How to Stop Peeling Cuticles

Upkeep is required to keep hands looking their best. Whether you opt for a clean, natural look or a well-manicured and polished style for your nails, caring for our cuticles is a big part of keeping your hands and nails looking attractive. Peeling cuticles can suggest poor nail maintenance--even poor hygiene, in some cases. Take care of peeling cuticles to help your nails look their best by following these steps.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

1. Soak your nails in warm or hot water--at the highest temperature that is comfortable. Soak hands in a sink or even while you take a bath. Soaking hands removes debris and dead skin from nails, while making the tissues softer.
2. Using an orange stick or other nail care utensil, gently push back the cuticles. You should be able to see your luna--the lighter, half-moon shape on your nail where it attaches to the cuticle.
3. Snip off loose skin using cuticle snippers cleaned in rubbing alcohol. Remove the white skin that is broken and detached from the cuticle. Be careful while snipping. This tool is sharp and can easily damage the cuticle area--an already sensitive section of skin--if used improperly.
4. Create a homemade restorative cuticle cream. Warm a bowl of 1/3 cup hand cream, a few globs of olive or grape seed oil, and three to four drops of lavender oil to a temperature that is warm, but not too hot to touch. Apply the creation over your hands, focusing on the cuticle areas, and allow it to soak. The cream is great for both hands and feet, and it will keep your cuticles soft.
5. Rub the cream into your nail bed. Do this often, however, cuticles should only be worked with (pushed back and trimmed) every few weeks. Messing with cuticles more regularly can lead to problems.

Tips & Warnings

• Never try to push or trim on cuticles that are sore. It is a very sensitive area of skin. Wait till redness or soreness disappears to continue maintenance.