Beauty Clinic: should a manicurist cut my cuticles?

Q. Should I let my beauty therapist cut my cuticles? She says this is fine but I have heard it is not a good idea. A. It’s a straight ‘No’ to this. Professionals from dermatologists to manicurists are clear about it. In fact, if you ask the legendary US manicurist Deborah Lippmann (who looks after so many A-listers we’ve run out of fingers to count them on), she all buts faints at the thought.

Cuticles are part of your skin and sit on top of your nail matrix - the part that grows - to protect it. In fact, dermatologists says that cutting your cuticles can lead to nail problems including ridges, and white spots or lines. What’s more, if you remove the cuticle, you take away the barrier that stops infective agents or irritants whizzing in. Not to mention you risk getting blood everywhere…

The only thing you are permitted to snip is a hangnail – the teeny bits of skin that are unattractive and can be painful if snagged.

If you want to push your cuticles back to tidy up your nails and make them look longer, wind a strand of cotton wool round an orange stick and very gently push back. You can also buy inexpensive rubber ‘hoof sticks’ that do the job neatly.

It’s important to keep your cuticles nourished and soft. Deborah Lippmann’s award-winning The Cure, ultra-nourishing cuticle repair cream, £18 for 15 ml at www.selfridges.com, is one of our favourites. In fact, we highly recommend springing for her Cuticle Lab collection, which also contains Cuticle Oil, Cuticle Remover, The Pusher plus a step-by-step guide, £35, available in store at Harrods.