expert cuticle care

When it comes to cuticle care, experts advise nail techs and clients to cut the cutting and push the pushing. Although it is tempting to trim, the health implications of cutting cuticles may convince you to think before reaching for your nippers.

The cuticle prevents bacteria from entering the lunula, the whitish area at the nail plate's base, by sealing off the potential space between the root of the nail and the skin. By removing the cuticle, the newly forming nail is left unprotected and vulnerable to infection.

Never cut the cuticle: instead push it back gently with a rosewood stick, Hindo stone or rubber-tip cuticle pusher. Strong cuticle growth should be controlled with a cuticle softener or cuticle remover liquid, such as Cuccio's Apple Cuticle Remover.

Eleanor Victor, technical advisor with OPI, based in North Hollywood, California, also encourages easing the cuticle back with a pusher. "The only time I would ever cut is if the cuticle was extremely hard, dry and sticking straight up," she says. "But you must be careful not to cut the entire cuticle."

Maintain healthy nails and cuticles by using a cuticle oil. We Love, Avoplex by OPI, $13 and Creative Nail Design, Solar Oil, $7- both are great! Keep a bottle in the car, at the kitchen table or on your nightstand. Keep it close, and you'll end up using it more frequently.