4 Proven Ways to Treat & Prevent Dry, Peeling Skin On Your Cuticles
Do you experience dry cuticles and are tired of the painful swelling and peeling that comes with it?
Whether you’ve been dealing with this issue for a long time or it’s more of a seasonal problem that’s arrived with the colder, skin-drying weather, if you want to heal your cuticles back to health and finally be done with the constant irritation of having dry cuticles, then this blog is for you.
Sometimes, no matter how many different skincare products you apply, your skin somehow still stays in its dry and damaged state. If you'd like to discover how to soften your skin on all areas of your body from the inside out, check out this dermatologist's top food-related skincare tips.
Now back to today’s blog, where we’re going to talk about the most common issues that cause dry cuticles in the first place, as well as share four proven ways that you can treat and prevent dry cuticles.
Let’s begin with the basics: what exactly is the cuticle and what does it do for us? The cuticle is the layer of skin that is located along the bed of your nail and protects your nails by acting as a barrier to prevent bacteria from entering.
The cuticle area is delicate and can get dry and crack easily, especially during the winter months when there is a lack of moisture in the air and more exposure to indoor heating. If you’re not sure as to why you are unable to get rid of your dry cuticles, take a look at this of common issues that may be causing them and see if any of them are a part of your daily life:
- Not moisturizing your skin enough or at all
- Washing your hands very frequently
- Using hand sanitizer
- Using nail polish remover
- Cold weather
- Eczema
- Malnutrition
- Some medications
- Nail or cuticle biting
The reason why it’s important to maintain strong, healthy cuticles is because cracked and peeling cuticles allow for bacteria to enter into your nails and cause an infection. If you want to prevent painful infections, then implement the following four tips to treat and prevent dry cuticles:
1. Moisturizing often with a thick, vitamin-enriched cream. Look for a moisturizer that contains ingredients like Vitamins C and E to help strengthen and hasten the healing process of damaged skin. If you choose the Yu-Be Moisturizing Skin Cream, the uniquely high concentration of glycerin also contained in this rich cream will help to soften the cuticles, while the camphor in it will help alleviate any inflammation.
When applying the cream, simply apply a small dab onto your nail beds after washing your hands and gently massage it in until the cream has been absorbed.
2. Nail Care. If you get manicures, consider requesting the person taking care of your nails to avoid cutting the cuticles. If the function of your cuticles is to keep bacteria from entering your nails, then cutting them will naturally weaken this barrier and leave your nails vulnerable to infection. If you do decide to still trim them, then at the very minimum make sure that the equipment being used is sterilized. You may also want to confirm that the clippers being used to cut your cuticles are sharp, because if they are dull, then they may cause even more peeling along the cuticles.
3. Avoiding the use of products with harsh chemicals that can dry out your cuticles, such as harsh soaps, hand sanitizers, and nail polish removers. If your skin is feeling extra sensitive, you may want to hydrate it with a completely fragrance-free moisturizer
4. Consider wearing rubber gloves lined with cotton to wash dishes or clean with chemicals
Try implementing these tactics in order to get rid of and prevent dry, peeling cuticles! Remember that all skin issues occur as a signal that something needs to be fixed, so if you see that your cuticles are starting to dry out again after healing them once, refer back to the tips that we mentioned above and make the changes before an infection occurs.