What Causes Skin And Flesh Attached To The Nail?

Goodday, I have a question regarding my nail....There is to me excess sin attachment growing under my nails, I mean my skin grows out approx 1/4 of an inch more off of my nail bed and the skin is attached to my nail itself its live flesh so I cant cut my nails down all the way beacause It would break the skin, Now this was not always the case only for about a year now...What could be the cause????