How to Treat Damaged Cuticles

How you should treat your damaged cuticles depends on just how much damage has been done -- and that usually depends on how it happened in the first place. If you've been biting your fingernails or you yanked off a hang nail, taking care of the issue may not be any more difficult than treating a minor cut. All you have to do is pour some hydrogen peroxide on it, clean it thoroughly and cover it with a bandage. If you do that right away and keep an eye on it, you should be fine. There is, however, a chance that you could end up with an infection. If that happens, treating the injury might not be so simple.

It's very common for damaged cuticles to result in an infection known as paronychia. It can be caused by bacteria, fungi or yeast and it usually results in soreness and occasionally a pus-filled blister. Treatment for bacterial paronychia usually involves soaking the affected nail in warm water several times a day as well as taking antibiotics and undergoing the occasional surgical procedure to remove excess fluid or a small portion of your nail. Fungal infections and yeast infections may require special medication, so if your finger becomes infected you should have it looked at by a doctor for a proper diagnosis [source: Badash].

Another common cause of cuticle damage is dry skin. When your skin dries out, your cuticles lose natural fats that help keep them soft. You can treat the issue by using a moisturizer for your hands and cuticle cream for your cuticles. These creams are specifically designed with fats and waxes to help replace those you've lost and keep your cuticles soft and healthy [source: Gallant].

Keep reading to find out how you can avoid cuticle damage and costly treatments.

The only thing better than solving problems is preventing them in the first place. When it comes to cuticle damage, prevention usually means dropping a few bad habits and forming some good ones to replace them. The worst thing you can do is bite your fingernails or the skin around your fingernails. No good can come from it. It's the most common cause of cuticle damage and it's totally preventable. The first step to breaking your bad habit is becoming aware of it. If that doesn't seem to be enough to keep you from nibbling away, you can try wearing bandages over your fingertips or putting something that tastes bad on your fingernails to dissuade you from doing it [source: WebMD].

Another common cause of cuticle damage is dry skin. This tends to be a problem among those who work in jobs that require their hands to be exposed to excessive amounts of water or irritants. However, rubber gloves provide a simple solution to this problem. Dry skin can also be a result of the climate you live in. People tend to have more issues with dry skin in the winter because the air itself is so dry. If you find that your hands are drying out and your cuticles are getting damaged as a result, try using a good moisturizer for your hands and a cuticle cream for your cuticles. These specialized creams use fats and waxes like petroleum and beeswax [source: Milady].

Aside from that, there isn't much more you can do to protect your cuticles. The only other option is to wear gloves all the time -- and that's just not practical for most people.

For a lot more information on treating damaged cuticles, take a look at the links on the next page.