People need to know that the infection – hangnails can lead to paronychia. Paronychia is a condition whereby an area in the nail becomes infected. Before we get into how hangnails can be prevented, it is better to understand them and know why they infect the hands.
What are hangnails?
Hangnails are areas within the nails which are infected and become swollen, painful, and red. They can attack your hands, whether they are beautiful or well-manicured.
How are infections like hangnails removed from the body to get a flawless and beautiful skin?
In this post, we shall help you fully understand the hangnails. Do you want to know how to remove hangnails from the body? This should be essential form people who already have the ailment. However, people who do not have the infection and do not want to will have the prevention tips. As the saying goes, prevention is more desirable than cure.
What hangnails are and their symptoms
Technically, the nail parts that people call nails are known as nail plate. To this end, the flesh that is under your nail plate and to the side of it are vulnerable to splitting up or becoming torn when subjected to some conditions such as harsh weather or dryness. The locations are where several torn flesh known as hangnails are located.
Hangnails are known as very thin and tiny shreds of flesh, which hangs around the nails’ side parts after they get exposed to certain conditions (to be explained later).
What then happens is the formation of torn and jagged flesh in the nail’s side locations. Furthermore, this little flesh is usually painful and vulnerable to becoming infected.
Hangnails should not be confused with infected nails or ingrown nails. Technically, these types of tears are located around the nail area. Furthermore, this should not be confused with the hand nail plate too.
However, hangnails can lead to nails that are infected. If the nails become infected, they can show the following signs, such as:
• Swelling,
• Redness,
• A collection of a certain yellowish-greenish substance in the nails,
• The nail’s roots begin to feel a warm sensation,
• Injury around the nail area,
• Pain,
• Worst case scenario victims can have skin blisters filled with pus.
Treatment for Hangnails.
The symptoms, as mentioned earlier, are typically associated with hangnails that are infected. If the hangnails become infected due to bacteria, people can rapidly notice the symptoms; however, fungal infection will generally need to manifest.
Those are the symptoms of infected hangnails. When bacteria infect the hangnails, the symptoms are faster to notice, but fungal infection could take more time to show symptoms.
Some of the common causative factors of hangnails.
• The main causative factor of hangnails is when it lacks moisture or dryness in the nails.
• Extreme weather conditions. People regularly experience hangnails in winter.
• Exposing the hands to water for an extended period.
• Injury.
• Wounds that are left untreated.
• Excessive biting of the nails.
• Dry finger cuticles.
• Cuts around the cuticles.
• Excessive sun exposure.
• Getting exposed to such chemicals like chlorine and products that upset the nail’s sensitive skin.
• Exposure or washing with synthetic soaps and detergents.
• Exposing the hands to water for extended periods.
Flesh comprises the nail’s roots. This flesh can be protected to prevent hangnails.
How you can remove hangnails from your fingernails.
It is essential to have proper nutrition. Food which should be consumed for healthier nails have to contain nutrients such as,
• Iron
• Seafood
• Potassium
• Celeries (which aromatic herbs)
• Dairy products
• Calcium
• Vitamin B
• Soy
Nutrition is always pivotal to health since good food helps us create a general well-being. However, consuming good food only will not help in totally removing hangnails. Some other things have to be done.
One right way of solving this problem is cutting off the hangnails. You will have to use a cuticle nail cutter to cut off the hangnails from the finger to do this. The problem can worsen if you do not do this. Hangnails can lead to a tearing of the skin, which can result in a lot of pain.
It would be best if you trimmed out the hangnails by using a cuticle nipper, small scissors, or nail clipper – carefully cut out the nails’ cuticle. It would be best if you used the cuticle nipper to carefully and gently trim off the hangnails.
Also, before the hangnails gets cut off, you should soften them by soaking the fingers into warm water for some minutes. You could use some cuticle oil for this. Also, when you are done cutting off the hangnails, cuticle oils should stop further hangnail infection.
But, if you have cuticles that bleeding due to injury from hangnails, use a bandage to prevent the bleeding.
You should apply ointments for anti-bacterial. It would be best if you did this once you are done with trimming your nails.
Also, ensure that you apply the finger band-aid once the ointment is applied.
It would be best if you soaked your fingers, cut off the hangnails, add ointment, apply band-aid – go over all these four different steps for several days for your desired result.
Regularly take water. If you do not have fluids in the body, this can cause hangnails to develop. You should keep the body hydrated.
It would be best if you ate properly. It is highly essential.
Other things to remember.
If the infection becomes severe, it is best to describe with the word – Paronychia. With different people the symptoms and process can be different. If the infection gets worse – it becomes full of pus or blisters, it did not improve after using the procedure above. It becomes discolored, it becomes separated from the fingernail bed, the person gets diabetes – then, they would want to visit a doctor.
Remember to moisturize the nails before proceeding to cut off the hangnails.
Rather than soaking with only just water, other moisturizing oils such as olive oil can be applied.
Care for your cuticles. If you do this, you will not run the risk of getting infected with hangnails. Use the cuticle remover to remove it and get orangewood stick to push it back. You should regularly apply finger cuticle oils to your cuticles.
Home-based treatment for hangnails.
There are types of home remedies that can be used to remove hangnails altogether. These are:
Oil of Vitamin E
Oil of vitamin E allows moisture to get to the nails. When you moisturize your nails, you cure them from some damages that they may have undergone. Purchase a solution of Vitamin E oil, put this directly on the nails; you should daily repeat the process and witness the changes.
Yogurt
Yogurt contains probiotics, which is a component which contains anti-inflammatory characteristics. It can thus cure nails that are inflamed and hangnails. You could apply a portion of plain yogurt to the area. You should leave this off for a period and wash it off. You should do this process every day.
Honey
It will be essential to moisturize the nails. One natural humectant that can be used for this is honey. The organic solution has both anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. It will protect your nails and stop any inflammation. Put the honey in places where there are hangnails. You can then leave it out for several hours for penetration. It would be best if you did this every day.
Oatmeal Scrub
When you apply oatmeal scrub, they can keep your fingers free from hangnails. The solution helps in getting rid of dryness, flaky skin, and layers of dead skin. This scrub can get prepared easily through grinding of rolled oat. It should be applied on the palm’s rear part, the areas affected, the cuticles, and in-between the fingers. Wait it out for some time to get this washed off. After this, you can get your hand moisturizing cream to use on it.
White Clay
The white clay comes highly recommended for both dry and sensitive skin. However, this solution alone will not rid your finger of hangnails. You must include certain essential oils by using the following proportion:
• Three spoons which contains lavender oil,
• A spoon of olive oil, and
• A little amount of clay.
You should mix every one of these to a paste form and apply to infected areas. You should wait it out for about 15 and 20 minutes prior to wash off the mixture. This process should be repeated every day.
Avocado
Avocado is typically a great remedy that is used to treat hangnails. It contains healthy fats and vitamin E, plus all other types of nutrients that are beneficial to the nails. Avocado also is a humectant. All you need do is to grind up while mashing up about one-fourths of a pulp pf avocado by using a fork. You would now put in three tablespoons that contain coconut oil.
You should mix up both solutions until there is a paste. When it is bedtime, apply this on the nails. You can then rinse this off the following morning.
Beeswax Balm
Beeswax is a balm that is used to strengthen the nails. It protects the nail because it creates a thin covering over your nails to stop a cuticle from tearing. To formulate your beeswax balm, blend two tables spoons containing coconut oil, olive oil, almond oil. You can then put them all into three tablespoons containing honey and three tablespoons containing beeswax.
Epsom Salt
Epsom salt can be used in the form of bath salts since it helps to detoxify the skin. It also minimizes swelling and inflammation. Add some Epsom salt to warm water. Bring the infected finger and soak it into the water. Leave the finger inserted in water to last for fifteen minutes. Bring it out of the water and apply solutions of anti-bacterial finger ointments.
The fingers should be bandaged for a short time. This process should be done once per day for about four days.
Oil Soak and Water
Pour in some water into a little bowl. You can then add in moisturizing oil. You can then add in some drops of lemon if you want to. Soak in the fingers in the mixture for a period of 10 and 15 minutes.
Rinse this off and get the hands dry with a cloth. By now, the hangnails might have softened up. This is the right time to cut it off. After this, you can put moisturizing oils to help soothe it.
Turmeric
Get some mustard oil and turmeric heated together. In its warm state, you can then add some of this to the edges of the nail. It would be best if you then waited it out for nothing less than one hour. Turmeric is an attractive solution to this problem, mainly if the nails are covered with a bandage and soaked in turmeric overnight.
Alum
Have you peeled off the hangnails? Put alum to your moisturizer and insert it into the areas that are affected.
Use Emollient Creams
These creams would help the nails get nourishment and remain healthy. Get some, and have them massaged into the cuticles and nails. Get your nails covered by using a plastic hand wrap throughout the night. This will do the trick.
How you can prevent hangnails.
There is all the information about getting rid of hangnails. How about not allowing them to occur at first?
Homemade remedies for treating hangnails.
We have closely examined what causes hangnails, and after asking the needed questions, you should do this:
- Avoid biting your nails.
- Regularly groom and trim the nails.
- You should ensure that you protect the hands with gloves when you apply chemicals. You can avoid some of these chemicals. Look for other ways to get rid of nail polishes rather than using acetone. It should not be kept for a long time on the nails. It would be best if you were careful about hand sanitizers, most of them have alcohol.
- Use cuticle balms or finger cuticle oils or hand creams or whatever thing you can use for the nails and hands – every day. These solutions can help in avoiding hangnail incidents in the future.
- Get vitamin E: Apart from treating hangnails with vitamin E, this should be added to your routine for hangnail prevention.
- Do not cut off the cuticles. Rather than doing this, put cuticle removers while pushing them back for proper grooming.
- The toe hangnails are not very common like that of the hands; however, this does not mean that they are not out there. With healthy foods and good hygiene, anyone can easily prevent them.
