Are You A Cuticle Cutie? How Does Your Mani/Pedi Look?

Cuticle cutie?

No, not yet. In fact, we are usually in hang nail h-ll. We get hang nails at our thumbs, and we are always trying to tear the skin ourselves, and we end up making it a lot worse.

A hang nail is "a small, torn piece of skin near a fingernail or toenail." And that would point to the cuticle.

But our cuticles are improving. That's because we are now conditioning them. In the past, we never bothered applying oil or cream treatments for the cuticles, but at the moment, we are hooked.

Yes, these cuticle conditioners DO work. But you need patience and a little TLC. And since we are mani/pedi-challenged, we are learning quite a few things about healthy nails.

Tennis Star Serena Williams is nail-obsessed, and we can bet her cuticles are perfect:

...."No one likes getting their nails done more than I do," she says. "As a matter of fact I go every four days to get a manicure and every seven days for a pedicure. So, I had a brilliant idea to get certified to be a nail tech."

You don't have to be manicure-crazy to achieve healthy nails, but you DO have to have healthy cuticles to make it all work. And we have 2 cult cuticle conditioning favorites that deliver results:

1. Solar Oil Conditioner by Creative Nail Design ($7.59, at drugstore.com). Made with Vitamin E, sweet almond and jojoba oils. Solar Oil is able to penetrate deeply to soften dry cuticles and promote the growth of strong, flexible nails.

Simply brush on this oil daily. We like to do this at bedtime to let the

oil dry completely, and work through sleeping hours.

2. Lemon Butter Cuticle Creme by Burt's Bees ($5.99, at drugstore.com. This stuff is amazing, too, in a cream base. It, too, includes sweet almond oil, Vitamin E. Toss in some lemon oil and cocoa butter, and your nails will be in heaven.

Lemon Butter Cuticle Creme is easy to apply, too. Just massage in and around nails nightly to heal dry cuticles and cracked fingertips.

With hot, summer days fast approaching, it's a good time to get your nails in shape, and that means a set of healthy cuticles, from your fingertips down to your toenails.

We promise to continue this simple, nightly nail routine, and if you have almost given up on your unattractive cuticles, give one of these conditioning nail treatments a try.