Having short nail beds can be embarrassing and painful, and can be caused by excessive biting of your nails. If too much damage has been done, it might not be possible for your nail to reconnect itself with your fingertip. In this case, you can take another approach to increasing the length of your nail bed by pushing back your cuticle, the area where your skin meets your nail. This process does take some time, but being consistent will help to improve your issue.
Step 1
Fill a bowl with warm water and two drops of lavender oil to create a nail bath. If you do not have lavender oil, you can use any other essential oil, such as rosemary oil or tea tree oil.
Step 2
Soak you nails in the nail bath for five minutes. This will help to soften your cuticles.
Step 3
Dry your hands with a clean cloth. Pat your cuticles dry rather than rubbing them.
Step 4
Rub olive oil on each of your cuticles with you fingertip. You also can use a cuticle remover cream if you prefer. Leave on for two to five minutes.
Step 5
Push back your cuticles with an orange stick. Do this gently so as to not cause any damage or discomfort to your cuticles.
Tips and Warnings
- Refrain from biting your nails, which can cause further damage to your nail bed. Massage olive oil or any type of cuticle oil on your cuticles twice a day to soften your cuticles. After every shower, push your cuticles back with your washcloth.
- Do not cut or trim your cuticles. This can lead to an infection.
Things You'll Need
- Bowl
- Cotton ball
- Orange stick
- Lavender oil
