Hangnails and fingernails

[DaveRaver]

This is a two-part question:

1) What causes those flaps of skin below and to the side of my thumbnail? What is the reason for them?

2) At the base of each fingernail, there is a membrane of skin (someone here must know the name). During my childhood (in the 70s), I pushed some of them down to the base of my nail (just because i could) :) but they have never grown back to their original shape. Can they ever grow back?

[TheLoadedDog]

This thread (http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=60489) might help.

[Tansu]

The membrane of skin is called the cuticle. The purpose of the cuticle is to seal off the nail bed from bacteria.

I think that opinions may be divided on whether you should push the cuticules back or let them be. If you're going to push them back, do it after a bath, when the skin is softer. You can get cuticle cream, oil or gel, which helps soften them further so that they can be pushed back with a orange stick. You shouldn't cut bits off them with clippers unless you're sure you're not going to damage any living tissue.