How to Get Rid of Hangnails
Ever had a tear at the edge of your nail resulting in some skin hanging
out? Well, that right there is what referred to as a hangnail. Although not much
of a health concern unless infected, hangnails can be uncomfortable. Below is a
procedure on how to get rid of hangnails, the causes, how to prevent them and
when it’s time to see the doctor.
What are Hangnails?
A hangnail is a piece of the skin that is jagged and torn
and which appears close to the root of the nails. Tracylee, a Sally Hansen Nail
Expert, while speaking to Allure asserted that hangnails are usually made up of
dried skin around the nails but could also be part of the actual nail plate
that has faced damage from biting and picking. They are most common on the
finger.
Hangnail Causes
The main reason why hangnails occur is due to dry skin
around the nails. This is the reason why they are most common in winter.
In addition, other causes of hangnails include nail biting
or picking, having the cuticles cut in too deep as well as having injuries
around the nails could lead to formation of hangnails. Overdoing your nail
routine could lead to damaged cuticles and hangnails. In the same way, having
inappropriate manicures or pedicures could result in this kind of skin damage.
It is worth noting that nutrition has a great effect on the
health of nails. Nutritional deficiency could lead to dry cuticles and
predispose your fingers and toes to hangnails.
Contact with harmful chemicals and washing your hands too
frequently are additional precursors.
How to Get Rid Of Hangnails
It is important to learn how to get rid of hangnails as if
they are not removed, infections could occur. Infected hangnails are not only
painful but could render you incapable of engaging in daily activities. Follow
this procedure to get rid of them.
1. Soak Affected Fingers
Soaking the fingers in some warm water for about ten minutes
helps to soften the nails and the skin surrounding it. This makes it easy to
remove the hangnails and avoid hurting the nails further. To enhance the
process, you can add olive oil or vitamin E oil in the water.
2. Clip the Hangnail
This can be done using a sharp pair of cuticle nippers. It should
be nipped from as close to the base as possible to ensure that no piece is
left. Leaving behind a significant piece will increase the chances of it
getting caught in things thus continuing to rip off.
While clipping the hangnail, avoid plucking or pulling as
this could lead to it breaking from the skin in an uneven manner. Pulling could
also result in bleeding in which case the chances of hangnail infection
are increased. For the same reason, avoid cutting off more skin than is
necessary as the resulting deep cut could be easily infected.
In case your resources are limited and you are wondering how
to get rid of hangnails without nail clippers. You can make use of small
scissors.
3. Disinfect the Area
While the process on how to get rid of hangnails may appear
easy, failure to take precautions could see the area get infected. It is therefore
important that once you are done eliminating the hangnail, you put into place
preventive measures.
Applying antibacterial ointment on the area to facilitate
fast haling and kill any bacterial that may be around the area. In case a deep
cut was obtained during the process, bandage the area to keep away infection
causing microorganisms.
4. Moisturize
Like indicated earlier, hangnails are mostly as a result of
dry skin. It is therefore important to moisturize the skin. You could make use
of vitamin E as it is highly moisturizing and gets absorbed into the skin
easily. According to Wound Care Society, studies show that vitamin E oil
promotes regrowth of collagen thus promotes fast healing. It also protects the
cuticles from brittleness and dryness.
Keep applying a moisturizer throughout the day. You could
use other moisturizers such as coconut oil, petroleum jelly, olive oil and
honey to keep your hands supple and hydrated thus eliminate chances of recurrence.
How to Get Rid Of Hangnails on Toes
Although most obvious on finger nails, hangnails on toes do
occur. Often confused with ingrown toenail (when the tip of the toenail embeds
into the skin), a hangnail on toe is a flap of skin hanging close to the toe.
In case you are wondering how to get rid of hangnails on
toes, the procedure is no different from that of getting rid of them on the
fingernails. The procedure given above thus applies to hangnails on both toes
and fingers.
How to Get Rid Of A Hangnail Infection
In most cases, hangnails are not a health concern and are
simply uncomfortable. However, this ceases to be so in case the hang nails
become infected. You will know hangnails are infected if they exhibit the
following symptoms:
- Tenderness
- Excessive pain
- Swelling
- Formation of pus filled blister
- Area becoming warm
Where the infection is bacterial, the symptoms occur rapidly
while fungal infections are gradual. The latter are more common in persons who
spend long duration in water and diabetics.
According to healthline.com, prolonged hangnail infection
may lead to discolored nails or make the infection to spread to other parts of
the body. It is, therefore, that treatment is administered to the infected
hangnails immediately.
Depending on the
severity, it is possible to treat the infection at home. For mild cases, start by
soaking the hangnail in warm hot water three times a day. After this dry them
up and apply antibiotic cream on the hangnail. If necessary, cover up the
wound. In case the wound does not get better within a week or where the
infection is severe, visit your dermatologist.
How to Prevent Hangnails
Once you have gotten rid of existing hangnails, it is
important to take better care of your nails and skin surrounding them. This
will help prevent hangnails. Below are tips to help achieve healthy skin and
nails.
Moisturize the Nail Beds
Since the main cause of hangnails is dry skin, you have to
protect yourself against the same by ensuring your skin stays moisturized.
Simcha Whitehill, a New York City Editorial Artist, while
talking to the Cosmopolitan recommends that you apply a cocktail of moisturizer
and cuticle oil every day. Always keep nourishing your skin with deep
penetrating oils and lotions.
Protect your Hands
Protecting your hands ensures that the skin is protected to.
While doing tasks involving a long duration of water use, contact with harsh
chemicals and detergents, wear rubber gloves.
Quit Picking and Biting your Nails
Too much picking and biting of the nails results in skin
damage in addition to making your nails unappealing. In addition to increasing
chances of hangnails, biting on nails also subjects the already existing ones
to bacteria from the mouth thus increasing chances of infection. Avoid these
habits for healthy nails.
Proper Nail Grooming
Appropriate nail grooming can prevent formation of
hangnails. Ensure your nails remain well-trimmed and avoid growing them too
long.
Instead of cutting off the cuticles, use an orange stick to
push them back. To keep your nails healthy and their growth under control,
schedule regular manicures. Have it done by a professional and stay away from
harsh products such as acetone containing removers.
Coconut oil fixes everything from your dry hair and much more.
ReplyDeleteI love it. There's a book that explains all the benefits of coconut oil.
I found it here http://bit.ly/2xZljb9