A well-groomed cuticle is an essential element of a manicure. Even if the shape and design of the nails are ideal, but the cuticle is dry, peeling and protruding in different directions, the manicure can be considered spoiled. The appearance of your fingers and nails will not be at all aesthetic. Therefore, always remember this small detail.
Cuticle trimming in a nail salon, of course, is quick and smooth. You get a beautiful manicure without any effort for a reasonable fee. But you don’t always have time to go to a nail technician, but you still want to have well-groomed nails. In this case, you should think about home treatments. In this article we will write how to trim cuticles at home.
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Why do you need to remove cuticles?
Many girls believe that it is impossible to remove the cuticle, since it performs a very important protective function, but this is not entirely true. The cuticle really protects the nail from irritants, but the edge of this protective strip consists of already dead cells.
On the contrary, not removing the cuticle can lead to various kinds of troubles, for example, the appearance of hangnails.
Cuticle remover
What is a remover? A cuticle remover is a cuticle remover that helps soften the skin around the nail plate, making it easier to remove. They come in the form of a cuticle remover gel, liquid or cream formulation. Some people use oil to remove cuticles, others use mineral or acidic products.
It should be noted that the density, composition and release form of the remover do not affect the result of its action on the skin. Therefore, you can choose what is more pleasant and convenient for you to use.
Position of the tool in the hand
To control the movements of the instrument, it is important to hold it correctly. Good nippers lie comfortably in the hand, so the craftsman only needs to squeeze his palm lightly to make a cut. If the tweezers are not the right size, your hand will get tired. You have to strain your wrist or hold the instrument with your fingers. All this affects the maneuverability and quality of the cut.
Over time, with constant overstrain, inflammation of the nerve passing in the carpal tunnel occurs. This is the so-called tunnel syndrome. In addition to manicurists, computer gamers and hand embroiderers also suffer from this problem. That's why nail schools teach how to use cuticle nippers. The cut is performed while holding the client's finger from below.
Cuticle removal methods
There are three main methods for removing cuticles: classic, European and using a machine. In the classic method, the cuticle is cut using scissors or tweezers.
The European method involves removal without cutting. When treating cuticles in this way, an orange stick is used. You can also process the cuticle using a special device - a cuticle cutter.
Destruction forever
Few people believe this, but the unsightly tissue around the nail can be removed forever. What manipulations will have to be performed in this case?
- On the first day you will have to perform a trim manicure procedure.
- The next day you need to push back the cuticle using an orange stick and continue these manipulations every day.
- After 21 days, you need to go to a specialist who will perform a combined removal of small areas of tissue that have managed to germinate.
- For another week, you need to constantly move the cuticle, while carefully lubricating the problem area with oil.
Thanks to daily pushing and removal, the cuticle will become thinner, and after a month it will stop growing altogether. The main thing here is to be patient and carry out similar manipulations every day, not forgetting about the caring oil.
Such manipulations really help to completely and permanently get rid of the cuticle, but they require iron patience. If a girl does not remove the tissue for at least a couple of days, the cuticle will begin to grow again.
O.P.I.
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Classic way
For the classic method, you will need a cuticle pusher or an orange stick, nippers or scissors, an antiseptic, a bath of warm water, essential oil or bath salt (optional):
- The first thing you need to do is treat all instruments and the skin of your fingers with an antiseptic to avoid infection.
- Next, you need to steam the skin of your fingers in a container of warm water. If desired, you can add a few drops of essential oil or a little bath salt. Wipe your hands dry with a towel.
- After steaming, the skin must be pushed back and slightly lifted with a pusher or an orange stick.
- Trim the cuticle with scissors or nippers, starting from the edges. The main thing is not to hurt healthy skin.
- Next, you will need to apply oil or moisturizer to the skin of your fingers to prevent drying. If during the treatment you touch healthy skin and get a wound, it needs to be treated with an antiseptic.
Features of the procedure
The cuticle is a very delicate place. There are many blood capillaries here, and it can be very difficult to stop bleeding. But if a cut does occur, it is treated with the attached cotton swab dipped in hydrogen peroxide. In order to stop the bleeding, the hand is raised up.
In applying “under the cuticle” coatings, the first step is its removal. If you allow a wound in this area, no coating will stick. Therefore, experts advise how to properly trim the cuticle with cuticle cutters:
- First, the lateral cushion is moved back and slightly raised.
- The eponychium is then separated from the nail plateau. And where it sticks tightly to the nail, you can use a pusher and clean it off. For the same purposes, a “ceramic hoof” tool is used.
- After complete cleansing of the nail, flaps of skin remain, which are cut off with tweezers.
As you can see, preliminary preparation is extremely important and is an integral part of working with a cutting tool.
Unedged method
The European method is a safer way to care for cuticles. For this you will need the following tools: a container with warm water, an orange stick, and a remover.
- By analogy with the classic method, you need to steam your hands in warm water and dry them with a towel.
- Apply remover to the skin around the nail.
- Then take an orange stick or pusher and carefully push the peel towards the base of the nail plate.
- If the instructions for the remover say that the product must be washed off after use, wash your hands with warm water.
- Next, also apply oil or moisturizer and rub in with massage movements.
How to choose a manicure cutter?
- The best cutters are diamond cutters. So it’s better to choose this one.
- To choose a universal nozzle, you need to look for a red notch on it. It denotes a mild degree of abrasiveness, which is intended specifically for manicure, and not for removing gel polish.
- Regarding the size of the device: a 2.5–4 mm attachment is usually used to cut the cuticle, and a 1.8–2.5 mm attachment is used to process the pterygium.
- You should not take a cutter with a large number of attachments. If you are a beginner, they are unlikely to be useful to you.
Application of cutter
First, the cuticle and side ridges are processed with a cone-shaped diamond cutter with a pointed tip. When processing, the cutter must be held parallel to the nail and worked in one direction.
Next, change the nozzle to a narrow cylindrical one. It is needed to work with pterygium - a thin skin under the cuticle that fits tightly to the nail plate. When removing pterygium, clean the nails from skin particles using a brush. Also move the nozzle parallel to the nail and in one direction.
Then the final removal of the pterygium, which is carried out using a corundum stone attachment. This cutter is so safe that it is even suitable for polishing the nail plate and removing layers.
For deep nail folds, use the “bullet” attachment. Use the pointed tip to work the area under the cuticle, and use the rounded tip to remove raised skin, then sand the side ridges. The cuticle is cut at a power of 8 thousand revolutions for thick skin and 5–8 thousand for thin skin.
Take the ball-shaped nozzle, remove any remaining cuticles and sand the skin around the nail. Apply cuticle oil or cream.
If you don’t fully understand how to work with a cuticle machine, you should watch a video about cuticle removal and get a clear idea of the procedure. Or choose a different processing method for yourself.
Removing cuticles on your own is a procedure that requires accuracy and patience, but with the necessary knowledge and certain dexterity, you can do a high-quality and elegant manicure without leaving home. Now you can choose the method that suits you and do a manicure at home quickly and easily. Take care of yourself correctly, because this is the key to health and beauty!
Common Mistakes
There are some subtleties in how to cut cuticles with cuticle cutters. Very often, beginners forget to push the roller away with the pusher. This is a manicure spatula. Where the pterygium is not steamed enough, the roller will not move away. A sinus should open between the nail and the roller - a pocket formed by a fold of skin. Then you can clean the pterygium with a scraper - a manicure hatchet.
And only after this preparatory stage is completed, you can begin to remove excess skin. If some part of the roller remains attached to the nail, and the master did not notice it, when cutting the skin with a ribbon, there will be a cut there.
When working with nippers in the corners of the rollers, the main task is not to remove the entire cuticle, but to make a beautiful cut. It happens that in the pursuit of perfect processing, a lot of bites are formed in this place with tweezers, which, due to the vertical position of the blades, extend quite high onto the lateral roller. As a result, the cuticle cut line becomes beautiful, and the roller remains without skin.
