Skin at the base of a nail (7)
I believe the answer is:
cuticle
'skin at the base of a nail' is the definition.
(I've seen this before)
This is all the clue.
(Other definitions for cuticle that I've seen before include "Protective layer" , "area of dead skin" , "Dead skin on hand" , "finger has one" , "Skin at the base of a nail" .)