Ask Ana: How to Stop Biting Skin

UPDATE: Since writing this article, I have replaced the 3 Day Get Naked Challenge to a quicker Intensive Hydration Treatment that can be done in 2 to 12 hours.

Hi Ana! I have been reading about your Bliss Kiss™ products and received it yesterday in the mail!!

Last night I took photos of my nails with a macro lens and was shocked at how terrible my nails were that close up!  I immediately applied the oil. then before bed I applied it again..this morning I woke up and my nails look so much better already! Thank you!!!

Even though I am in the middle of my 3 Day Get Naked Challenge, but had a couple of questions that I didn’t see on your website (if they are there, please point me in the right direction).

1-Right now, my cuticles are really thick. In the past I would pick/pull/bite them off.  What do you recommend while I am going through this naked phase?  (I pulled one off already and was so disappointed with myself.)

2-Once my cuticles are healed, what is the best method of cuticle care?

3- I am oiling my nails up to the first knuckle and rubbing the residual into my hands, but I am used to using lotion.  Can I still use lotion? Or will the oil on my fingers help the dryness of my hands? -Sommer

ANSWER

Sommer,

I’m looking forward to seeing your results!

What Biting Does

What you are biting is actually the proximal nail fold, The entire planet has been taught incorrectly that it is the cuticle. That band of skin is a required guardian seal that keeps bacteria and germs away from the nail matrix. This is where new nail cells are formed.

The body’s response to the biting damage is to grow thicker layers of skin cells so it can protect better. Essentially, your body is trying to turn that skin into calluses to protect from the wear and tear we can inflict on ourselves with our fingers or teeth.

Every time you want to bite, pick, pull, etc to that skin, these are your triggers that the skin is drying out and needs more oil. Ultimately, you want to keep a really thin layer of oil on this skin at all times for quite a while.

For me it usually means to oil every few hours. I oil A LOT more during the winter when that skin dries out really easily.

I also try very hard to not use harsh soaps to wash my hands. Over time, your body will recover and that band of skin will return to it’s normal size.

You might want to read Kimber’s story. She was a serious skin nipper and a swatch blogger—a dangerous and painful combination.

What Is The Cuticle?

The cuticle is actually a transparent layer of skin from the underside of the eponychium that sticks to the nail plate while it’s growing. If necessary, we remove the cuticle before a manicure because polish doesn’t stick to skin.

The cuticle can ONLY be removed with gentle scraping with a special tool and a cuticle remover to dissolve the skin. Removing the cuticle may be necessary when you are using regular polish and have issues with polish chipping back at your proximal fold.

Removing the cuticle is very important when applying acrylic or gel nail enhancements too. The product will bond to the nail plate better and last longer between servicing.

The best ingredients to dissolve the skin are sodium hydroxide (lye) or potassium carbonate (potash). With a pH of over 12, these substances work to soften and break down dead skin.

Our challenge is that these skin dissolving ingredients don’t care if the skin is alive or dead. If the cuticle remover gets on your live skin, it will dissolve it too.

This results in those tiny, shredded looking hangnails around the cuticle line that are painful and can bleed. It’s very important to only allow the cuticle remover to be on the nail plate.

Can I Use Lotion?

Absolutely, keep using lotion! Just apply your oil first since the jojoba actually penetrates the skin.

The ingredients in your lotion don’t penetrate, they just create a barrier that traps your body’s natural moisture and oil in your skin.

Since the first ingredient is usually water, this is why lotions rinse off so easily when you wash your hands.

I always look for a lotion or balm that doesn’t contain water. Look for wonderful oils and butters in the ingredient list. They will keep your skin soft and create a water resistant barrier for a few hand washings.

Keep up the great work! It will pay off.

In Conclusion

Besides anxiety or boredom—which is worthy of a completely separate article—we tend to bite our skin because it’s dry and hard.

When we moisturize the skin with a high quality, jojoba wax ester based nail oil, the skin will get softer, and we will leave it alone. Remember to use your biting or picking as a mental trigger to use oil. Your skin and nails will thank you.

I hope that helps! ~Ana

The post How To Stop Biting Skin first appeared on Nail Care Headquarters.

 Callus Treatment

Callus or Callous—no matter how you spell it, calluses can be a nuisance.

But in this article, I’ll explain why they are a necessary nuisance and how to care for calluses.

ASK ANA

“Ana, I don’t know if you have addressed this issue before so here goes: I use your nail and cuticle oil everyday, all of my nails look great except one, my middle finger on my right hand. I think it is because I use my stylus when typing on my iPad™. I hate the crusty look and feel of this finger. I have used clippers to the point of making it bleed. What should I do?” ~Ruth Ann 

ANSWER

I actually learned something while researching this article—the importance of triangular writing utensils.

Huh? Read on… it will make sense in a minute.

All through my high school and college years, I had this thick skin on the side of my right middle finger as well and never really understood why.

Since I haven’t written a term paper in over 20 years, I haven’t had the problem. I spend more hours typing and only write on the occasional post-it note.

Pressure of writing implement on the middle finger causes a callus

Now, with the last two years of nail structure education under my belt, the answer is ridiculously obvious to me.

Don’t Rub Me Wrong

This thick skin is the first major callus that all of us develop when we start to use a pencil. In high school and college, we can spend hours writing.

The body’s protective response to any motion that is rubbing our skin is to create a callus.

Also, pencils and a lot of ball point pens are a hexagon shape which creates a sharp, angled pressure point against the skin.

Spur Me On

You may have also noticed that you have a bump on your bone near this callused skin, that is not on your other hand.

Years of writing irritation caused your body to lay down extra bone to protect your finger in this area as well. This is a bone spur. You can see this really clearly in my photo to the right.

According to WebMD, a bone spur (osteophyte) is a bony growth formed on normal bone. Most people think of something sharp when they think of a “spur,” but a bone spur is just extra bone. It’s usually smooth, but it can cause wear and tear or pain if it presses or rubs on other bones or soft tissues such as ligaments, tendons, or nerves in the body. Common places for bone spurs include the spine, shoulders, hands, hips, knees, and feet.

A bone spur forms as the body tries to repair itself by building extra bone. It typically forms in response to pressure, rubbing, or stress that continues over a long period of time. [Source: WebMD.com]

Since this bone spur doesn’t create a lot of pain, it’s not a medical issue, but I’ve noticed that it can be very tender. Especially when I’m at a 2-day conference taking notes without a life-saving callus! It hurts to write.

Matrix Damage

Depending on where you hold your pencil, it may sit on your matrix (right behind the cuticle line).

If you notice that the side of that fingernail is weaker, or has a tendency to peel, it’s because the continuous pencil pressure has damaged the growing nail cells.

Cut And Regret

Since calluses are a protective, thickened build up of skin cells, they get hard and dry out.

It’s tempting to want to cut or file that skin down. Don’t do it.

The body’s response is to protect the skin from damage. Cutting the callus will simply trigger the body to build the callus thicker. It becomes a vicious cycle and often times a painful one.

Instead, keep the callused skin moisturized with regular application of a high quality, jojoba based nail and cuticle oil.

Solutions

• Try to write with triangular pens or pencils if writing for a long period of time. You can also invest in triangularly shaped pencil grips for current pens and pencils.
• Add a triangular grip to your iPad stylus or try different stylus holding positions, like in the photos to the right.
• Keep callused skin softer with consistent application of a high quality, jojoba based nail and cuticle oil.

If you liked this article . . . please share!

The post ASK ANA: Callus or Callous Treatment? first appeared on Nail Care Headquarters.