Although trying to affect the matrix and change the inherent growth of the nail with nail – care products is a waste of time and money, there are many things you can do to improve your nails. Without question, the most important element to pay attention to is the skin around the nail, namely the cuticle. The best way to keep your nails healthy, whole, and as free from problems as possible is to push your cuticles back as little as you can. The less you manipulate and cut your cuticle the better off your nails will be. Aside from inherited problems and physical trauma (getting smashed by a hammer or door can permanently alter the physical attributes of the nail), damage from overpushing or overtrimming the cuticle is the number one cause of nail problems. I know this may seem shocking and contrary to much of what you’ve heard, but excessively pushing back the cuticle and cutting it off is a huge no-no. Removing too much cuticle can damage the nail.
Overtrimming the cuticle can destroy the integrity of the matrix, which is the source of healthy nail growth. There is no way around this one. The cuticle is the body’s form of protection for the area between the exposed dead part of the nail and the living matrix where the nail grows from. Anything that damages this seal puts the nail at risk.
If you cut too much cuticle away it can result in weak, brittle, ridged, dented, peeling, or unevenly growing nails (where one part of the same nail grows at a different rate), and once these problems occur they won’t go away until the nail grows out, which can take anywhere from three months to a year. Orange sticks and metal cuticle tools, even when padded with cotton on the tip as most manicurists do, can cause damage to the nail if they are not used carefully.
Almost every dermatologist I interviewed agreed that cuticle damage negatively affects nail growth. You can test this for yourself. Stop manipulating, pushing, or overtrimming your cuticles. For the next six months, simply take care of your nail shape (I’ll explain more about that later in this section) and only minimally trim hangnails or excess skin around the nail. Do not overmanipulate the cuticle in any manner whatsoever. Within a relatively short period of time you are likely to see a radical change in the growth of the nail. I know this is a hard one to get used to but it will pay off in the long run.
Another thing you can do for the cuticle is to moisturize it as often as possible, and during the day be sure you use a moisturizing sunscreen with avobenzone, Tinosorb, ecamsule (Mexoryl SX), titanium dioxide, and/or zinc oxide. It doesn’t have to be a special nail or hand moisturizer with sunscreen—as long as the SPF is 15 or greater and the active ingredients are the ones I’ve been mentioning, it will do just fine. If the cuticle becomes dry and flaky (or sun damaged), the protective barrier for the matrix will break down, which can absolutely and quickly hurt nail growth. Yet in some ways it is almost impossible to keep the cuticle moist and healthy. Think about how often you wash your hands and use them every day for everything from office work to housework to sports. Also, the hands are incessantly exposed to the sun and it is difficult to keep them constantly protected with sunscreen. Yet doing so is essential. In short, don’t overdo trimming cuticles, keep nails protected from the sun, and use a moisturizer to prevent dryness.