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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What is meant by cuticle removal?
Before we describe how to trim the cuticle correctly, we will tell you what this process actually is. First of all, it should be noted that this part of the skin always consists of dead and living cells. The latter do not interfere with anything. To keep them in good condition, hydration is enough. But dead cells need to be removed, as they can cause a lot of trouble. This will be discussed in more detail below. So, it is clear that in the process of removing the cuticle you only cut off everything that is dead and keratinized and do not touch the living things.
Sharp tools - high speed
The new tool makes an even cut, no burrs remain, and the skin of the back roller after a manicure is smooth and even. But if the blades begin to pull the skin and don’t cut the first time, if you press too hard on the blades, then they are dull and it’s time to take the cutters to the store for sharpening.
To extend the life of your wire cutters, monitor them for limited periods of time by immersing them in a disinfectant solution. Do not keep them in it longer than the instructions indicate. The same principle applies to calcination in a sterilizer. This destroys the blades and requires sharpening more often. A manicure will take more time, since you won’t be able to quickly cut off the cuticle with pliers. After working with dull blades, cuts often remain, burrs remain on the roller, and the cut itself will be uneven.
Why trim your cuticles?
You may be wondering why you need to trim your cuticles at all. Well, there are certain keratinized areas on it, but is the danger they pose really that strong?
First of all, the dried parts look ugly. They ruin your manicure. But this is not the biggest problem.
An unkempt cuticle dries out and then cracks. The result is burrs. They may become infected, which will cause even more problems. It is easier to regularly maintain the cuticle in normal condition than to later eliminate hangnails and wounds, which cause a lot of unpleasant troubles.
The cuticle also interferes because it grows on the nail, thereby inhibiting its growth. If you want a long, beautiful manicure, then you can’t avoid trimming the extra layers.
It is important to know how to properly trim cuticles at home. After all, inept actions can often cause harm. Instead of cutting carefully, some beginners chop, leaving uneven spots and even wounds. So be careful. Pruning is not an activity that can be rushed.
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A simple way of non-traumatic, mechanical cutting of the cuticle
Sometimes clients ask me a very simple question - why do you need to remove the cuticle before a manicure?
Usually nail art masters, without hesitation, answer - for aesthetics or beauty, enhancing the effect of extended nails or a simple manicure. This is only partly true; the need to remove cuticles is also about hygiene. The keratinized skin along the edge of the nail plate - the cuticle is a very porous, easily vulnerable structure, and this is an ideal substrate for the development of various fungal infections. But on the other hand, the keratinized part of the cuticle is a natural barrier to the penetration of the same infection to the main zone of nail growth - the matrix.
Therefore, the manicurist needs to trim off the excess part of the cuticle to prevent the possible development of infection, without compromising the physiological protection function of the nail. And for the client, the main thing is the attractive appearance of the trimmed manicure.
How to properly trim cuticles with cuticle cutters, video, removal “European way”
In this section we will write about how to properly trim cuticles with cuticle cutters. We will post a video at the end to make the text information more clear.
First of all, it should be noted that there are two removal methods. One is used for classic manicure, the second for European manicure. Both methods are good. Having learned more about everything, you can choose for yourself what is easier and closer to you.
How to properly do a manicure, trim the cuticle: preparation for the procedure
Regardless of how you tidy up the skin around the nail, it is important to prepare your hands for this. This way, all procedures will be easier to carry out. In addition, on trained hands, removal leaves minimal trauma.
What do you have to do? Soften your feet and the skin around them with a warm bath. You should add salt, olive oil or mineral aromatic oils to the water. Each of these ingredients provides a specific effect:
- Salt is a good disinfectant. It kills germs, which reduces the possibility of infection during the procedure for removing dried parts of the skin.
- How to trim the cuticle to avoid hangnails? Olive oil will help you. It softens the skin, which thus becomes more supple and elastic. A bath with olive oil will prepare your hands well for the procedure.
- If you already have hangnails, then in addition to bath salts, you can use tea tree oil. It will relieve inflammation.
- For brittle nails, it is good to use a mask with grapefruit. This is important so that the nail plates are less vulnerable and are not damaged during manipulation.
After the bath, dry your hands, wait 10 minutes, and then begin the cuticle trimming procedure.
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How to cut cuticles for the so-called “European” manicure?
With this method, the skin around the nail is removed not physically, but chemically. You have to buy a special product to soften the cuticle. Apply it to clean, prepared hands for approximately five minutes. After this time, the skin around the nail becomes very soft and can be easily cleaned with a wooden stick.
Chemical cuticle removers often come in the form of a gel. On the tube you can see a special brush that will make it easy to apply the product. Be careful when applying, as the product may slightly damage the healthy skin around the nail, which is absolutely not what you want.
After the procedure, wash your hands with warm water and lubricate with moisturizer.
It is worth noting that this method of treating the skin around the nail is suitable only in not advanced cases. If there are a lot of cuticles or they have even grown onto the nail plate, you cannot do without mechanical trimming.
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How to trim cuticles at home, video (classic manicure)
For a classic manicure, cuticle removal occurs differently. Excess skin is simply trimmed off. This method is dangerous, so it is better to entrust it to a specialist. But it can also be used at home. To do this, first disinfect all instruments. Also take care to disinfect your hands.
How to trim cuticles without burrs? To do this, put your hands in a hot soapy bath, which will soften the skin to such an extent that scratches on the skin will not appear.
Use an orange stick to push back the skin around the nail. After the bath, this will not be difficult to do, since the skin will be soft and very pliable.
Next you will have to trim the raised part of the skin. How to cut cuticles correctly? The main thing is not to do it quickly. Start removing from the side areas. Then move on to the periungual arch. This way, you will be able to do everything smoothly and not get hurt.
The cuticle can be trimmed with regular nail scissors or nail clippers. You must choose what is most convenient for you to work with.
If after trimming there are some fragments of skin left, you can remove them with the help of gel, which is used for a “European manicure”.
After the procedure, apply moisturizer to your hands. It is important to know how to trim cuticles carefully. After all, the less you damage your hands, the less pain you will feel after applying the cream.
On the Internet you can find a lot of videos that tell you how to properly trim cuticles with cuticle cutters; the video lessons are quite good. In them you can see with your own eyes how everything is done.
At the end of our article you will also find a video that tells you how to trim the cuticle correctly; the video is of quite high quality.
Expert advice
For beginners, it is important to find your own convenient way to remove cuticles with cuticle cutters. Since masters can do this with any tool, they advise trying all methods. There is no need to try to do everything perfectly. This may cause cuts. The cuticle has uneven thickness throughout. If you remove excess skin, you will get an uneven cut. Therefore, aesthetic principles should be followed regarding the amount of tissue removed.
A lot, if not everything, depends on the quality preparation of hands for manicure. This includes a hot bath with soapy water. It loosens the keratin fibers and the master sees whitened areas on the fingers with hyperkeratosis. They are removed. A salt solution, on the contrary, will not allow the skin to absorb the required amount of water. But it will whiten your hands and nails.
The process of steaming in a soapy solution can be successfully replaced with a cuticle remover. Often this method of loosening the keratin of the skin is used before applying gel polish, when the nails should be dry. This composition is applied to the cuticle area, and after a while the roller is removed.
Removing cuticles using a file
You may already know or have heard about a special cuticle file. This tool is very convenient and useful. You just have to scrape the cuticle with a file. But for this it must be dry. Living cells of the periungual skin will remain virtually unchanged under the influence of the file. But dry ones will turn into dust. This procedure is very easy and absolutely non-traumatic.
You can use a special cuticle file anywhere. With its help you can touch up your manicure even on the go. Another advantage of this method of treating the cuticle is that after it the skin around the nail begins to grow more slowly. This way, you will forget about it for a while.
It has a cuticle file and one significant drawback. It's very expensive. Not everyone will be able to purchase such an instrument for themselves.
Position of the tool in the hand
To control the movements of the instrument, it is important to hold it correctly. Good cutters fit comfortably in the hand, so the craftsman only needs to squeeze his palm lightly to make a cut. If the pliers 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 overexertion, inflammation of the nerve passing through the carpal tunnel occurs. This is the so-called tunnel syndrome. In addition to manicurists, computer gamers and embroiderers suffer from this. That's why manicure schools teach you to use cuticle nippers. The incision is made by passing the client's finger from below.
Types of nail scissors
There are 3 types of scissors:
- for nails,
- for cuticle,
- universal.
Let's take a closer look at the last two types and look at how they differ from nail scissors.
Cuticle scissors
Cuticle scissors are used for delicate cutting of skin, they are sleeker than nail scissors and are equipped with thin and very sharp blades that run smoothly.
Universal scissors
Universal scissors are multifunctional and are so called because they are suitable for both nails and cuticles. Such tools either have a standard shape - smoothly curved, or a specific one - with a sharp transition of the blade from wide to narrow with a sharp tip. The narrow part can be used to treat the skin, and the wide part can be used for nails.
How to choose the right one
To prevent the purchase of manicure scissors from being useless, before purchasing, you need to pay attention to a number of characteristics that affect the quality of the tool:
- Material . Manicure instruments are made of zinc, nickel-plated and medical steel. Choose steel scissors that do not become dull for a long time, are wear-resistant, and reliable;
- Comfortable handle . If you experience discomfort when working with scissors, your hand will quickly get tired from excess tension and the risk of injuring the skin around your nails will increase.
- Appearance of the product . The surface should be smooth, and the blades should converge smoothly and gently without gaps. The handle rings should be level and fit snugly.
- Choose products from well-known, trusted brands that produce high-quality manicure equipment. It is best to make purchases in specialized departments to avoid counterfeits.
