Cared for nails are best when the cuticles are soft and supple. But often enough, skins appear around the cuticles, which can cause them to become infected. That is why it is important to treat inflamed cuticles immediately.

With cuticle inflammation, also known as 'paronychia,' your skin is red, irritated and painful. There may be a wound where pus comes out. Ouch! In this blog we give you the tools to treat inflamed cuticles in 3 steps.

Do you suffer from an inflamed cuticle? Recognize the symptoms

Cuticles largely determine the appearance of your nails. Beautifully painted nails are often destroyed by inflamed cuticles with skin and hard edges.

A cuticle infection, or 'paronychia,' can be caused by pushing back your cuticles during a manicure. If this happens while your cuticles are still hard, they can become damaged, which can easily cause a wound.

As soon as a bacteria enters your body, the wound can become infected. With a cuticle infection, your skin is red and irritated. There may be a wound or thickening where pus comes out. That can hurt a lot: bumping or even stroking is already too much.

What can you do about an inflamed cuticle?

The inflammation usually goes away on its own, but it is still good to treat your inflamed cuticles. To do this, follow the following steps:

Step 1: Make sure you keep the wound clean by rinsing it daily with lukewarm, running water.

Step 2: Dry your hands with a soft cotton cloth and apply a band-aid if necessary.

Step 3: Allow your wound to air dry every day.

If the inflammation does not disappear within three to five days, contact your doctor. Using an anesthetic, he can make an incision in the inflamed cuticle to allow pus to drain. This often provides immediate relief.

In other cases, the doctor can also prescribe antibiotics. Don't pick and pick yourself: there are already a lot of bacteria on your nails, this can only make it worse. If you have to come near your inflamed cuticle, first disinfect your hands with, for example, a disinfectant hand gel.

How to prevent inflamed cuticles

Even if you don't think about it every moment, your cuticles are very flexible. They are attached to your nail plates and grow as they grow. However, there is also an end to the stretching of your cuticles. If you haven't pushed them back in before then, they will most likely  tear. As soon as this happens, you run the risk of developing a wound, which increases the risk of bacteria and inflammation. But how do you prevent cuticle inflammation?…

Don't cut your cuticles

The first tip we can immediately give you is that it is better not to cut your cuticles. The cuticle protects the nail root and when you remove the cuticle, you also remove the protection.

The result?… Very painful, inflamed cuticles. In addition, the cuticle grows back faster, you don't want that, do you? To prevent cracks and inflammation of your cuticles, gently push back your cuticles at least once a week. You can read how to do this in the step-by-step plan below.

How do you treat your inflamed cuticles?

Step 1: Soften inflamed cuticle

Start by softening your cuticle. Apply the Herome Cuticle Remover . This serum loosens your cuticles and makes them supple. Leave it on for two minutes and then push back your cuticles with ease.

Step 2: Inflamed nPush the cuticle backwards

Disinfect the Herome Cuticle Pusher with a disinfectant to eliminate any harmful bacteria before use.

Use the soft, white head of the Cuticle Pusher to gently push back your cuticles. Never push your cuticles back with your own nails. This causes you to shift bacteria from your own nails to the nail root, causing a cuticle infection. 

Step 3: Treat cuticles

To properly treat the edges of your cuticles, massage them with a nourishing oil before going to bed. TheCuticle Night Repairhas an anti-inflammatory effect and repairs dry and torn cuticles. The next morning your cuticles will be nourished and cared for.

Step 4: Treat toenails

Not unimportant: don't forget the cuticles of your toenails! These cuticles can also become infected, so it is wise to treat your toenails. Don't let skin and torn cuticles mar your feet.

Get rid of your inflamed cuticles

And that's it again: our blog about how you can treat inflamed cuticles in 3 steps.

Want to know more about your nails? Take a look at our blog section about nail care and discover more about your nails, cuticles and their health!