Home Remedy for an Infected Cuticle

An infected cuticle can be a source of discomfort around your fingernail, not to mention the unsightly condition it causes for your hands. The exposure your hands and fingernails get determines a lot about how your cuticles respond and look. If your hands are in chemicals or hard water or your put your hands through harsh conditions on a regular basis, you may find more than one cuticle infected and want to try a home remedy to cure the problem and restore the natural beauty of healthy cuticles, fingernails and hands.

Start With a Soak

Often the infected cuticle has been subjected to picking or some other form of irritant that causes the infection to start. Some people try to eliminate the problem by clipping back the skin, but this can just cause the problem to worsen and create tenderness around the infected cuticle that makes it unsightly and uncomfortable to touch.

Treating an infected cuticle is simple when you start with a warm salt water soak at night just before you go to bed. This helps to draw out some of the infection and pain around the cuticle. After the soak, proceed with an anti-bacterial such as Bacitracin or Neosporin. You can also wrap the cuticle with a Band-Aid overnight to start the healing process.

Keep Germs Away

You've heard many times about the importance of washing your hands, and now you're being told again about the importance of keeping germs away from an infected cuticle because the skin and cuticle are already compromised. A simple basic cleansing method will allow you some relief from the discomfort of swelling and clear away germs that may be festering in the area.

A wet nailbrush that has been dipped in baking soda can be used to soften your cuticles and clean your nails thoroughly. This natural remedy can be done after the salt soak so that cuticles are not so tender. Repeat this process nightly for several nights and watch for improvement.

Try White Vinegar

If it sounds simple enough, that's because it is. Start with equal amounts of vinegar and water and place the infected cuticle in the mixture. Expect some stinging, but if it becomes too uncomfortable, add some additional water. Soak the problem cuticle for around 10 to 15 minutes, and then gently wash hands with an anti-bacterial soap to get rid of the vinegar smell.

An over-the-counter antibiotic is good, but if you have access to Bactroban, this is even better. If not, try making a cuticle oil from ounce each of olive oil, jojoba oil, macadamia nut oil and apricot kernel oil. Add a drop or two of rosemary oil, tea tree oil and lavender oil. Use a drop of the mixture on the base of the cuticle that's infected.