LESSONS ABOUT THE NAILS

Nail health is something which many individuals hope to achieve. One common nail problem which is faced by many is that of hangnails. Below are a few ways to prevent hangnails from ruining the overall attractiveness of ones nails.

What Are Hangnails?

A hangnail is a nail condition where excess skin exists around the nail and partially detaches from the nail. Hangnails are annoying as they can be unattractive and painful as well. Many people complain of hangnails and express an interest in finding ways to prevent their occurrence. The good news is that this is a highly possible thing to do.

Cause of Hangnails

The main cause of hangnails relates to the dryness of the cuticles. The cuticle is the area of skin surrounding the nail. When this area becomes dry, the cuticles depart partially from the nail region and become troublesome. The condition of a hangnail can worsen if individuals pick or pull at them so if one has a hangnail it is best to try to avoid doing this.

Preventing Hangnails

Since hangnails are caused by having dry cuticles, the best way to prevent the re-occurrence of hangnails is to keep the cuticles moisturized. This will make it less likely that hangnails result due to dry skin.

There are tons of products that will help prevent and treat hangnails. One type of treatment is a cuticle oil made especially for moisturizing and preventing dryness of the cuticles. Another good hangnail treatment is moisturizing cream. By moisturizing the cuticle areas of the hand with regular hand cream, an individual will help to prevent hangnails from becoming a problem.

How to Treat a Hangnail?

Treat a hangnail by trimming the hangnail area with clean manicuring scissors. This will help to prevent the hangnail from getting caught on clothing or anything else which would cause it to rip or tear close to the sensitive skin area. When trimmed, most hangnails will go away in a few days.

What are common warts?

Common warts are local growths in the skin that are caused by human papillomavirus (HPV) infection. Although they are considered to be contagious, it is very common for just one family member to have them. In addition, they often affect just one part of the body (such as the hands or the feet) without spreading over time to other areas.

What are some types of common warts?

  • There is the familiar type of dome-shaped warts on the backs of fingers, toes, and knees.
  • Plantar warts are found on the bottom of the foot. (The “plantar” part of the foot. These are not “Planter’s warts.”)
  • Flat (“plane”) warts may arise on the face, legs, and other parts of the body, often in large numbers.
  • Periungual warts are warts around or under the nail.
  • Filiform warts typically appear as a single long stalk, often on the face.

What is the treatment for common warts?

Salicylic-acid preparations

These are available as drops, gels, pads, and plasters. They are designed for application to all kinds of warts, from tiny ones to great, big lumpy ones. Salicylic acid is a keratolytic medication, which means it dissolves the protein (keratin), which makes up most of both the wart and the thick layer of dead skin that often tops it.

Nonprescription freezing methods

Aerosol wart treatments available over-the-counter use sprays that freeze warts at a temperature of minus 70F (minus 57C). This compares with the liquid nitrogen used by most dermatologists, which is considerably colder (minus 320F or minus 196C).

Duct tape

It is claimed that warts can be “suffocated” by covering them with duct tape or other nonbreathing tape, such as electrical tape. This treatment is hard to use, however, because in order to work, the tape must be left in place all the time and removed only a few hours once per week. Almost always, the tape falls off.