Onychoschizia – Split Nail

Onychoschizia: What it is and How to Treat it

Onychoschizia is a condition in which the nail falls apart or splits easily. Typically, those who have onychoschizia have nails that are thin, squashy ,and fragile, and contain crumple lines. Those with this disorder are more likely to develop nail infections. This condition is more commonly found in women than men.

What Causes Onychoschizia?

Having nails submerged in any form of liquid for a long period of time
Poor nutrition
Certain vitamin deficiencies
Nail polish remover
Stress

How to Handle Onychoschizia

Wear gloves when you are using cleaning materials or having your hands submerged in water for a long period of time.
Use ointments or lotions that contain ingredients like alpha hydroxyl acid.
Do not use your fingernails to dial the telephone or push against things.
Learn how to treat your nails.
Wear gloves in the winter.
Trim your nails and file them to be flush with your fingertip.
Do not buff the surface of your nails, this thins them out and they are already thin enough.
Take a vitamin supplement that contains biotin. Women who are pregnant should not take this supplement.
Use nutritional supplements to help increase the strength of your nails.
Wear nail polish that contains nylon fibers. This will help strengthen your nails.

Fungal Toenail Infections and Using Home Remedies

Home Remedies can fight Fungal Infections

‘Home remedy’, is the phrase people think of when something has been passed through generations of family or many people by word of mouth. In some cases, these home remedies do work. Most of these remedies were brought about by people when it wasn’t easy to get to a doctor; so they used the next best thing, by using household items.

Many people agree that many of these home remedies work for nail fungus. Applying Vicks VapoRub, or soaking the nail in Listerine, vinegar, bleach, peroxide, or various essential oils on the affected areas of skin can help.

Although bleach is an item we don’t recommend, people online have suggested it.

Some Useful Remedies

These items change the pH level of the area you apply them to. Since fungus needs a certain amount of pH, this makes it unlivable for the nail fungus. Doing this may affect any other skin that comes in contact with the area. This can cause the skin to dry out, which can cause it to be more susceptible to infection. To help keep this from happening, you can take the solution of vinegar or Listerine and soak a cotton ball in it. Then apply it to the affected area for 15-20 minutes. This will keep the healthy skin around the infection from becoming dry and lower risk for infection.

Many people ask why or how Vicks VapoRub can work. It is pretty unanimous that the eucalyptus rub does show quick results in clearing up toenail fungus. To do this you must rub the entire affected area with the compound. You should see results in clearing of the infection in just a few days.

Although proven to be effective, rubbing alcohol or peroxide can irritate the skin.

If applied to the nail and the area around the infection they will kill the toenail fungus.

When using these remedies remember to be smart about it. All of them have been shown to help slow, kill and/or remove toenail fungus. But, just like any other medications, over-the-counter or prescribed, you should stop treatment right away if the infection gets worse or spreads. If the infected area is already releasing pus or has separated from the nail, don’t use these remedies and seek advice from your healthcare provider.

About the Condition Called Hangnails

Hangnails and their Prevention

The hangnail is one of the most common problems with nails. There are a few things you can do to help prevent hangnails from ruining the look of your hands. Hangnails do more than just make our hands look bad; they cause us pain by snagging on anything and everything. Here we will show you some simple solutions to stopping hangnails.

What Is A Hangnail?

The hangnail is caused by extra skin building up around the nail’s base and sides. This extra skin detaches itself from the nail and sticks up. This skin sticking up can be painful while removing, or commonly ripping and biting it off.

What Causes Hangnails?

Dry cuticles are usually the cause of Hangnails. At the base of the nail is the cuticle, which can dry out and break away from the nail causing a hangnail. Biting, picking, and pulling at hangnails tend to make them worse and last longer. The risk of hangnails is increased if the person spends more time with their hands in water.

This causes the skin to get soft, which allows the skin to be more easily damaged. Children are more commonly seen getting hangnails by biting their nails.

How Do I Prevent Hangnails?

The best way to solve the problem is by preventing it before it happens. You can do this by moisturizing the cuticle.

Some Simple Hangnail Prevention Tips:

Avoid biting or ripping off your hangnails. This can cause bleeding and infection. Use a pair of nail scissors and cut the hangnail close to the base to stop deterioration.
Soak your hand in warm water for 5 to 10 minutes, dry thoroughly, then apply a moisturizing cream or oil to the skin surrounding the nails.
Don’t bite your nails. This will prevent you from getting hangnails. If you find this difficult, there are products you can get to put on your nails. These products will make the nails taste bad and prevent you from biting your nails.
Wear gloves when using cleaners or when your hands are submerged in water for a really long time.