Cutting Your Cuticles: What Salons Don’t Want You to Know (2024)
We were shocked when we learned that cutting cuticles at salons visits isn’t only discouraged –it’s often illegaldepending on which state you live in! We had to ask ourselves, why then is the service constantly being offered during manicures? We spoke to multiple experts to find out the real truth behind how we should be properly caring for our cuticles, and what you need to know for your next visit to the salon.
Give your cuticles the TLC they deserve Cuticles are important to maintain and not to be removed. They are there to protect your nails from bacteria and infection. Always tell your nail technician not to cut the cuticles, just trim hangnails and loose skin that is visible after pushing cuticles back. “You don’t want the skin and hangnails tearing, which hurts and can cause infection. You are less likely to have cuticle overgrowth and loose skin/hangnails when you have your cuticles regularly pushed back and exfoliated by rubbing in a circular motion with a towel after the shower and keeping them hydrated,” says celebrity manicuristLisa Jachno.
Danger in cutting cuticles Many people are cutting improperly and improper cutting can allow bacteria to enter the body. “Live skin should not be cut. It can also be an issue if tools are not properly sanitized for use and you are cut with them,” saysTee Hundley, celebrity manicurist andPedicure.comcontributor.
Trimming or cuttingcuticlesduring a manicure is purely cosmetic and doesn’t benefit the nail in any way. In fact, it’s actually harmful to your nails. “The small area of skin is there to protect your nails from infection. When this skin is removed, your nail is left unprotected from bacteria and fungus.Cuticlesshould never be cut or trimmed as it leads to infections and ultimately damage to the nail. This is something that seems impossible to get across to the nail technicians,” says Dr. Joel Schlessinger, a dermatologist and cosmetic surgeon, founder of LovelySkin.com.
Lack of proper sterilization Trimmingcuticlesis especially dangerous when done at a nail salon, where the tools used in a manicure are rarely sterilized properly. These places often use tools and utensils from customer to customer without proper sterilization. “Many nail salons clean their tools by placing the utensils in a special solution where they need to be submerged for more than 12 hours in order to be fully sterilized. Nail technicians often leave them in for only 20 minutes or less, so the tools are never cleaned properly. If the nail technician trims yourcuticlesand then uses these utensils on your nails, it could lead to an infection or worse,” says Dr. Schlessinger.
Why do salons continue cutting? Salons offer the option to cut cuticles because they know many people like how their nails look with the cutting. “The truth is if yourcuticlesare properly pushed (using a qualitycuticleremover), and light nipping of any residual (skin that is no longer attached or “live”) your nails will look healthy and beautiful after your service.I would ask for a pushing, not a cutting,” says Hundley.
We need to change this silly cultural assumption that cut back cuticles look better. It’s simply wrong! “Once we start cutting cuticles they become ragged or even turn red and infectedand need to be trimmed again the following week.It becomes an endless cuticle cycle,” saysNailtini Celebrity Manicurist Elsbeth Schuetz. Good for your manicurist but bad for you.
They are there to protect your nails from bacteria and infection. Always tell your nail technician not to cut the cuticles, just trim hangnails and loose skin that is visible after pushing cuticles back. “You don't want the skin and hangnails tearing, which hurts and can cause infection.
Tip: Speak up! Simply ask your nail technician not to cut your cuticles or push them back during your manicures and pedicures. Tools used to remove cuticles can transfer infections to your nails. If salons do not properly sterilize the tools they use on your hands, then you could be contracting infections.
Your cuticle is an important part of your nail. This small strip of skin at the bottom of your nail acts as extra protection from germs entering your nail bed. Pushing them back incorrectly or cutting them too short can put you at risk of infection.
Cutting the cuticle inside a salon is against the law in several states, including New York, Arizona, Idaho, and Mississippi. In these states, the practice is considered a surgical procedure.
Most nail salons may cut cuticles. They claim that doing so helps the polish go on better. Besides, it also helps the polish to stay longer. On your next visit to the salon, ensure to tell your technician to pull the cuticles back and trim loose skin and hangnails.
In a salon, a manicurist may also use an e-file to remove excess cuticle skin. "For the past three years, I have been doing 95 percent dry manicures using e-file and extremely fine diamond bits to exfoliate the dry skin, so the need for trimming (or cutting) at all is little to none," says Kandalec.
#3— “The Cuticle Creep” This is what happens when your Epos get hard, and you don't push them back often enough. They will start to 'creep' across the nail bed and stretch as they go, which is the main cause of hangnails.
Cutting them could open the door to infection or irritation. "If you remove the cuticle, that space is wide open, and anything can get in there," Scher says. Cutting your cuticles can also lead to nail problems, such as ridges, white spots, or white lines.
The Russian nail method is a dry process of filing, cutting, and removing the cuticle with electric drill bits entirely for a clean look and feel. The Russian manicure can prevent the dry cracking of cuticles or hangnails, thus extending the longevity of the manicure.
“Manicuring or cutting the nail too short, nail biting and picking at or cutting your cuticle can also lead to hangnails and infections,” Kadri said. “This causes a weaker nail bed, which triggers hangnail growth.”
Machine Manicures aka Russian manicures are one of the most popular nail services you can get - and one of the most dangerous. The purpose of the Russian Manicures is "to make your nails look prettier" but the harsh reality is this service is cuts and drills on live skin which is not allowed with our nail license.
It's worth noting that there is another tool that is often used for removing cuticles - clippers. Clippers are similar to nippers, but they are smaller and less powerful. They are designed to trim nails, but they can also be used for removing cuticles in a pinch.
Stone explains that while she advises to avoid cutting cuticles as much as possible, she still keeps a pair of cuticle nippers in her beauty kit to cut away dead skin as needed. "If you have a hangnail or snagged skin it is always better to trim it down as short as possible to prevent it ripping on its own.
Pushing back the cuticles rather than trimming them keeps them sealed to the nail root and prevents the onset of bacteria and germs. Trimming your cuticles can be painful, particularly if you cut too far into your skin or the area becomes infected.
Do Push them Back Regularly. Pushing back your cuticles should not only be done when you go once a month or every few weeks to get your nails done. It should be part of your regular self-care. That said, pushing back your cuticles should be done every 4 to 7 days because you can overdo it, too.
Introduction: My name is Stevie Stamm, I am a colorful, sparkling, splendid, vast, open, hilarious, tender person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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