Push Back Your Cuticles
To create the perfect manicure, you want to make your nails look long and sleek. Pushing back your cuticles reveals the pretty crescents at the base of your nails, and it helps your polish stay on longer without chipping. If you want to learn how to push back your cuticles the expert way, see Step 1.
Steps
- Prepare a bowl of warm water. It shouldn't be too hot, or too cold. Soaking your nails in warm water makes the cuticles soft and pliable. When you push them back, they'll lift easily from your nails instead of sticking. You can also push them back after taking a warm shower, while your hands are still warm and moist.
- Soak your fingers for 5-10 minutes in the water. Enjoy the soaking time as part of your manicure session. Add a few drops of essential oil to the water to get the benefits of aromatherapy as you soak your nails. Don't be in a rush - you want those cuticles to get nice and soft.
- Dry your fingers. Use a clean towel to dry off your fingers, so the cuticle pusher doesn't slip when you start to do the job.
- Apply a small amount of moisturizer to your cuticles. Vaseline works too. Rub it in a little, but not completely. For a truly expert touch, use cuticle remover, available for purchase at drugstores.
- Use an orange stick to gently push back your cuticles. Angle the orange stick so that you gently push the cuticles toward the base of your nails, a little at a time. Don't push too hard or scrape your nails. If you're having trouble pushing the cuticles back, soak them for awhile longer to soften them up.
- Never attempt to trim or tear off your cuticles. They are there to protect your fingers from getting infected. A tear could allow bacteria to enter your nail beds.
- If you're ever getting a manicure at a salon, and the manicurist starts trimming your cuticles, tell her to stop right away. Many women have had to go to the doctor to get infected fingers treated after manicures gone wrong.
- Rinse your hands in warm water to remove the moisturizer residue. Take a look at your cuticles: they should be fully pushed back, revealing the base of your nails. Do a touch-up if you see cuticles that still need to be pushed back.
- Repeat this once a week. You should also moisturize your cuticles frequently to keep them soft and in good condition.
- Keep your cuticles healthy in between manicures. Don't bite your nails or use harsh chemicals on your fingers, like acetone-based nail polish remover. These habits will cause your cuticles to get dry and cracked, and could lead to an infection.
Tips
- Don't push too hard with the Orange Stick. This can result in bleeding and damaged cuticles.
- Don't cut your cuticles. Your cuticles protect a part of your nails.
- Always keep your cuticles moisturized by using olive oil, jojoba oil, coconut oil, or sweet almond oil.
- The video of already perfectly manicured cuticles being pushed back was personally very unhelpful to me as mine were not pretty like that - so when I tried pushing mine as per the video, they kept springing right back. I guiltily scraped and tore them instead as shown in another video. I couldn't understand how you could push them back without having them cut first or springing back. Today I think I found the secret, so if you're like me follow the tip below:
- See the thin flap of cuticle creeping it's way up the base of your nail? Press down on that with your stick and then push it back while applying a bit of pressure - back under the thicker cuticle that forms the rim. This should "tuck it in" and prevent it from springing back out. You won't be able to just slide it across the nail INTO the cuticle otherwise it will lift it up and then it will just spring back - at least not until after your cuticles have already been tucked (if this is wrong please correct!)
Things You'll Need
- Orange Stick
- A bowl of warm soapy water
- A clean dry towel
- Moisturizer or Vaseline
- Nails
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