Tips For Keeping Your Nails Healthy

Healthy looking nails are often the sign of good overall health. Fungal infections tend to appear in individuals with compromised immune systems, so it's important to treat swiftly to avoid complications, especially in diabetics and immunosuppressed people. Luckily, keeping your nails free from fungal infections is relatively simple when you take the right precautions. It works the other way too. If you suffer from brittle, fungus infected nails this may signal your immune system is not up to par. So you could say that taking good care of your nails might have an indirect effect on your whole health. Here are a few simple ways to make sure your nails stay healthy and free from nail fungus.

Like many conditions that are hard to get rid of, prevention is better than cure. This is not rocket science. Nail fungus infections are attracted to and thrive in warm, dark and moist environments, so the general idea is to keep your nails and surrounding tissue as inhospitable to as possible. This means practising good hand and foot hygiene: keep your feet dry and clean, wear non-porous clean cotton socks and try to wear closed shoes, especially if you know your feet are going to be exposed to water. You should avoid going barefoot in wet public spaces, such as public swimming pools, locker rooms, shower stalls, and bathrooms. A good tip is to wear flip-flops (thongs) or water resistant sandals. If you have to get your hands wet for extended periods of time, such as when you're washing clothes or dishes, wear gloves.

Here's some bad news for those who like scarlet nails: if possible, don't wear nail polish. This is because women who use nail polish seem to have a much higher risk of developing infections than those who don't. If you can't live without your nail polish, at least avoid applying it frequently or using it to repair nail enamel on a regular basis. Also, use nail polish remover with caution. Most nail polish removers are strong and can cause the nails



and cuticles to dry. Dry nails and cuticles are generally more prone to infection.

Why do nail polish wearers suffer from infections more than non-wearers? The reason seems to be that the layer of nail polish waterproofs the nails, resulting in the skin under the nails staying moist for an extended period of time, and loves such conditions. One way out, not completely effective but better than nothing, is to try to use lighter colour polishes. Lighter colour enamels allow light to penetrate the nail, causing the area beneath the nail to dry faster. If you use a darker colour, less light will penetrate and consequently the area beneath the nail is more likely to remain dark and moist.

Another no-no when it comes to preventing infections is using artificial acrylic or plastic nails. The chemicals contained in the adhesives used to stick on acrylic nails can be harmful to your nail health. By applying artificial nails over your own natural nails you can wreck your nails' natural surface. Don't be lulled into a false sense of security by the nice appearance of your false nails! If your own nail is already less than healthy, applying adhesive products can lead to greater damage. These adhesives have been known to be absorbed through the head of the nail and make any fungus infections already there much worse.

To sum up: if you think you are vulnerable to getting infections, keeping your nail clean and healthy is the best way to prevent micro organisms from being trapped underneath the skin. Give nail polish a miss and keep your nails cut short, smooth and dry. This can go a long way to preventing infections.

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