Our hands can experience a lot of wear and the skin on hands can become dry and cracked, particularly during cold, dry weather. The delicate skin around fingernails is no exception. Read on to learn about what causes dry cuticles and how to help keep the skin around your nails feeling soft and smooth with Aquaphor®.
What are cuticles?
The cuticle is the delicate, clear layer of skin at the base of the fingernails and toenails running along the nail bed. This skin acts as a barrier to help protect your nails and the skin around them from dirt and debris1.
Since cuticles are so delicate and the hands are so commonly exposed to things that can cause dry skin, it’s not uncommon for cuticles to flake or crack from dryness.
What causes dry cuticles?
Here are some common causes of dry skin on the hands that can lead to dry, flaky cuticles:
Exposure to extreme weather
Hands are constantly exposed to the external environment. Especially during cold, dry, weather, hands can become dry, and may even experience dry, cracked cuticles, or flaking and itching from dryness2.
Over-washing
Handwashing is an important part of personal hygiene, but frequent handwashing, as is common in healthcare or food preparation careers for example, can lead to dry skin, particularly when washing with hot water, using abrasive soaps, or using hand sanitizer. This can then lead to dry, cracked hands.
Exposure to harsh soaps and other drying chemicals
Washing hands with drying soaps3 or exposing the hands to harsh chemicals commonly found in detergents or products like nail polish remover can also lead to dry skin on the hands and nails4.
Unprotected sun exposure
Since the hands are exposed to the elements, this leaves hands vulnerable to the effects of unprotected sun exposure known as photoaging. Extended, unprotected sun exposure can damage skin and cause dry skin5.
Aging
As we age, our skin naturally produces less sebum, leading to a higher likelihood of experiencing dry skin2.
Manicures and pedicures
Getting a manicure or pedicure can be a relaxing form of self-care, but proceed with caution. In addition to exposing skin around the nails to harsh solvents like nail polish remover6, it’s common practice in many nail salons to push or trim cuticles. Pushing back the cuticle6 or removing the cuticle can lead to fragile nails and can also leave the area vulnerable to harmful dirt and debris7.
Dehydration
The skin is the largest organ in the body and when the body is dehydrated, it can affect the moisture level in the skin as well8.
How to help dry cuticles and dry, flaky skin around nails
Though dry cuticles can be an uncomfortable inconvenience, thankfully they can be managed with some attentive care. Here are some steps you can take to help soothe dry cuticles if you notice signs of dry, cracked skin around your nails:
Moisturize frequently
Keep the skin around your nails soft and smooth by frequently applying a skin protectant like Aquaphor Healing Ointment® any time skin feels dry, and particularly after potentially moisture-stripping activities like bathing or washing your hands.
Give hands an overnight moisturizing treatment
Take advantage of the restorative power of sleep9 by giving your hands and overnight moisturizing treatment to help restore smooth, healthy-looking skin. Apply a skin protectant like Aquaphor Healing Ointment® before bed and sleep with cotton gloves on.
What to do with an infected cuticle
If you suspect that your cuticle has become infected, contact a healthcare professional right away for proper diagnosis and treatment.
How to help prevent dry cuticles
With any case of dry skin, it’s best to try to prevent it before it starts. Here are some tips for helping prevent dry cuticles from forming:
Moisturize frequently
Just as moisturizing helps to soothe dry cuticles, keeping hands soft and smooth helps to prevent dry skin from happening. Be sure to frequently moisturize your cuticles, particularly after washing your hands, to help support the skin’s moisture barrier.
Avoid unnecessary exposure to drying chemicals
When possible, use gentle cleansers and avoid overuse of drying products like harsh soaps, hand sanitizers and nail polish remover10.
Take proper sun protection measures
When spending time outdoors, be sure to apply and reapply sunscreen to any exposed areas of skin, following directions on the packaging, and take other sun protection measures like avoiding direct sun exposure during peak hours of the day and seeking shade whenever possible.
Bundle up in harsh weather
On cold, dry, windy days, protect your hands with gloves or mittens to help avoid the drying effects of the weather.
Don’t damage the skin around your nails
Though it may be tempting, avoid biting or picking the skin around your nails1, and avoid pushing or trimming cuticles. If you notice skin around nails starting to flake, apply moisturizer at the first signs of dryness.
Is Aquaphor® good for cuticles?
Yes! Aquaphor Healing Ointment® is a skin protectant ointment enriched with Panthenol and Glycerin to moisturize, nourish, and protect skin to enhance healing. It protects and helps relieve chapped, dry, cracked and irritated skin and also helps to protect skin from the drying effects of wind and cold weather. Use Aquaphor Healing Ointment® on your hands and around your fingernails to help soothe dry cuticles and help prevent them before they start.
For intensive hydration in just 10 minutes, try Aquaphor® Repairing Hand Masks. These single-use gloves are easy to use and mess-free for a convenient self-care treatment at home or while traveling. These hydrating and conditioning hand masks for dry skin are formulated with a blend of Avocado Oil, Shea Butter, and Provitamin B5 and help to repair dry skin and restore soft, smooth, healthy-looking skin on hands and cuticles.
The information provided herein is not intended to be medical advice. Nor is it intended to treat the underlying skin disease or condition. The information is provided solely to:
- Moisturize, soften and smooth dry skin
- Improve the appearance of the skin
- Achieve healthier-looking skin
Sources
- Cuticle: What Is It, Care, Removal, Signs of Infection, and More. Healthline. https://www.healthline.com/health/cuticle.
- American Academy of Dermatology Association. Dry skin: Who gets and causes. www.aad.org. https://www.aad.org/public/diseases/a-z/dry-skin-causes.
- How To Prevent Dry Hands From Handwashing. Cleveland Clinic. https://health.clevelandclinic.org/what-can-i-do-about-dry-hands-from-overwashing.
- How to Treat Dry Cuticles. Healthline. https://www.healthline.com/health/dry-cuticles#causes.
- Hashizume, H. Skin Aging and Dry Skin. The Journal of Dermatology 2004, 31 (8), 603–609. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1346-8138.2004.tb00565.x.
- Reinecke, J. K.; Hinshaw, M. A. Nail Health in Women. International Journal of Women’s Dermatology 2020, 6 (2), 73–79. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijwd.2020.01.006.
- Piraccini, B. M.; Granger, C.; Alessandrini, A.; Brandi, N.; Bruni, F.; Mandel, V. D.; Pellacani, G.; Starace, M. Clinical and Instrumental Objective Evidence of the Efficacy of a New Water-Based Nail-Strengthening Solution Containing Pistacia Lentiscus and Hyaluronic Acid Applied for up to 6 Months to Improve the Appearance of Weak, Brittle Nails. Dermatology and Therapy 2019, 10 (1), 119–131. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13555-019-00343-0.
- Cherney, K. Is My Skin Dehydrated? Healthline. https://www.healthline.com/health/dehydrated-skin.
- Lyons, A. B.; Moy, L.; Moy, R.; Tung, R. Circadian Rhythm and the Skin: A Review of the Literature. The Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology 2019, 12 (9), 42.
- Chertoff, J. Treating and Preventing Dry Cuticles. Healthline. https://www.healthline.com/health/dry-cuticles#prevention.
