Monday Manicure with Eki: The Anatomy of Your Nails & How to Take Care of Your Cuticles

A few weeks ago for Monday Manicure, we gave you some tips on how to care for your nails, click here if you missed it. In this post today, we’re showing you a demo on how to care for your cuticles in this video by Ariane of Abetweene. She talks a bit about the anatomy of nails for a better understanding on what each part is and how you should care for them, especially your cuticle.

Anatomy of Your Nails

The Nail Plate is your nail itself. It is made of a protein called Keratin but it is dead but the pink healthy colour you see underneath your nail plate is your Nail Bed and the white part which grows over it is called the Free Edge; where the nail detaches from the nail bed. The skin on the nail is called the Nail Fold which covers the root of your nail (where all the important things are).

Under this same fold is something called Eponychium, think of this as a bandage/tape holding your nail to your finger so the cells are actually sticky and as your nails grow out of your finger, it pulls on the sticky cells and this is what comes out as the cuticle, sealing your nail to your finger. It is important not to break this seal by cutting your cuticles to avoid exposing your nails to harmful bacteria, so gently push it back and you’ll see how using a Cuticle Softener and Cuticle Pusher in this video.

It’s also important to use Cuticle Oil/Nail Oil to keep your nails healthy and moisturised. Use either Jojoba Oil or Vitamin E Oil. Jojoba is closest to Sebum which is the natural oil your body produces while Vitamin E helps increase blood circulation and an increase in blood supply increases growth efficiency and may lead to faster, stronger and healthier hair and nail growth because both are made of dead keratin cells. However, any kind of oil would work fine, just remember to use it.

Watch the Video