Gel Manicures in Philadelphia Start with Hangnail Care at Atelier Anaiis
“If you think you are too small to make a difference, try sleeping with a mosquito.” —The Dalai Lama XIV
Like the mosquito in the quote above from the Dalai Lama, hangnails can feel disproportionately irritating—catching on sweaters, stinging when you wash your hands, or throbbing with every tap of a keyboard. What seems so small often quickly morphs into an outsized source of annoyance, distraction, and even pain.
At our Philadelphia nail salon, we know that most people don’t think of hangnails when getting a manicure. And we also know that a sparkling dash of color that’s so pleasing to the eye has no impact whatsoever on our sense of comfort.
It doesn’t matter how beautiful our manicured nails are when untreated hangnails make us wince in pain.
That’s why at Atelier Anaiis, caring for hangnails is an essential part of our Nail Care program. It’s so essential that it’s included as part of every gel manicure provided at our nail salon in Old City.
Hangnail care is part of how Atelier Anaiis is redefining “manicures” in Philadelphia. Because a true manicure isn’t just about the color that the world sees on the surface: it’s not just about the cherry on top of the ice cream sundae. It’s about protecting your foundation of health so your natural nails can thrive long after you leave our nail salon.
What Are Hangnails?
Despite their name, hangnails aren’t part of your nail at all. They’re a torn piece of skin that hangs loosely right beside the nail bed—often stiff and painful to the touch.
Purely medical resources say that hangnails form when the delicate skin around your nails becomes too dry or stressed. That everyday habits are the reason for hangnails: frequent use of alcohol-based sanitizers, constant hand washing, or time spent in chlorinated pools.
As a nail care expert in Philadelphia with decades of experience treating hangnails, we know that this isn’t the full story. That in addition to the daily habits often listed as the contributors to hangnails, a lack of nail care and treatment of existing hangnails during manicures strongly contributes to future hangnails too.
Hangnails may be common, but they are not inevitable—and when treated with consistent, attentive nail care, they become far less frequent. This is important because ensuring that hangnails occur with decreasing frequency is one of the main reasons our Philadelphia nail salon delivers industry-leading manicure longevity to our clients.
Why Hangnails Don't Go Away on Their Own
The tendency for some of us to bite, rip, or chew off hangnails isn’t for a lack of knowledge. We know—even if only subconsciously—that doing so worsens the problem, tearing deeper into the skin and compromising the barrier that protects our nails even more than the hangnail already has.
And yet, the urge to remove hangnails by brute force is so strong that we do it anyway. It’s evidence of just how much of a nuisance hangnails can be, interrupting our focus until they’re dealt with.
But the opposite is also true: many people assume hangnails will simply “go away” on their own if ignored. Unfortunately, we’ve seen first-hand that that’s not the case. Left untreated, hangnails don’t heal themselves—they deepen, tear further, and remain an ever-present source of irritation.
As a torn, loose piece of skin, hangnails are exposed to the risk of deepening the issue through everyday, mundane activities. More importantly, left untreated for too long, they can create a direct entry point for bacteria, turning a small nuisance into a painful and lasting infection.
At Atelier Anaiis, hangnails are emblematic of manicures that failed to have nail health at its core. The presence of hangnails represent nail services that focused only on how the nails look, instead of the aesthetic beauty being a part of the bigger picture of your nail health and well-being.
How Atelier Anaiis Redefines Manicures in Philadelphia
At our nail salon in Philadelphia, we see manicures in a different light. For us, addressing hangnails isn’t cosmetic or too time-consuming—it’s absolutely necessary and foundational to our philosophy.
Nail care takes up the majority of any given appointment at Atelier Anaiis because your nail health—and the protection of your hands—is our number one priority.
At Atelier Anaiis, treating hangnails directly leads to long-lasting manicures. As part of our Deep Clean protocol, performed on every client at every appointment, we take a holistic view of the nail.
This means that we believe that the skin around the nail is just as important as the nail bed itself. This is in contrast to most nail salons, which only focus on polishing the nail bed.
Polishing the nail bed, for us, is the very end—the cherry on top of the ice cream sundae—of our care-intensive manicure process. For other nail salons, polish is the entirety of their manicure. This difference shows in the end result, not just in how the manicure looks, but how it feels and wears on the client throughout the weeks.
Our nails are not static—they are always growing, shifting, and moving outward. The skin that frames them—the nail walls, eponychium, cuticles, and surrounding tissue—continues to move throughout life as well.
If this skin is left unattended, particularly when the skin is torn and disheveled, it pulls against the gel layers, creating tension that leads to splits, chips, and premature lifting of the gel manicure. What should be a secure and lasting line of defense for your natural nails instead becomes broken and compromised.
At our Philadelphia nail salon, by purposefully treating hangnails, cuticles, and loose skin, we prevent that cycle. The gel manicure is then free to perform as it was intended to, for three to four weeks: a shield that supports your natural nails as they grow, giving them the time and space to reshape and restore themselves.
Moisturizing Helps, But It's Not the Whole Solution
Most people are told to moisturize to prevent hangnails—and while hydration is definitely helpful, it isn’t the complete answer.
Moisturizing alone can’t resolve the problem, because hangnails are made of dead skin cells. And no amount of moisture can “revive” what has already torn away from living tissue. The only true solution is purposeful, professional hangnail removal during a manicure, paired with the ongoing maintenance of healthy cuticles and surrounding skin.
That’s why at Atelier Anaiis, we emphasize that moisturizing must work in tandem with nail care. When the skin is treated properly first—through our Deep Clean Manicure that gently removes hangnails and restores balance to the nail walls—hydration then becomes effective. Moisturizer nourishes the living skin that remains, helping it stay supple, resilient, and less prone to tearing in the future.
And an extra tip from our atelier: when it comes to moisturizing at home, we recommend choosing a lotion over oils. While oils may feel luxurious in the moment, they have a tendency to creep between gel layers, causing the manicure to lift prematurely. A high-quality lotion, on the other hand, absorbs into the skin where it’s needed most—protecting both your manicure and your nail health.
A Final Thought
Hangnails may be small, but they tell a much bigger story about how much your nails—and your daily life—deserve to be protected. At Atelier Anaiis, we don’t overlook the details, because in nail care, the details are everything.
Every hangnail cared for, every cuticle treated, every layer of gel applied with intention adds up to more than a manicure: it’s the preservation of your comfort, confidence, and quality of life.
If you’re ready to experience a manicure that protects as much as it beautifies, we invite you to begin with our intake form. This helps us understand your nail history and goals so we can prepare the right foundation for your nail care. Your journey to healthier, longer-lasting nails begins here.
[Fill out our intake form to get started →]
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Do hangnails go away on their own?
No. Left untreated, hangnails don’t simply “heal themselves.” They can deepen, tear further, and create a direct entry point for bacteria. What starts as a small nuisance can quickly become a painful infection. That’s why, at Atelier Anaiis, we always treat hangnails as part of our Nail Care program—never an afterthought.
Q: Why is it bad to bite or rip off a hangnail?
Biting or tearing a hangnail only worsens the problem. Instead of fixing it, you’re actually damaging the skin barrier further, which leaves the area vulnerable to irritation and infection. Professional nail care ensures hangnails are removed safely and the surrounding skin is protected.
Q: Can moisturizing alone prevent hangnails?
Moisturizing helps, but it isn’t the complete answer. Hangnails are made of dead skin cells, and no cream or oil can revive what has already torn away. True relief comes from professional hangnail removal during a manicure, paired with healthy cuticle care and ongoing maintenance.
Q: Should I use oil or lotion to moisturize my nails and cuticles?
We recommend lotion. Oils may feel luxurious in the moment, but they can seep between gel layers and cause lifting. A high-quality lotion absorbs directly into the skin, protecting both your manicure and your nail health.
