Flash your nails with pride!!
Every single person likes beaming a set of healthy and shiny nails. Yellowish, worn out, thickened nails are causes of extreme embarrassment as it reflects the poor health and hygiene of an individual. Here are a few tips on managing a set of healthy finger and toenails.
How Does A Healthy Nail Look?
Healthy nails can be defined by the very first look of it. Shiny and bright nails which are between a shade of white and a little pinkish in color, trimmed or long to suit your lifestyle is how healthy your nails should look. Healthy nails, speaks volume about one’s health and hygiene. Nails are an index to our body’s internal health. For a healthy nail, the nail should be growing at an average of 3mm per month. When nails grow very slow, it indicates an underlying health problem which needs to be diagnosed and addressed as soon as possible.
Nail Hygiene
Avoid nail biting and nail picking which leaves the skin around the nails and the cuticles vulnerable to infections and other nail conditions. Avoid digging in-grown nails with any sharp or blunt object. It is recommended to consult a qualified chiropractor for any such issues for a proper treatment.
Pedicure
Pedicure is a cosmetic process by which the feet and toenails are kept in proper form and kept prim and proper from an aesthetic point of view. It is recommended to opt for a salon which gives prime importance to hygiene by changing towels and sterilizing each and every tools and equipment used before and after use. As tools and equipment used on every customer have high chances to carry microbes and thus cause serious toenail infections.
Home Remedies
here are several home remedies which can be conducted at the comfort of our home on a regular basis to have a set of healthy fingernails and toenails. Have a foot bath in a tub of water mixed with a tablespoon of baking powder and a teaspoon of borax can keep the toenails sparkling and healthy. Coconut oil massaged on the nails once every fortnight will keep the nails hydrated and prevents it from peeling and chipping. Applying petroleum jelly or vitamin E oil on the cuticles at night keeps the cuticle, nail bed and the nails healthy for long.
Trimming Nails
First and foremost, nails should be cut on a regular basis as and when they grow long. Adequate care should be given while trimming nails, as a deep cut in the cuticle might lead to infectious conditions further leading to painful nail conditions. The nail cutter should be sterilized before and after use so as to avoid any infection in case of a nick and cut. It is also recommended to trim your cuticle with a cuticle trimmer in case the cuticle is peeling. In grown finger nails and toe nails should be addressed by a chiropractor as home remedies and self care might not go a long way and might end up into painful nail situations.
Maintaining Healthy Nails
For super healthy nails, follow a regime where you would regularly buff and massage your nails and the skin around it to increase the blood circulation, thus preventing the nails from cracking and the cuticle from peeling. Use the hand glove quite often to attend to house hold chores which demand long hours at the basin or involves long hours of exposure to chemicals. Socks and shoes should be changed on regular basis as and when they wear off to avoid toenail fungal infections.
Avoid Chemicals
In an age where most of the things available are chemical based, enough damage is caused to our nails and body in general on prolonged use. It is best to avoid chemicals which come in the form of nail polish, nail lacquer, nail polish remover, cuticle repairing solutions and a horde of many other cosmetic products. On prolonged use, the nails get yellowish in colour and they get brittle to break very easily. Nail polish removers especially have acetone and formaldehyde which robs the nail of precious moisture and leaves it dry. It is recommended to use organic products which are not harsh on the nail and the skin around it.
A Balanced Diet
To have a set of healthy finger nails and toe nails, one should have an extremely balanced diet on a daily basis. Nails are primarily composed of calcium, thus one need to pay heed to the calcium requirement of a daily basis. Milk, tofu, yogurt, green leafy vegetables like lettuce, spinach, turnip, celery, cabbage, broccoli, kale should be consumed in copious amounts as a well-balanced calcium supplement.
Sunlight
Though little has been discussed and debated over the importance of sunlight for healthy nails, it is a proven fact that sunlight helps in the absorption of calcium. Sunlight consists of vitamin D3 which assists in the absorption and availability of oxygen in our body. People suffering from severe deficiency of calcium are advised to walk or stay under the sun for a few hours daily for excellent absorption of available calcium in our body that we consume through food or as calcium supplements.
Current Diseases
There are a few diseases which have a poor effect on the nails. Thyroid is a hormone related disorder causing the nails to chip and crack as they get brittle. Thus it is recommended to treat or control such medical condition for having healthy nails. Calcium deficiency is yet another mineral deficiency which causes severe cracking and peeling of nails. Adequate amount of calcium should be taken in our diet in the form of milk, green leafy vegetables, poultry, Seafood and if required be Calcium supplements.
Prevention Is Better Than Cure
It is always advisable to take remedial action as soon as any deformities or irregular pattern is observed on the finger nails or toe nails. Instead of waiting and allowing the nail condition to grow, it is better to curb the disease at the root and as early as possible.
With all the above tips, having healthy nails is at your fingertips.
Keep calm and have healthy nails!!
