Beauty

[perryp]

I used something that removed the cuticle and opened the space between where the cuticle WAS and my nail. I had to go to the dermatologist.

So isn't that a concern with cuticle removers? Thanks!

[ritasNo1Fan]

I too have wretched nails and cuticles. I like tips from Q, Clarins Hand Cream is excellent, Solar oil is good, Sally's has a good conditioner that comes in a ball shaped bottle. I guess my nails will never be "nice". Soaking nails in warm soapy water helps before applying anything. I too damaged a thick cuticle that caused a whole lot of med care. I had to take daily meds! I had to have blood tests because the meds could cause liver damage, plus it was extremely painful. Do take care.

[sun8shine]

First of all be gentle to your cuticles. Your nails grow from under the cuticles and it is their job to protect the nail growth plate. Pampered cuticles look better but they also lead to stronger nails.

For a cuticle remover I would recommend Sally Hansen Instant Cuticle Remover. You can get it in any drugstore and it works very well. It is a blue gel and it lasts forever. http://www.sallyhansen.com/nails/nail-care/cuticle-care/instant-cuticle-remover

I would recommend this tool from Julep for pushing back your cuticles. It is made from steel and it is coated. The tool costs more than orange sticks but it is more sanitary ( you can sterilize it) it works much better and it is more gentle. Oh and the way it is designed you can flip it to use it on either hand. http://www.julep.com/shop/nail-hand-foot-care/cuticle-pusher.html

You will want to get a cuticle oil for your cuticles. There are liquids at the grocery store - Essie has apricot oil and I really like a cuticle cream from Burt's Bees. It smells wonderful (like lemons) and it has bees wax. Because it is not an oil it is not messy and you can carry it with you to rub in anywhere and it is a steal. https://m.burtsbees.com/Lemon-Butter-Cuticle-Cream/07099-00,default,pd.html?cgid=handCare&start=3&q=

Finally, if you do anything harsh with your hands like the dishes in hot soapy water or gardening wear gloves. It protects your nails, your mani and your cuticles.

Keep at it and in a few weeks they will be lovely.

[OkeyDokey]

My hands are constantly in water. I keep my nails short out of necessity. My cuticles look like a huge mess if I don't attend to them each day. After about a week or two of paying a little attention to them, you should see big results. First of all, I keep a strengthener on my nails and only use acetone polish remover. The non-acetone stuff doesn't work as well and drys my skin out like nobody's business because of the amount of time it takes to work.

Push your cuticles back every time you bathe, immediately following. Be sure to keep moisturizer on your hands all day long. I prefer Vaseline intensive care unscented because it forms a barrier to protect your skin and keep in moisture.

Use something specifically for cuticles, or something more intense than your hand cream to massage cuticles once a day.

These steps should help immensely. The key is constant maintenance. If I skip 3 or 4 days, my cuticles look horrid again. Good luck!

[Irishrose136]

I use cuticle remover maybe once a week. During the week I use a few drops of Josie Maran's Argan Oil and rub the oil in.

[My3girls_1]

I love reading all these tips! I have NEVER had nice cuticles. Always dry and ragged. The only time my nails ever really looked good is if I got them professionally done, but I hate the upkeep. I recently had foot surgery and starting using Bio-Oil to help with the scarring, well it's done wonders for my cuticles. They've never looked better!! They're not growing onto my nail, they stay looking moisturized throughout the day and my nails have never looked whiter. It looks like I have a French manicure. I use it twice a day and it soaks in pretty quickly.

[Harpa]

Massage almost any oil in them as often as possible throughout the day. I don't push anything back; there's no need. It's the oil that conditions cuticles. My problem is, it also seems to speed growth, and as a musician, I don't want that. (nail growth!)

There are nutrients in the oils that really help to condition!

[Favorite Son]

I use a sandstone nail pusher/file that you can get at Sally Beauty supply for about 2.00. At the store near me, they are sold in in little clear cylindrical tubes with a rubber cap. The file itself is a little gray or pink three-dimensional file with a tapered tip. I use the tapered tip to gently push back my cuticles and then turn it and use the long sides to gently file the skin on the TOP of the cuticle. I find that removing the dry skin does a better job of keeping my cuticles smooth and slows down the growth onto the nail even better than a chemical cuticle remover.

[RedTop]

I just use Vitamin E oil. Discovered this while massaging the oil on my incision after knee replacement.

[kzjohnson]

Unfortunately I have tried nearly ever one of the suggestions mentioned here and I still have the worst cuticles on a woman that I have ever seen!

I half joke that I have a combo of my grandfather's mechanics hands and my father's gnarly overgrown jagged cuticles. I really do believe genetics is my biggest problem.

I've left them alone (and they will grow 1/2 up my nail), push, cut, use removers, oils...every oil known to man, TIPS, painted my nails regularly, leaved them natural...you get the picture. Absolutely nothing has worked for me.

I do use oils at least once a day, and lotions and creams a few times a day as well. I still have to cut my cuticles monthly, otherwise they creep up the nail. They never look good, but I have to believe they look better than if I did nothing at all.

However, I have some incredibly strong nails and can grow them beautifully without even thinking about it...maybe it's my payback for the long strong nails are the horrendous cuticles!