You love your nails as much as any nail enthusiast. Styling and cleaning them gives you immense pleasure. But one day, you notice overgrown cuticles on your nails.
These roughly shaped cuticles make your nails look bad.
So now, you’re screaming why do my cuticles grow so fast?
Well, the reason behind this can be over-trimming frequently. To cope with it, the cuticles grow faster. Another reason can be all the chemicals you’ve been using keep damaging the cuticle. And you’re not taking proper care. Hence normal growth rate is accelerated. Or it can be a medical condition that causes fast-growing cuticles.
Whatever your reason is, we’ve discussed that in detail, along with proper solutions. So take a look.
Which Part of The Nail is Called A Cuticle Anyway?
If you own a nail spa or work in one, this might sound stupid to you. Because you already know what a cuticle is.
But we assure you that 50% of people confuse cuticles with other nail parts. We’ve heard of people confusing cuticles with hangnails. Some confuse it with the outer layer of the nail.
That is the proximal nail fold. Which is the outer thin layer at the place where the nail merges with the finger.
After that, you’ll see the close end. There, you’ll see a thin transparent layer. That is the cuticle. The thinness varies from person to person. Some have ultra-thin cuticles, some have a thicker cuticle.
Here is a picture of nail parts. So that you can be clear. You could’ve assumed something else to be your cuticle. Now the confusion here is gone.
Are Cuticles Actually Growing Too Fast?- 2 Indicators!
Before stressing over anything, make sure you’re certain of it. Otherwise, your full-on imagination will stress you unnecessarily.
So we thought why not give you exact indications to understand if it’s growing. This will help you in identifying whether the cuticle is fine or growing too fast.
See If They’re Overgrown
For starters, let’s start with sight. You might think the cuticle is growing, but in reality, it’s not. Moreover, it can be that you’re unaware of the perfect size. Don’t worry we’re not out of our minds. Because we won’t ask you to bring a measuring scale to measure your cuticle.
But we have a perfect method to understand if the cuticle is overgrown. Do you know what a lunula is? Or you’re among the people who wonder why the end of your nail is white?
In case you know the answer, that’s great. If not, look at your thumb. Try to match with the picture above where the lunula is marked. Now identify that on your thumb.
See if your cuticle reaches half of your lunula or more, consider it overgrown. It even might be less than one-third of your lunula. Which is totally fine and natural. Spas might try to manipulate you into trimming even if it’s not overgrown. So, do not get fooled.
Because we’ve told you ways to understand if it’s growing fast or not.
Measure The Cuticles
Remember that we said we won’t ask you to bring measuring tools? Well, we were completely honest. But let’s tell you how you can measure the growth of your cuticles. And that’s without a measuring tool.
So when you think your cuticles are growing too fast, mark the calendar. Now for a whole week, observe the growth. For that, you can mark the cuticle end with a pencil. Or put a dot with your nail polish.
You can turn the nail polish dots into an innovative nail style. For example, paint the nail up-to-the-cuticle lining with one color of nail polish. Then paint the rest of the nail with another color.
So you can remove the nail polish from the upper part of the nail. And you’ll see how much the cuticle has grown. It will show the growth from the previously marked line.
If that has grown more than a string gap, know that it’s overgrown. Because in a week, it shouldn’t grow more than the width of a string.
So you’ll be able to know if that’s actually overgrown or not.
Why Are Your Cuticles Growing Too Fast?- 4 Reasons!
You’ve found out that they are actually growing too fast. Even if it’s true, there might be several reasons behind it. So why not you just calm down and take a moment.
Because it’s nothing to be afraid of. If it’s growing too fast, there must be a reason. So let’s walk you through those.
Trimming Excessively
It’s more of a common fashion trend to trim cuticles. But it’s not an encouraged one. But each time you go for a manicure, you end up trimming cuticles.
You know how frequent shaving makes your hair grow thicker than before. It works the same way. The more you trim, the longer it grows back.
So if you’ve trimmed too frequently, then that’s the reason.
Not Taking Proper Care
Cuticles are just like babies that need a lot of attention. Especially if you go through a lot of nail styling. Because when you style, you put layers of nail polish and chemicals.
Your cuticles have a hard time breathing as it stays under the layers.
When you remove nail polish, the cuticles go through a hard time. You scratch it with a nail file. As a result, the cuticles go through a lot of harsh rubbing.
So you might have skipped taking enough care to lessen the damage. As a result, your cuticles will start growing shockingly. You may also encounter itchy cuticles.
Chemical Exposure to Nails
So you’re a nail art specialist or in love with nails. Which one the situation might be, spa chemicals are not your friend. Nor is it a friend of your cuticles. If you’re a regular spa customer, your nails are exposed to a lot of chemicals.
These nail products can have a negative impact on cuticle growth.
It might be that you’ve gotten inspired by the nail specialists. You may have started using chemicals on your own. We’ve seen people using cuticles removing gel and creams. These have some serious chemicals that actually hamper the cuticles.
And once you stop using them, you start facing problems.
Medical Conditions
If none of the mentioned points fit, it just might be your health condition. One of the common medical conditions is Psoriasis. When this disease occurs, the cells start multiplying in a huge amount.
Thus the cuticle tissue gets damaged. And starts multiplying fast. So that’s another reason behind your overgrown cuticles.
If that’s the reason, consult a doctor. And rigorously follow the prescription.
How to Stop Them from Growing Too Fast?
Now you’re certain of the reasons that caused your cuticles to grow. What happened is done. But you can do things to make up for the damage. So here are the solutions for the perfect cuticles.
Overnight Solutions
What if you noticed that you’re having overgrown cuticles. And you have breakfast date the next day. Or maybe you’re looking forward to an occasion tomorrow.
No need to worry. Because we’ve got solutions right from the heavens. Do as we say, and the morning after, your problem will be gone. So let’s move forward.
Apply Bath Oil
Hot oil massages are so soothing, right? Turns out that cuticles also love them. So take 2 tablespoons of bath oil and mix it with 2 tablespoons of water. Now give it a stir and warm it up.
Put it in the microwave for 20 seconds. Then apply it to your cuticles and give a good massage. After that, wipe the excess oil off. If you wash your hands afterward, make sure to moisturize them.
Use Olive Oil
Another fine ingredient is olive oil. It is easily available and has healing properties. It smoothes your cuticles as well as nails.
But you’ll also need to work. Take a dropper and put one drop for each nail. Now massage the cuticles until they are extremely soft. This would take 5-10 minutes.
Now that the oil is absorbed, you can sleep. And leave it for the whole night.
Then the next morning, just bring your nail file. And rub the cuticles extra part. You’ll see how easily it comes off.
So you put the oil on for the whole night. And the next morning you’ll be surprised. Also, you’ll thank Goddess Athena for planting an olive tree in Athens.
So here you go, now you have good-looking cuticles.
Long Term Solutions
These are some long-term hacks. You can just keep doing and you’ll see the results eventually. But know that this is a continuous process. It’s for those who face rapidly growing cuticles.
Let’s see what these solutions are.
Time And Care
We’ve discussed before how cuticles can have excessive growth. That can be because of medical conditions. If that’s your case, you need to care for your cuticles. And with time, your cuticle condition will recover.
So if you’ve got bigger cuticles, trim them first. But not more once a month. After trimming, apply cuticle oil. Now massage the cuticles for 3 minutes.
Apart from that, apply hand cream to your cuticles as well. Continue this procedure with prescribed medicines to get rid of overgrown cuticles.
It shouldn’t take more than two months to recover from the situation. And have normal healthy cuticles. If you have problems with itchy cuticles, this procedure will also help you.
Push The Cuticles Backward
If your problem arises due to trimming, you can use this method. We already discouraged trimming cuticles. But you might already be done that.
And now you’re facing the consequences. So why not try pushing the cuticle backward instead?
This means rather than trimming, just push the cuticles back. But you can’t do that with bare hands. You’ll need a cuticle pusher for that. So just get one of your choices and push the cuticles back.
Here’s a list of our favorites that’ll works wonders with your cuticles:
2PCS Metal Silver Cuticle Pusher and Cutter Remover
Cuticle Pusher and Cutter – Professional Grade Stainless Steel Cuticle Remover and Cutter
While you push the cuticles, remember our suggestion. Don’t be too rough while doing it. Otherwise, you’ll damage the cuticle. Moreover, bacterial infections will spread across the finger.
First, disinfect the pusher. Then lightly push the cuticles back. This way they won’t cover the whole lunula.
After pushing it, do apply some body butter to your cuticles. When the cuticle softens, it may come out naturally. Or a gentle rub would do the work. But that won’t happen overnight. So you need to repeat these procedures for some time.
At least continue for a week. And the cuticle should come out on its own. This way, there won’t be any need for trimming. And no need to worry about the cuticles growing back.
Moisturize The Cuticle
The last and most important part is to moisturize your cuticle. Without moisturizing it properly, you can’t dream of healthy cuticles. And we bet you don’t wanna know what unhealthy cuticles can bring.
Well, you don’t want some serious health issues. Or do you?
If not, then start moisturizing your cuticles from today.
Let’s give you a daily routine for your help. So, moisturize your cuticles after each wash. And apply some moisturizer before going to bed. Whether you’re pushing cuticles behind, trimming, or removing nail polish. It’s necessary to moisturize the cuticles afterward.
How to Care for Damaged Cuticles?- 2 Life-Changing Tips
Now you might have damaged your cuticles while trying to make them attractive. We see people struggle with it a lot. So to make things easier, we provided tips. So that you can save the hassle.
Tip 1: Use Homemade Cuticles Packs
You might’ve heard about face packs. But do you know about cuticle packs?
Well, we got some DIY cuticle pack recipes that you’ll love-
Take 1 tablespoon of yogurt and mix it with 5 drops of tree tea essential oil. Then mix them properly. And apply to your cuticles. Leave it overnight. Put on your pack twice a week.
Or, you can take 1 tablespoon of honey and mix it with chamomile oil. Apply it to the cuticles and wait for 20 minutes. Then wash it off with regular water.
Do not wipe harshly. Rather take a towel and pat on your cuticles.
Why choose chemical products when you can make your own packs right? So try using these packs to take better care of your cuticles.
Tip 2: Use A Steel Cuticle Pusher
Whenever you choose between cuticle pushers, pick steel ones. Or got benefits of course. Why else would we suggest them?
Well, it’s easy to disinfect steel pushers. Because you might not have any disinfectants handy. In this case, you can just boil water and put the tool inside. Let the tool boil for 15minutes. Then take it out.
And wait for it to come at room temperature. Continue using it as usual.
So apply these pro tips and thank us later.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Can I use petroleum jelly on my cuticles?
Yes, you can apply petroleum jelly to your nails. For that, take a cotton bud and dip it in petroleum jelly. Then rub your cuticles with it.
Is there any other household item to use?
Yes, you can also use mayonnaise on your nails. So take 1 teaspoon mayonnaise and massage it on your cuticles.
Are overgrown cuticles bad?
Well yes. They are bad. They are a sign that there’s some problem with your nail routine or your health. Even it can spoil a perfect manicure.
Endnote
You have gained a lot of knowledge on “why do my cuticles grow so fast”. So now you’ve all the secrets, here’s another one?
You might feel lazy and want to skip the nail care routine. In this case, just take some essential oils. Put it on your cuticles. You’ll be good for that day.
Well, let us know your thoughts by commenting.
Thank you & have a great day!
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Thank you for this information I’m grateful for the knowledge and tips
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Great information. Thank you.