Cuticles, everyone talks about it, but few people really know what they are and how to maintain them. Refresher course with Agathe Pons, aka Bleucocotte, makeup artist and manicurist, specialist in nail care.
Cuticles, what is it?
Above all, it is important to distinguish the cuticles from the eponychium, which we often tend to confuse: "The cuticles are the small dead skin hung on the surface of the nail, while the eponychium is the small bead of skin along the bottom of the nail ", explains Agathe Pons.
Credits: Nail Anatomy / Jouefct
The cuticles as such are unsightly. Because of them, even the most careful manicure does not seem successful. On the hands as on the feet, they prevent a pose of impeccable varnish and create an irregular edge of nail.
"For all these reasons, we must lift, push and eradicate our cuticles.As for the eponychium, we do not try to cut it to avoid the risk of infection, but it is pushed back to enlarge the plate of the fingernail, and one feeds it generously ", recommends our specialist.
The right actions to remove them (without leaving your skin)
To repair our bruised nails, clean those skins that ruin our manicure and reveal the beauty of our hands: some wise advice and controlled gestures are de rigueur.
"First of all, you nail your nails," says Agathe Pons, "then we use a special cuticle emollient, not an oil or a hand cream , but a product designed for cuticles. all around the fingernail on the five fingers of your hand and let it work for about 30 seconds. "
Our expert advises us to remove the excess product with a cotton. Then, gently push the outside of the nail towards the hand, using a professional metal pusher rounded edge. With this gesture, the cuticles are destroyed and the eponychium is pushed. To refine our work, head to the bathroom for a scrub of the hands (or feet) with a suitable product or a homemade recipe, to choose from. We massage a few minutes insisting on the edges of the nails.
According to Agathe Pons, "the scrub helps to remove residues still present on our nails.To complete this rescue, we try to wash hands with soap and water with a soft bristle nail brush."
The ideal routine for daily maintenance
Cleaning our cuticles is good, but preventing them from reappearing is better! To do this, there is no magic recipe: diligence is the key.
"We put on a cuticle oil that we apply every night on the edges of the nails and on the nails if they are naked." We massage gently to penetrate the assets and accelerate the blood circulation at the base of the nail. and voila." To ensure the health and clarity of our hands, we mimic Agathe Pons and we leave this oil on our bedside table to apply just before bedtime. "During the night, the assets have time to penetrate and act for several hours."
These tools to ban without further delay
"Under no circumstances should our actions hurt us," says our expert. That's why I always recommend avoiding tools like boxwood sticks or Y-cuticle cutters, these are two objects that do not forgive, and with them there is too much risk of injury. paronychia through the infection, a poorly controlled movement and it is the disaster assured. "
