When your manicurist asks “Trim?” it’s hard not be tempted to spruce up your raggedy cuticles. But it’s actually bad in the long run to trim your cuticules – and if bacteria gets in, you get be asking for an infection. New Orleans dermatologist Mary Lupo, M.D, tells us, “If they’re too short or lifted away from the nail, it allows bacteria, yeast and fungus to infect the nail bed.” What’s more, too much trimming actually makes cuticles lookworse in the long run. “If you cut off too much of the cuticle, they’ll look good for one or two days, but then they’ll peel and get ragged again,” says New York City manicurist Jin Soon Choi. Moisturize, push, and buff to get your cuticules in working condition – without the cut!
MORE: The Great Cuticle Debate: Is It Better To Trim or Push?
