Treating a Hangnail

Topic Overview

A hangnail is the strip of skin that separates from the side of the cuticle. Simple home treatment can help prevent problems with hangnails.

• Do not pull at or bite off a hangnail. This may cause the skin to rip.
• Clip off the hangnail neatly with sharp, clean cuticle scissors.
• Massage hand lotion or cream into your cuticles 2 to 3 times each day.