The upkeep of your hands / feet says a lot about you. Nail fungus and other conditions such as spots, discolourations, weakness, cracking and splitting are all about nail care treatmentss and can hold clues to both your physical health and your psychological state.
Paying attention to things like nail fungus and all other conditions can help to nip it in the bud. All these nail conditions can usually point to whether you are deficient in particular vitamins and minerals, or whether a stressful lifestyle is taking it's toll on your body. Nail conditions (like nail fungus) can also tell others things about your personal health! There are many different types of conditions out there, but a few are very prevalent.
As mentioned above, nail fungus is most commonly seen in toe nails as it thrives in the damp, warm conditions created by socks and shoes. The fungus will enter the flesh through a cut, lesion or if repeated injury has caused the nail to separate from the bed. It can then cause the nail to thicken and become yellowish in colour. This can become very painful, and nearly always requires medical attention of some kind.
Another very common nail condition is nail biting. Nail biting generally begins in childhood, and is often a way of dealing with stressful situations. The behaviour can either be unconscious, where the individual isn't aware they're doing it, or compulsive, where they are obsessed with doing it. Nail biters will often chew the nail right down to the quick, leaving parts of the nail bed exposed. They may also bite the surrounding flesh, leaving it red and raw and prone to infection. Nail biters can usually be helped to overcome the behaviour by topical surface treatments that taste awful and so deter the biter, or by medical intervention.
Additional ailments include ingrown Nails, and Nail Haematoma and we will be adding articles on all of these over the coming months.
