Under the Microscope: Safe Cuticle Removal Practices

The cuticle remains one of the most debated and controversial topics in the nail and beauty industry. With allergies being a close second, many techs are grappling with what it entails, what is living and non-living, and how much can safely, and in some states, legally be removed.

The terminologies surrounding the cuticle—including cuticle, proximal nail fold (PNF) and eponychium—can be confusing, as they all look similar, especially to the naked eye. This article will help you understand the differences between them.

Leading dermatologists have clarified that everything that is yellow, pink, green and the bone is living, which includes the eponychium (the off white-yellow jelly strip at the base of the nail plate), nail folds, nail bed, and matrix. The debris, cuticle and hangnails, on the other hand, are non-living tissue that can be removed safely. Non-living tissue appears white and is often dry and flakey. This can be removed without cutting into the living tissue, which appears yellow or pink. Precision scissors are recommended for the safe removal of the cuticle as they allow techs to target small areas without blocking your view.

As nail techs we are not qualified to cut or remove living tissue. Over time cutting the eponychium can make it grow thicker and faster as a defense method and can lead to thickened scar-like tissue. Regular use of cuticle oil, cuticle removers and leaving the eponychium alone will help improve the appearance.

The eponchyium will be more apparent on damaged nails, over cut eponychium and nail biters, which is what can be so tempting to customers and nail techs to make appear more aesthetically appealing.

Removing the true cuticle from the nail plate is often a standard part of a nail service to allow better adhesion of polishes or enhancements to the nail plate.

Under the microscope, it allows you to see the difference between the white and yellow areas and what should and should not be removed.

We have put the cuticle and prep routine under the microscope to showcase what is safe to remove and give a better understanding of non-living and living tissue to give you the confidence to perform your prep routine safely.

Here is the cuticle prior to any nail service.

After pushing back the cuticle, you will see the debris and cuticle lift from the nail plate, the eponychium is pushed back and cuticle revealed. The yellow jelly strip is the eponychium which is living tissue and should not be removed, and the white patches indicate non living tissue, which are safe to be removed.

Now, to identify what of this can be removed.

Now, let’s decipher what can and cannot be safety and correctly removed. Under the microscope, you can clearly see the difference between the yellow, jelly strip which indicates the eponychium and the white flakey areas which are non living tissue and can be removed. If you struggle with this, invest in some mag glasses whilst performing nail services. If you dehydrate the area, the non living tissue, will also become more apparent and easy to identify.

The next step is removing the non living tissue and this is what causes the most conflict and lack of confidence among nail techs. Remember anything white is safe to remove, anything yellow or pink is not.

Remove a little at a time, rather than trying to cut everything in one go. You will see in the above image, that there will not always be a uniform strip of non living tissue and this may be present in patches. Make a cut, check and repeat where necessary. The small precision blade of KB Curved Cuticle Scissors allows you to see each cut, where bulkier scissors and nippers can block the view, leading into accidently cutting nearby surrounding living tissue.

You will see the white non living tissue is showing on top of the yellow jelly strip, so it is important to only cut to this area and not further.

If you remove the living tissue and the yellow jelly strip, you will cause damage to the skin by irritation and bleeding. If you have drawn blood, then you have cut into living tissue. You can see in this image, the Eponychium has been completely removed.

Not only will this cause irritation, soreness and bleeding to your client, it will remove the protective seal and allow potential pathogens entry that could be responsible for infection. This can also lead to a higher risk of allergies as the protective seal has been compromised. This will cause the customers cuticle area to grow back thicker and quicker, in fear it is being attacked. This can lead to a vicious circle of removing too much and causing repetitive overgrowing.

The old saying goes, if you are not sure, then always err on the side of caution and do not remove it. Apply regular cuticle oil and ensure your client follows these procedures to keep the cuticle soft and supple.