Interesting Facts

Grooming

Nail Painting

Nail Problems

+ The skin on fingertips are protected by nails.

+ Nails are dead cells & made of protein called keratin (like hair). Feeding nutrients to the nails go beyond the surface.

+ The surface of a nail is called the nail plate.

+ The cuticle is the skin that grows from the finger onto the base of the nail (nail root).

+ Nail moons are found at the base of the nails. They are also known as lunule.

+ Small or no moons may indicate low metabolism while large moons may indicate an active metabolism.

+ These nail moons disappear with age.

+ Nails grow fastest on the more active hand.

+ Nails grow faster during summer & pregnancy.

+ Fingernails grow at least 2 times faster than toenails.

+ Young people grow nails at a faster rate.

+ With age nails tend to thicken, harden, grow slower & ridges appear.

+ When a nail is detached from the skin (nail bed), it could take up to 6 months for a fingernail & almost 18 months for a toenail to grow right back.

+ Though the appearance of nails could often point to any diet imbalance or certain health problems, they are most often not sole indicaters but will be heralded by other more prominent signs & symptoms.

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+ Apply a good hand & nail lotion on your hands & nails to protect & moisturize them.
Dry nails tend to crack & split.

+ File your nails instead of clipping them (unless you need to shorten a big part) @ a 45-degree angle.

+ A good "clipping" moment would be after a shower or bath where nails are much softer or you can also soak your hands in a bowl of lukewarm water first before you clip.

+ File every nail tip from the corner to center but don't file deep into the corners.

+ Leave the cuticle alone. Cutting it invites infection on the nail's tissue.

+ Short nails are easier to maintain.

+ Don't torture nails by using them to scrap, pick, scrub, pull or open things. Use something else please!

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+ Painting nails can protect them from being damaged.

+ Paint nails in a well-ventilated room (e.g. near an open window or switch on a fan).

+ Shake the bottle of polish well or roll between your palms before opening.

+ Apply a layer of base coat (clear nail polish will also do) before painting over with a colored polish.

+ Give every nail 3 strokes of polish, starting either from the center-left-right or from right-center-left, it's really your preference.

+ 2 layers of nail polish is enough on each nail. Too many layers could just turn messy.

+ Allow the polish to dry in between coats - it prevents the trapping of air bubbles & allows each coat to stay smooth.

+ Add a top coat (clear nail polish) to protect the polish & keep nail under wraps away from the sun.

+ Avoid painting redos with the help of a foam nail separator.

+ Too many layers of polish robs the nail's breathing space so just keep it @ 2.

+ When that bottle of nail polish thickens, just add a few drops of thinner.

+ Dark colored polish show off more painting errors than pale colored ones.

+ Use acetone-free nail varnish remover. Acetone (alcohol) dries nails & can make them brittle over time.

+ Lemon concentrate is also able to remove polish from your nails.

+ A bottle of nail polish should be kept in a cool & dry place, out of the sun.

+ Storing nail polish in a refrigerator can keep it's consistency just right.

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+ Biting habit
One popular way is to paint awful tasting nail polishes or liquids to the nail. This method is suitable for children. Another alternative is to go for a professional manicure to get your nails looking really good & so perhaps that will refrain you from giving in to that biting urge.

+ Black or purpish color
May be due a traumatic injury to the nail (e.g. smashing) & would recover to it's original color after healing is completed. Also linked to liver disease.

+ Bluish color
May be due to poisoning (arsenic) & lack of oxygen in the blood.

Get a doctor's attention.

+ Brittle
Other names : dry nails, onychoschisis, onychochizia, onychorrhexis

Frequent immersion of fingers in water, exposure to harsh chemicals found in cleaning agents or a lack of zinc or EFAs (essential fatty acids) in the diet can cause brittleness.
Symptoms include easy peeling at the nail edge, breakage & layering.

Consume EFA-rich foods such as cold water fish (salmon, herring, halibut & mackerel), seeds & zinc-rich foods such as whole grains, egg yolk, seafood & meat.

Certain health conditions could also turn nails brittle.

+ Fungus infection
Other names : mycotic nails, onychomycosis

It is caused by microscopic organisms related to mold, yeast & mildew. Symptoms include itch, skin dryness, pain, blisters & the loosening of the nail plate. Nail fungus may spread when footwear is shared or in shower rooms (floor surfaces).

Toenails are generally more prone to such an infection though fingernails are not spared either. Try applying affected nails with grape seed extract twice a day & keep nails short.

+ Hangnail
A tiny piece of dead skin that lingers next to the fingernail. It is often the result of frequent exposure to water or it could be a lack of Vitamin B & C in the diet.

Don't pull it off, trim it carefully. Pamper nails daily (or whenever needed) with a moisturizing lotion. Also take Vitamin B-rich foods like brown rice & green leafy vegetables & Vitamin C-rich foods like citrus fruits, green leafy vegetables & peppers.

+ Ingrown nail
Other name : onychocryptosis
Results when corners of the nail curves into the skin on the side of the toe.
There are some people born with ingrown toenails.

+ Pale color
If nails look much lighter than the accompany skin, it may be due to a lack of iron or an underactive blood circulation.

Consume more whole grains & green leafy vegetables.

+ Thick toenails
A variety of causes which includes fungal infection, psoriasis & injury.

+ Warts
These are skin growths caused by viruses belonging to the human papillomavirus (HPV) family. There are about 60 different types of HPV.

Periungual warts grow around & under the fingernails & subungual warts grow around toenails. Common warts usually grow on the backs of hands, on arms, elbows & face while plantar warts grow on the soles of the feet & they're tiny black dots in them which are actually clotted blood vessels.

According to Dr. Heinerman in his book "The Healing Power of Herbs", he recommends adding a few drops of juniper extract over the padded portion of a plaster & taping it over the warts, making sure that the plaster is changed daily. Or empty it's powder from a capsule then mix with water to form a paste & rub it onto the affected area before covering with gauze.

Another method is to try is to apply a rich Vitamin E lotion or tea tree oil onto the affected areas twice a day.

+ Whitish spots
Other names : Leukonychia
A lack of zinc or excess consumption of sugars.

Cut back on sugar intake & opt for zinc-rich foods such as whole grains, pumpkin seeds, egg yolk, seafood, pecan & meat.

+ Yellow stains
The 2 common culprits are nicotine stains from smoking & overuse of nail polish which can still penetrate through a clear base coat. A very easy solution is to stop smoking & give your nails a polish-free break once in a while.

It is also associated with diabetes, liver problems & lymph disorders.

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