinformation.“

Julia Belluz of Vox criticized WebMD for encouraging hypochondria and for promoting treatments for which evidence of safety and effectiveness is weak or non-existent, such as green coffee supplements for weight loss, vagus nerve stimulation for depression, and fish-oil/omega-3 supplements for high cholesterol. ~Source: Wikipedia.org/wiki/WebMD

Do I Even Have Cuticles to Remove?

Did you know that some people don’t have any cuticles on their nail plates?

Might seem strange, but true.

Dead skin cells continually slough off of our bodies. We often speed up the process by exfoliating in the shower.

Living life with our hands usually provides plenty of opportunities to naturally exfoliate the cuticle from our nail plate; shoving our hands in pockets, grabbing loads of laundry, digging through our purses or backpacks, even drying our hands on a towel.

Removing What Isn’t There

If you lived in southern Florida or Fiji where it never freezes, and I told you to scrape the ice from your car windshield during the winter, you would think I had lost my mind. It seems a little crazy to scrape nonexistent ice. 

The same is true about the cuticle.

It’s pretty challenging to see a thin, colorless layer of tissue. It’s even harder to see if it has rubbed off!

Universal Truth

Have you ever applied a messy manicure and noticed that the polish came right off your skin in the shower? 

Nail enhancement products don’t bond to skin. 

Companies formulate enhancements to bond to the hard keratin structure of our nails.

When to Scrape

If you wear any sort of solvent-resistant enhancement like gel, polygel, acrylic, or dip nails, removing the dead cuticle on the nail plate is important. 

“During a properly performed manicure, the keratinized proximal nail fold is gently pushed back to expose the cuticle. The cuticle must be carefully removed. Improperly performed, this part of the manicure can lead to problems.

For example, applying artificial nail products over this thin layer of skin will prevent proper adhesion. This causes the artificial nail to separate and lift from the surface of the natural nail plate.

Many hours of valuable time are lost to repairs made necessary by careless removal of the cuticle. Not only can improperly removing the cuticle contribute to artificial nail service breakdown, it can also lead to infection or nail deformities.

This is why it is very important to avoid removing the cuticle from underneath the nail fold. It is fine to push back on the keratinized nail fold first, but do not place any instrument underneath the nail fold itself. This can lead to injury and infection.” ~Doug Schoon, Nail Structure and Product Chemistry

The Cuticle and Nail Polish

Just because you wear traditional polish, don’t assume you need to remove your cuticles. 

You may not have any.

If your nail polish constantly chips at your cuticle line, then you most likely have cuticle on your nail plate.

This is when it is a good time to learn proper cuticle removal as part of your manicure routine.

The frequency of cuticle removal depends on your rate of nail growth. I would recommend it once every two to four weeks.

Cuticle tissue only shows up on new nail growth.

In Conclusion

There are a couple of wise sayings I’d like you to remember.

“Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.” —Maya Angelou

“Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should.” 

It’s very important to understand “why it’s a good idea” to take on a new skill, technique, or practice.

Do you need to purchase and learn how to use a skill saw if you’re always going to hire a carpenter to do construction work for you?

Sometimes it’s more important to ask the right questions first.

Only then will you find the right answers. ~Ana

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The post Should You Remove Cuticles? first appeared on Nail Care Headquarters.

Do you know where the cuticle is? Are you supposed to push, clip or scrape?

The correct answer might surprise you. It’s “Scrape.”

This is probably one of the most important articles you will read about nail care.

In this article,  you’ll learn:

• What and where the cuticle is
• Some important nail anatomy names
• How to remove the cuticle properly

We’ve Been Duped

The entire planet has been taught the incorrect definition for the “cuticle”.

The tight band of skin at the base of your nail plate is NOT the cuticle.

That band of skin is called the “keratinized proximal nail fold ” or “nail fold”.

So where is that elusive cuticle if what we’ve been taught is incorrect?

The cuticle is a thin layer of dead tissue riding on the nail plate to form a seal between the nail plate and proximal nail fold to prevent pathogens from infecting the matrix area.

The cuticle should NOT be confused with the proximal nail fold. ~Doug Schoon, Nail Structure and Product Chemistry

The Proximal Nail Fold

Please, please, please…DO NOT CUT THIS SKIN!

The proximal nail fold (PNF) is a required guardian seal that prevents germs and bacteria from getting to the nail matrix, where new cells are created.

I always know when people are clipping and nipping. Their entire cuticle line is red and inflamed. Basically, their PNF is infected all the time.

If you go to a salon for a manicure, please do not ever let your nail technician cut this skin.

The best way to keep the PNF skin soft and tight to the nail plate is with a high quality, jojoba wax ester based penetrating nail and cuticle oil.

Where Does The Cuticle Come From?

How the cuticle is created is fascinating to me and sounds like it should be painful.

But it isn’t.

The Death Grip

The proximal nail fold is living skin that covers approximately 20% of the nail plate, right over the matrix.

The PNF is a very important guardian seal preventing germs and bacteria from getting into the matrix.

Not surprisingly, the tissue that sits upon the nail plate is very different from the proximal nail fold.

The underside of the proximal nail fold is a thin layer of specialized cells called the eponychium which has a strange, sticky texture. This is why it is so important to NOT dig a tool underneath the proximal nail fold, including electronic file bits.

As the nail cells are created and pushed forward, the nail plate literally rips the layer of eponychium cells with it.

It is these cells that are the cuticle.

Cuticle cells also tightly grip the proximal nail fold. This creates a nice, tight guardian seal that prevents bacteria and germs from damaging or destroying your nail matrix.

For some people, the proximal fold releases from the cuticle on its own.

For people like me, that death grip is too strong. My cuticle will pull the PNF and stretch it out very thin.

In the photo above, you can see both examples. One half of the proximal fold has released on its own and the other half is still being stretched.

Most people can’t see their cuticle since the skin is so thin, but this photo captured it perfectly.

Breaking the Cuticle’s Grasp – Push Back

Should you push back your proximal fold?

I do, but it’s completely up to you.

When you release the grip, your proximal fold is able to stay nice and tight. As long as you don’t push too hard with your fingernail or a tool, the healthy seal under the proximal nail fold stays intact, and your matrix stays healthy.

You don’t ever want to push so hard that your fingernail or tool goes under the proximal fold.

My Experiment

I did an experiment to figure all of this out. I stopped pushing back my nail folds for 3 weeks to see what would happen.

The proximal folds were stretched an additional 3 millimeters! I also started getting those painful, thin, shredded hangnails that tear, bleed, and get infected––just like the ones in the photo above.

When I released the PNF from the cuticle, the band of skin remained stretched out.

Within 24 hours that skin was drying out, getting hard, and I had a strong desire to clip it.

Ah-ha!

I had finally figured out why people clip their proximal folds!

Geeky…but that was an exciting discovery for me. Before my experiment, I’ve always pushed back my proximal folds, I’ve never had the desire to clip.

I started oiling and massaging that skin several times a day. Within a week my proximal folds were back to normal and looking beautifully healthy.

The Solution?

Simply use your fingernail to gently push back the proximal fold to break the death grip about every 4 to 7 days.

If your nails are really short, you can use an orangewood stick. Just be gentle.

If you keep your skin hydrated with a high quality, jojoba wax ester based penetrating nail and cuticle oil, then it will be easy to push back your nail folds.

This can also be done in the shower. Just make sure you are wearing one coat of base coat when showering.

Why? Many of my readers know that my #1 Rule is “Never Shower Naked”.

Do We Really Need to Remove the Cuticle?

It depends. Do you always have bare nails? Then the answer is no.

Do you wear polish, gel, acrylic or other nail enhancements? Then the answer is yes.

Since polish and nail enhancements don’t bond to the skin on the nail plate, the cuticle should be properly removed with gentle scraping.

Proper Cuticle Removal

Again, some people are able to scrape the cuticle off with their fingernail in the shower.

Others like to use a cuticle remover.

How Cuticle Removers Work

The best ingredient to dissolve human protein cells is “lye“. You’ll also find it labeled as potassium hydroxide, sodium hydroxide, or caustic potash.

Lye is largely used in the soap making process. All cuticle removers contain lye.

Personally, I love using a cuticle remover. Some people hate it.

Currently, I use our Bliss Kiss™ Simply Gone™ cuticle remover.

I’ve used Blue Cross™ and I hate it for 3 reasons. It’s too watery, it eats my live skin, and causes those tiny strips of shredded skin below the proximal fold. You can see some of those hangnails in the photo farther up in this article.

What I LOVE about our Simply Gone™, is that it is a thicker consistency like hair conditioner. It doesn’t run or drip so I can put it exactly where I want it.

Lye Dissolves All Skin

The cuticle is dead skin.

The proximal nail fold is live skin.

Cuticle removers have no preference.

The directions on all cuticle removers tell you to apply it to only the nail plate and do not let it touch your skin.

As many of you know, that is easier said than done.

I have much more control with a cream or gel type of remover. Watery removers wick all around on your live fingertip skin.

What’s In Your Toolbox?

Orangewood stick?

Plastic cuticle tool?

Or metal cuticle tool that follows the curve of your nail plate?

Doug Schoon prefers that people use the orangewood stick. I think it’s most likely because the metal tool is widely abused.

If you use too much downward pressure near the proximal nail fold, you can cause damage to the matrix. This damage is often seen as white spots in the nail plate. These are nail bruises.

Personally, I like the metal, spoon-shaped tool. It’s faster.

As a busy mom and businesswoman, I don’t often get the luxury to do my nail care the slow way. I also use the tool correctly, which I explain in more detail below.

For those of you with a flatter C-Curve or if you have fragile nails, you’ll love the plastic cuticle/PNF pusher on our Squeeze Pens.  (If you’re not sure if you have flatter C-Curves, take the Nail Type Quiz!)

Depending on your budget, try different tools to see what you prefer. You might just find that using your own fingernail works well too.

The Solution?

For two years I have been looking for a solution to the strong, dissolving power of cuticle removers without damaging my skin. And I finally found it.

Simply cover your skin with a layer of a liquid latex barrier, or watered down white glue (25%/75%) if you have a latex allergy.

Let it dry and then you are free to apply cuticle remover safely.

From Start to Finish

1. Apply your skin barrier and allow to dry.
2. Apply the remover following the manufacturers’s directions.
3. Using a cuticle removal tool–gently, gently, gently–scrape back and stop right at the proximal fold. Glide the tool against the surface of your nail plate. The remover solution will have dissolved the cuticle so downward pressure is unnecessary.
4. The cuticle will build up on the back of the remover. Wipe that onto a paper towel.
5. Turn the tool 90 degrees to your your nail plate, and slide the tool along your proximal fold to scoop away the remaining cuticle and remover.
6. Once you are finished, remove the barrier and rinse your hands with water.

In Conclusion

I hope you’ve found this article helpful.

Just remember, with all of your nail care and nail enhancement product use… if it hurts… stop.

The post The Cuticle – Should You Clip, Push, or Scrape? first appeared on Nail Care Headquarters.