fingernails Archives - Skin Disease Remedies

dry cracked skin around fingernails

Dryness, cold weather, and nail biting are held responsible for dry cracked skin around fingernails. If not treated, this disorder can result in chronic skin ailment.

Every day your fingers have to sustain through a group of irritating substances, which make the skin around the nails dry, cracked and peel. Most people bite the dry skin around nails to remove them, but this small tear can leave fingers infected.

Beauty experts recommend moisturizing with home remedies to fix dry skin. Prior to that let’s discuss its causes.

What Causes Dry Cracked Skin Around Fingernails?

Apart from external factors, genes, skin ailments, low intake of nutritious food and allergic reaction also result in dry skin.

Low humidity in cold weather strips natural moisture from the skin, resulting in dryness, cracking and peeling of skin around fingernails.
We all torture our hands in different ways, whether you clean dishes or cling on a rock, as they are exposed to thousands of drying elements and impurities.
Constant exposure to these drying elements results in the rough skin on side of fingertips.
Chemical substances incorporated in detergents or soaps remove valuable moisture from the skin and make it dry.
Nail polish that is intended to bring alluring look, may result in the unintended irritated skin. Chemical ingredient in it may lead to itching and the infection can be triggered leading to fungal infection.
Similarly, there are few manicure and pedicure steps which may result in infection if not handled with professionals.
Nail polish removers that must be confined to remove nail polish also strip vitamin E or moisture from fingernails.
Personal care products that you use regularly may contain few allergens that may irritate your sensitive skin results in dry, peeling and cracked skin around nails.
Your skin needs necessary nutrients to work efficiently, lack of certain minerals and vitamins may result in dry skin around toenails.
Chronic ailments like psoriasis, eczema and nail fungus result in the inflamed, dry, scaly and itchy skin. It may also affect your fingernails and toenails, resulting in yellow nails.
Apart from this, nail biting, sucking and long exposure to water can leave your skin on fingernails dry.

How to Get Rid of Dry Skin Around Nails?

To have an enticing look or smooth skin, you must focus on hydrating from inside. Along with this, the topical application helps to escalate healing process and avoid dryness.

There are a bunch of home remedies and necessary tips that avoid dry cracked skin around fingernails.

Step –1: Dry rough skin must be removed. Take some lukewarm water and soak your fingers in it for 5 minutes.

Step- 2: Take a dry towel and pat dry your cuticles. Make sure there are no droplets of water around fingernails.

Step- 3: Moisturize them as mentioned below.

Step- 4: Take manicure nippers to cut the dead skin around the fingernails.

Step- 5: Push cuticles using a wooden (Be gentle)

#1 Moisturize and Moisturize

It’s not a typo. Hydrating yourself from the inside and outside is essential for smooth skin texture. To grab your eyeballs I mentioned it twice so that you can understand its importance.

There are thousands of home remedies and cosmetic creams to moisturize your skin. I prefer home available remedies as they aren’t incorporated with chemical ingredients.

If you’re using any beauty product that works well with your skin and include no harmful chemicals, go with it.

Initially, wash your fingers by soaking it in lukewarm water for few minutes.
Now pat dry using a soft
Take required amount of olive oil, glycerine, jojoba oil or vitamin E oil around nails and leave it to dry naturally.
You can try any natural ingredients that suit your skin.

#2 Include Vitamin Rich Diet

As mentioned above, not just topical application, you must internally hydrate your skin.

Studies state that high intake of vitamin C can reduce dry skin. Further, it also promotes collagen production and decreases roughness on the skin around nails.

Fruits like watermelon, strawberries, grapefruit, cantaloupe, peaches, pineapple, oranges, apricots, plums and apples that are rich in water content must be ingested to hydrate the skin. (1)

Apart from fruits, fish, nuts, avocado, sweet potato, oysters, olive oil and cucumbers also help to get rid of dry skin.(2)

#3 Nail Care Regimen

Along with your nails, manicure and pedicure will give your skin around nails a specialized treatment. The dry or rough skin around the corners can be removed by these professional manicurists.

Apart from that cuticles also need to be moisturized. Trimming or cutting of cuticles may leave a gap for bacteria to invade nail plate and trigger infection. So, you must moisturize cuticles with coconut oil.

Dry Cuticles Around Nails

Like skin around the corners of nails, cuticles must be moisturized regularly. You shouldn’t bite or pluck cuticle skin, as most people do.

Cuticle covers the join between nail plate and fingers. Cutting will leave a gap that allows fungi to invade and trigger fungal infection.

Dry Skin Around Nails During Pregnancy

Along with happiness, pregnancy brings lots of hormonal changes in women. This fluctuation may result in cosmetic issues like dry skin and swollen parts.

According to Medline Plus, issues combined with skin, hair, and nails can be returned to normal state after pregnancy.

However, most women try to reduce these issues by using home remedies and other personal care products recommended by a physician.

How to Avoid Dry Cracked Skin Around Fingernails?

Not just moisturizing, you must intend to prevent dry skin. Read on below-mentioned tips.

To restore moisture over the top layer of the skin in winters, experts recommend using a humidifier at 60%.
Avoid excess use of harsh chemical included soaps. Instead, you can prefer soaps that come with moisturizing abilities.
Excess use of scrub, bath sponges and wash brushes may leave your skin damaged. Also, pat or blot on your skin instead of rubbing.
Reduce your bath time to 10 minutes daily. Longer exposure to water may strip natural oils from the skin.
Apply moisturizer after bathing, when the skin is still damp.
Wear gloves to lock the moisture in winter and to avoid irritants.
Avoid fabrics that irritate your skin and results in an allergic
Nail polish or personal care products that include preservatives must be avoided.
Take a small amount of petroleum jelly and gently rub over fingernails and toenails before going to bed. (3)
Along with skin around nails, hydrate cuticles regularly.

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get rid of thick skin under toenails

Thick skin under toenails can lead to separation of toenail from the nail bed. This comfortable and sometimes painful disorder is mainly caused by fungal infection.

Reports claim that about 10% of US population has this disorder. It is scientifically known as onychomycosis.

According to medical experts at Columbia University onychomycosis triggers thick dry skin along the outermost edges of the nail and continue to underneath toenails.

Though it’s not associated with a health problem, but the negative consequence of onychomycosis is not ignorable. Topical ointments and good hygiene are enough to get rid of thick skin under toenails.

Before discussing the actual remedy, let me first throw light on fungal infection.

Keratin Buildup Under Toenails: Causes

Your hair, skin, and nails are made of an identical protein called as keratin. These keratin cells combine to form nail plate.

Due to several factors, excess keratin is built under toenails resulting in nail discoloration or separation from the nail bed.

External trauma, thyroid problem, side-effects of certain medication or nail fungus may result in the build of keratin beneath the toenail.

Experts say that unhygienic practice will entice fungus and bacteria to invade your moist foot. Then the dermatophyte fungus triggers fungal infection, which may turn your toenails and skin underneath toe to yellow and thick.

How to Get Rid of Thick Skin Under Toenails: Home Remedies

Don’t despair if you experience this disorder, as it may result in foul odor, nail discoloration, and pain.

Regular application of ointment can effectively treat this disorder.

Step: 1

Wash your toenails with anti-bacterial soap to wipe dirt and impurities accumulated. Use luke-warm water for this purpose.

Pat dry toenails with a clean cloth and avoid moisture between toenails.

Step: 2

Trim your nails with a nail cutter and file the sharp edges. This will help to remove remaining dirt accumulated under the nail.

Step: 3

Topically apply anti-fungal ointment on your toenails and around it.

Home Remedies to Get Rid Of Thick Under Toenails

Instead of these steroid creams, you can try your own homemade recipe.

Pour few drops of apple cider vinegar into a tub of water. Mix thoroughly and soak your affected feet into the plastic tub. Rinse it off with water after 15-20 minutes.
ACV is acetic and packed with antimicrobial properties that can thwart infectious bacteria.

#1 Glycerin and Lemon Juice

Glycerin is prominent for its healing and hydrating ability.
Mix required an amount of glycerin with lemon juice.
Apply it directly over the thick skin under toenails.
Leave it to dry naturally.

#2 Epsom Salt

Assorted properties residing in this ingredient help to get rid of the thick skin and restrain infectious fungi.

Add required amount of Epsom salt to water.
Now soak your feet in the water tub for about 15-20 minutes.
Pat dry and apply petroleum jelly to hydrate the skin.
Try this simple remedy twice in a week.

#3 Lemon Juice and Warm Water

Acidic nature of lemon juice is perfect to remove impurities and thick skin. The antibacterial and anti-fungal ability can help to restrain the infection.

Add lemon juice to lukewarm
Soak your feet in the water tub for 20 minutes.
Pat dry with a clean cloth.

#4 Tea Tree Oil

This is one of the most effective ways to combat fungal infection. Renowned for its moisturizing and healing abilities, tea tree oil can reduce major skin ailments.

Drop few drops of tea tree oil over affected toenail.
High concentration of this essential oil may irritate your skin.
So beauty experts recommend blending it with a carrier oil to dilute the solution.

#5 Baking Soda

Alkaline nature of baking soda helps to inhibit fungal growth. You can mix baking soda with water to apply it over the toenails or mix Sodium borate (borax) with it.

Mix these two ingredients with water to form a thick
Apply it over affected toenails and leave it to dry for 15-20 minutes.
Repeat this twice in a week.

Other remedies include coconut oil, lavender oil, oregano oil and olive oil.

There are many foot soak recipes to get rid of thick skin under toenails.

One of the most effective yet inexpensive home remedies is to use foot soak at home.

It’s really fascinating that you can work on your laptop while vinegar foot soak removes dead skin from your feet. I know time is precious and you can’t spend long hours in the soak. But, when you can try chemical filled creams why not try this home remedy?

Thick Skin Under Fingernails: Home Remedy

Naturally healthy nails are not surrounded by thick or dry skin. Like in the case of toenails, the skin under fingernails turns hard due to various internal and external factors.

Fungal infection can be responsible for this unnatural texture of skin.
Chronic skin diseases like psoriasis can show its effect over nail by making them thick.
Ineffective blood circulation may turn soft skin under fingernails to thick.

Like in the case of toenails, you must initially diagnose with the help of an expert and accordingly start the treatment.

One common way to keep things at bay is to moisturize your hands with coconut oil or other essential oils. These oils are packed with antibacterial properties which can thwart infectious bacteria.

Bacteria grow in the moist and dark environment. So avoid wearing wet gloves, socks or shoes, and when you don’t use them keep it under the sun.

These simple tips to get rid of thick skin under the toenails and fingernails may not show instant results but surely you’ll see long-lasting results if you regularly practice it.

Tips: How to Get Rid of Thick Skin Under Toenails and Fingernails

Prevention is the best option than treatment.

Wash your toenails and fingernails regularly with anti-bacterial soap.
Cut your nails short and avoid moisture between nails.
Prefer shoes that absorb sweat.
Avoid wearing old shoes.
Spat anti-fungal spray inside your shoes to inhibit fungal growth.
Occasionally take off your shoes to reduce humidity.
Wear rubber gloves to protect your fingernails from long exposure to water and chemicals.
Avoid trimming skin around the nails, this will allow germs to invade your nail bed.
Don’t trim or cut cuticles.
Wear sandals while in public areas like locker rooms and swimming pools.
Chemical incorporated nail polish must be avoided.
Drink enough water and consult your physician regularly. (Source)

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