Nails & Your Health

ALLERGIC REACTIONS

CAUSE:
The usual culprit is nail polish. besides the vicinity of the nails, the reddish itchy spots may appear on delicate skin areas such as the eyelids of the neck or face, touched by the nails.

what to do take an antihistamine tablet and dab on calamine lotion.

BRITTLE BREAKAWAYS

Cause:
The main villain is lack of moisture. Each time you put your hands in water the keratin swells and shrinks when dry. this weakens the bonds that hold up the nail matrix. Too long nails and faulty filing can also have a similar effect.

What to do:
Soak for ten minutes at night in baby oil or olive oil.
Keep nails short.
Use a file with a sponge centre.
A coat of white iodine strengthen snails.
Use oil based, not acetone removers.
If a nail starts to break cut it.
If you need to show off your nails, patch up the crack. tear off a small corner of thin paper from an unused tea bag — as wide as the nail break and about 1/2″ long. Apply quick drying glue to the nail tear and let it dry. Next saturate the centre of notch with glue and place on the nail. Moisten the rest of the patch with glue and fold it around the torn part and under the nail. Smoothes the paper edges down with a little glue and the sides of a tooth pick and buff lightly. polish.
If any glue geys on your skin remove with a cotton bud dipped in remover.

CHEWED -TO-THE -QUICK

Cause:
Stress, habit, nervousness

What to do
When you get the urge to bite do something else your hands. Sit on them, wiggle them in the air, create stuff.
A regular manicure is a good incentive.
Keep cuticles tidy.
Consider nail wraps while you wait for them to grow.
Get ” No Bite ” or ” Stop That Bite ” from your chemist.

CRACKED UP, DENTED, SPOTTY

Cause:
Injury to the nail matrix, specially under and lunula.

What to do
It takes two to six months to grow out. In the meantime keep clipping.

FUNGAL INFECTIONS

Cause:
Trapped moisture.

What to do:
Use ant fungal ointment. wait till the infection has cleared before using polish. Throw away products used on infected nails.

INGROWN TOE NAILS

Cause:
A nail cut too short, curved at the corners, too-tight shoes resulting in the nail cutting into the flesh causing pain, swelling and inflammation.

What to do:
Dip a cotton bud in antibiotic ointment and push under the nail edge. If infection and pus sets in, consult a doctor.

SPLIT, SORE CUTICLES

Cause:
Picking, biting, dryness, or extra zealous clipping which leads to tougher, more unmanageable.

What to do:
Massage regularly with a nourishing cream to keep moisturized.
Soak hands in warm sudsy water for a few minutes before easing cuticles back to soften them.
Push back gently with an orange stick.
clean away the skin clinging to the nail using the flat side of a nail file.

PEELING WEAKLINGS

Cause:
Illness, overuse of harsh detergents, nail glue and acetone remover, faulty filing, too much exposure to water

What to do:
Wear rubber gloves for household chores.
Use oil based polish removers.
Try a soft grain nail file and leave the sides alone.
Don’t buff.
Keep hands out of very hot water.
Massage hand cream or hot almond oil into cuticles and nail after washing hands or at bedtime.