What Is Nail Punching? | POPSUGAR Appeal

• “Nail slugging” is an appeal hack going viral on TikTok.
• The procedure includes tactically hydrating your nail beds and cuticles.
• Specialists break down how to nail slug for much healthier nails.

Throuhgout the in 2015, the “slugging” appeal pattern has actually taken control of social networks. Initially, “skin slugging,” a Korean skin-care method, went viral on TikTok, followed quickly after by “hair slugging,” an ancient South Asian practice for healthy hair. Most just recently, “nail slugging” has actually been all over on the platform, with countless users slathering their cuticles in items like Vaseline and Aquaphor.

For the inexperienced, slugging, in basic, normally includes using a hydrating item and after that layering an extra occlusive item on the top to seal in wetness. “Slugging is a terrific alternative for someone who has dry skin or inflammation,” Joshua Zeichner, MD, a skin specialist and associate teacher of dermatology at Mount Sinai Healthcare Facility in New York City City, formerly informed POPSUGAR.

Nobody likes the sensation of dry, peeling skin around their nails, so it is not a surprise that individuals have an interest in including additional wetness into their regimens nevertheless possible. Here, we break down what nail slugging is, what the advantages are, and how to include nail slugging into your own program.

What Is Nail Punching?

Simply put, nail slugging is an approach that includes additional wetness to the nail beds and cuticle skin. Like facial slugging, the procedure includes layering hydrating items like cuticle oils and serums onto the skin around the nails, and after that sealing in hydration with an occlusive item like petroleum jelly for optimum hydration.

However are the additional actions worth the effort? Brittney Boyce, star nail artist and creator of Nails of LA, states yes. “There are lots of advantages to keeping your nail cuticles hydrated and hydrated,” Boyce states. “They’re important for general nail health, as their function is to keep dirt and germs from entering the nail bed which can trigger infections.” She includes that dry nails are susceptible to splitting and splitting, which can likewise jeopardize the protective barrier around the nails and trigger infection.

Dr. Zeichner concurs. “We understand that with age, the nails end up being dry and breakable,” he states. “Similar to the skin, using a moisturizing lotion to the nails can assist soften and safeguard them.”

How To Nail Slug

For some, nail slugging can be as basic as layering a cuticle oil below a hand cream, or it can be more included. “I have a really fancy hand and nail care regimen that’s more extreme than my skin-care regimen,” Boyce states. “I utilize a nail serum, cuticle oil, and thick, occlusive cream to seal whatever in.”

If that seems like a lot, at the minimum, Boyce advises using a hydrating cuticle item two times a day — as soon as in the early morning and as soon as in the evening. Nevertheless, if you’re wanting to ramp things up, the listed below three-step regimen makes certain to get your nails in good shape.

Action One: Exfoliate

To get the most out of your slugging regimen, start by carefully exfoliating hands with an item like the Olive and June Mani + Pedi Scrub ($22), which utilizes enzymes and volcanic sand to carefully rub the skin. The exfoliation action does not require to be done whenever you nail slug, however doing it as soon as a week or 2 weeks will assist get rid of dead skin cells and prep the skin for hydration.

Action 2: Hydrate

Next, it’s time to layer on the wetness. Use a nail serum like the Dashing Queen Rich Nail Serum ($9) to the beds of each of your nails to hydrate and assist promote nail development. From there, include wetness to the cuticles with the Orly Argan Oil Cuticle Drops ($15). When searching for a cuticle item, Boyce recommends discovering one with plant oils. “Plant oils like coconut oil, argan oil, squalane, and jojoba oil resemble our skin’s own oils, plus they have a great deal of fats and anti-oxidants to nurture the skin,” she states.

Action 3: Seal in Wetness

To secure all the wetness you simply used, get an emollient item like the Lanolips 101 Lotion ($17) or the Orly Cuticle Treatment Cream ($13) and carefully massage it around the cuticles, in between the fingers, and on the hands. Although the majority of TikTok users have actually been seen utilizing petroleum jelly as an occlusive layer, Boyce states she chooses cream. “Creams tend to take in into the skin much better whereas petroleum jelly leaves a thin, somewhat sticky layer.”

If you actually wish to take your nail punching to the next level, Dr. Zeichner recommends using a set of white cotton gloves to bed after you have actually completed your regular to assist the items remain in location and prevent producing a mess.