Got Hangnails? Cuticle Care's the Cure!

During the summer it's pretty easy to start believing your nail beds don't need tending. Depending on the climate you live in they stay pretty healthy on their own. But check the calendar: the party's about to be over for maintenance-free manicures as humid air retreats in most of the country. Even if you live in warmer climes, fall's the time to start showing your cuticles a little love.

Your cuticles, those little half-moon-shaped pieces of skin that sit between your nail and your finger, are more than just something to paint around when you're applying polish. In fact there's a much better reason to keep them properly pampered than aesthetics. Here, we've assembled our super-simple four steps to healthy, hangnail-free hands.

1) Don't cut them. When you cut your cuticles you open them up to tearing and other damage, plus it's simply not necessary. If you've already got hangnails, you should use sharp, small nail scissors to cut them as close as you can to avoid them catching on a piece of clothing and ripping. But resist the urge to snip intact cuticles.

2) Spring for cuticle remover. Instead of cutting, dissolve them. It's not as scary as it sounds; a brush-on cuticle remover, or one of the cool new versions that comes in a pen applicator, will help dissolve overgrown cuticles and make them soft and pliable.

3) Do push them back. Your cuticles should sit tidily below that white swoop at the base of your nail. What cuticle cream should let you do is safely and painlessly nudge the cuticles into that space with an orange stick or similar tool. Work from the outside in to avoid cracking if your hands are dry.

4) If you do nothing else, moisturize, moisturize, moisturize. Slather on hand cream three times a day if you can remember. Your hands crave more than that one right-before-bed application and remember to spend a few minutes rubbing the cream into your cuticles specifically. The better hydrated your cuticles are the less likely you are to experience tearing, and therefore painful and annoying hangnails. So take a little time and do the right thing by those nail beds!

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