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www.wrightsvillebeachmagazine.com WBM
It turns out your
mother was right about
nails too. Biting your
fingernails is a bad
thing — and not just
because it’s a bad habit.
Moms may know
best, but doctors know the
health benefits of good nail
care. For instance, biting your
nails can damage the skin
around the nails and allow
infection to enter, says Dr.
Edwards.
As for those trips to the
manicurist, Dr. Edwards rec-ommends
you ask the manicur-ist
not to cut or push back your
cuticles, as this may encour-age
infection. Take your own
instruments to the salon, she
adds. If you’re a do-it-your-selfer,
trim your nails straight
across and rounded slightly in
the center. If an infection sets
in — redness, swelling, pain
— or if there are signs of an
allergic reaction — itching,
burning, redness, blisters — a
trip to the dermatologist is in
order.
Fungal infections are the
most common malady Dr.
Rosalyn George sees in her
Wrightsville Beach office,
though she also sees patients
with nail discoloration, thicken-ing,
ridging, lifting of the nail
plate and other infections.
Dr. George typically treats
fungal infections with Lamosil
for about three months or with
topicals, like Formula 3 cream,
an antifungal cream. Patience is
the key with fingernails, which
typically take six months to
grow out (toenails take 12-18
months). Nails on the domi-nant
hand grow quicker than
the non-dominant hand, and
nails grow faster in the summer
than in the winter.
Laser technology has recently
entered the marketplace as an
option for curing fungal infec-tions.
The procedure, more
expensive than other methods,
usually requires just one treat-ment
to solve the problem,
although there is still the issue
of the time required for the nail
to grow out.
“Not all nail discoloration
is caused by fungal disease,”
says podiatrist Dr. Christopher
Young. Sometimes trauma or
friction can cause the nail, espe-cially
the big toenail, to change
color. The doctor’s office can
culture clippings of the nail
to determine the health of the
nail. And to keep your toenails
healthy? “Throw out those old
yard shoes to keep nail fungal
infections at a minimum,” says
Dr. Young.
Nail salons do their best to
keep their facilities pristine.
Salons, like Ki Spa & Salon, use
copper basins, which are easy
to sanitize and keep clean, says
nail technician Heather Smith.
Their nail polish is paraben
free, low odor and is used only
on natural nails, all that the
salon handles.
Dr. George does see fungal
infections with the use of fake
nails on occasion. There can
be damage to the nail bed and
the nails are thinner when the
nail is removed. “It’s not doing
anything harmful, so if people
do it for cosmetic reasons, that’s
fine,” she says, but the original
nail does suffer.
A healthy diet can improve
nail health. B vitamins are
essential, says nutritionist
Heidi Kaufman. If the patient
doesn’t get enough B through
food or is unable to absorb the
B, Kaufman recommends the
supplement Biotin, available
at health food stores and some
grocery stores. Kaufman sug-gests
between 300 and 1000
micrograms daily (if necessary)
and notes that the raw egg
whites some people drink to
build muscle will interfere with
the absorption of Biotin.
Kaufman encourages a diet
with a good amount of calcium
to keep nails strong. Calcium is
found in leafy greens (like broc-coli),
dairy products and canned
fish with bones. Nails also need
protein, magnesium and zinc to
maintain their strength.
Finally, your nails can be a
window into more serious ill-nesses
in your body. One of
the most dangerous of these
diseases, melanoma, may show
up as a dark or black streak in
the nailplate. Dermatologists
recommend a trip to the office
if a patient sees something of
concern.
Tough as nails
10Tips for Strong, Healthy Nails
To strengthen your nails, avoid infections and improve their appearance:
1. Keep your nails clean and dry.
2. Avoid nail-biting or picking.
3. File your nails in one direction and round the
tip slightly, rather than filing to a point.
4. Don’t remove the cuticles or clean too deeply
under your nails, which can lead to infection.
5. Don’t dig out ingrown toenails. See a
dermatologist if they become bothersome.
6. Avoid nail polish removers that contain
acetone or formaldehyde.
7. Apply moisturizer to your nails and cuticles
every day. Creams with urea, phospholipids or
lactic acid can prevent cracking.
8. Bring your own instruments if you get frequent
manicures.
9. If you have artificial nails, check regularly
for green discoloration (a sign of bacterial
infection).
10. Eat a balanced diet and take vitamins
containing biotin.
Source: Web MD