Have you ever met people with strange nails that don't look normal? I think any of us have encountered this. And, to be honest, I remember an episode from childhood when I picked up a hammer and hit it exactly on the nail on the index finger of my left hand. The pain was terrible, the nail was blue for a long time and very ugly. Then the nail came off for another six months until a new one grew back. What happens to our nails that causes them to lose their attractive and healthy appearance?
Consequence of injury
The cause of the formation of nails with an uneven surface on the hands is often due to trauma. It is easy to injure a nail even while washing dishes or doing any housework. Often, the site of damage after an injury disappears over time, and a new one grows in place of the damaged nail plate.
Features of manicure
If wavy nails have formed, many people make a big mistake by trying to polish the defects using special files. This is not conducive to healthy nails. Although the surface looks smoother, the nail plate itself becomes thinner. Soon there will be nothing to level at all.
Improper care leads to the formation of ribbed fingernails. The reasons for the appearance of waves, as we have already said, most often lie in a violation of the manicure technique. Therefore, when the defects in question have already appeared, certain rules must be followed.
- Do not use acetone-based nail polish remover.
- You can apply the coating in several layers.
- It is also worth using special nail straightening products.
- You need to file your nails in one direction.
- Experts suggest abandoning the use of a metal nail file.
- It is necessary to correct nails only when they are dry.
Poor care of nail plates
In this situation, we are talking about the consequences of inaccurate removal of the cuticle, getting wounds around the nail plate while using metal tools. The consequence of such damage may be the vulnerability of the nail plates to fungal diseases. In order to avoid these difficulties, you need to be very careful with your fingernails. Try to learn how to properly care for your hands and nail plates in particular, carefully remove cuticles and any hangnails that appear.
Preparation for the procedure
Before you start decorating your nails, prepare all the necessary tools:
This applies to most women who often wear pins. However, foot pain does not always have to be caused by bad shoes, sometimes with the so-called. Fatigue fracture. This occurs most often through intense physical exercise, basketball, and jogging. Red, white, blue and red again is the order in which the toes change color in Raynaud's disease, which is a sudden contraction of blood vessels often caused by stress or changes in temperature.
Pain located near the tip of the tongue may indicate inflammation of the plantar fascia, which attaches from the floor to the bone. A characteristic symptom is increased pain when getting out of bed and in the weight of the leg. Other causes of pain may include: ill-fitting shoes, excessive exercise, inflammation. A less common ailment in the pen is the so-called. Sixth Spurs. All these diseases go away much faster when you undergo treatment.
- Nail scissors. Used to adjust the shape and shorten nails to the required length.
- Tweezers. Used to eliminate cuticles and hangnails.
- Files. Helps correct the shape and length of nails. There are these types:
- Disposable with a paper base, covered with graphite on top.
- Metal. Used for healthy, undamaged nail plates.
- Plastic. Suitable for natural nails.
- Glass. Used for filing thin, weak surfaces that have been chewed.
- Ceramic.
According to the grain size of the files, there are:
If someone tells you that you are walking differently than usual, do not engage with them. A change in the way you move may signal problems with the nerves around your leg. Only 30% of these changes may be the result of diabetes. Other causes include: inflammation, vitamin deficiency, alcoholism.
Change the shape of your fingers and nails
Diseases of the lungs, heart, liver and inflammation can change the shape of the toes and nails, which become more convex and sharpen to the bottom at the ends of the nose. Sometimes it happens that family members inherit unusual shapes of fingers and toenails without an obvious cause of the disease.
- Rough, for cutting down artificial materials (gel, acrylic).
- Medium, forms the length of the plate.
- Soft - for finishing.
- Very soft - for polishing.
For the procedure we will also need:
- Wooden sticks. With their help, they remove dirt under the nails and move the cuticles.
- Nail brush. Cleanses the skin of the hands and nail plate from impurities, softens rough skin.
- Nail polish remover. Removes old varnish and degreases the plate before painting.
- Cuticle softener. A special cream or liquid that softens the cuticle skin and slows down its growth in the future.
- White correction pencil. Colors the tips of the nails from the inside.
Fungal diseases
You can often become infected with fungus during the summer season. First of all, the fungus affects the nails on the lower extremities, and then the disease progresses, and the nail plates on the hands may be affected. The main signs of this disease are brittle nails and the appearance of bumps on them. In addition, longitudinal and transverse grooves may appear, which is also a sign of the appearance of a fungal disease or bacteria. In order to get rid of this problem, you need to seek help from a dermatologist, who in turn should prescribe the necessary tests and medications.
Causes of white spots on legs
Often modern people (mostly women) notice white spots on their legs. Moreover, the problem can either be associated with some supposed factor, or it can appear independently without visible prerequisites. Apart from a cosmetic defect, such pigmentation does not cause the patient any particular concern (provided there are no complex dermatological problems). However, we still want to understand the reasons for the appearance of such marks, which is what we will do in the material below.
Features of skin pigmentation
Skin tone depends on several important factors:
- Condition of the walls of blood vessels. That is, their narrowing or expansion can lead to redness or paleness of the skin;
- The presence in the body of the required concentration of melanin, which is responsible for skin pigment;
- The presence of carotene, which is responsible for the yellow pigment of the skin;
- Optimal hemoglobin concentration in capillaries and venules.
Important: Albinos (people with completely white skin and white hair) completely lack melanin. Therefore, they need to especially protect their skin from direct and indirect exposure to sunlight.
Any changes in skin pigmentation in themselves do not pose a threat to human life, but indicate pathologies occurring internally. That is why white spots on the legs, as well as throughout the body, require close attention. It is worth knowing that hypopigmentation (loss of skin color) occurs when melanocytes (pigment-producing skin cells) are depleted or completely absent. Or, this phenomenon can be caused by a decrease in the concentration of an amino acid called tyrosine. Such important processes reduce the production of the skin pigment melanin. As a result, white spots form on the skin of the legs or the entire body.
Causes of white spots (types of pigmentation)
Depending on the existing disease, skin pigmentation on the legs can have different types.
Pityriasis alba
This dermatological disease is more common in adolescents and children, but can also occur in adults. With white deprivation, light discolored spots with blurred boundaries form on the skin of the legs, arms and face. In winter, such marks are prone to flaking and dryness. The main symptom of pityriasis alba is the initial redness of the spots, and then their change to white. Mostly on the legs, white spots of this nature appear in the summer.
Pityriasis versicolor (tinea versicolor)
Another dermatological problem that does not cause much harm to a person’s physical condition. The main cause of this problem is the yeast-like fungus Malassezia. It is always present on the skin of animals and humans in small quantities. However, some provoking factors lead to its rapid reproduction and increased activation. In this case, white or brownish spots with a red tint may appear on the skin. Basically, pityriasis versicolor is activated in a warm and humid environment, during pregnancy, when taking corticosteroid drugs or when the immune system is weakened. This disease is treated with antifungal drugs under the supervision of a dermatologist. The course of treatment is 10-14 days.
Important: pityriasis versicolor is not a contagious disease.
Nevus without pigment
This type of spots is similar to birthmarks, moles or warts. However, you should be careful, since a nevus can degenerate into melanoma (a malignant formation on the skin). Among the many types of nevus, white (colorless) ones are also distinguished. Nevi may have hairs and are most often white.
Hypomelanosis idiopathic guttate
In this case, the main symptom is small white dots on the legs and body with a diameter not exceeding 2-5 mm. In most cases, such marks are localized on those parts of the body that are most exposed to the sun. These are arms, legs (shins), shoulders, neck, face. Such spots are smooth to the touch, but may have a scaly surface. Although the reasons for the appearance of this pathology are not clear today, doctors still associate this process with the physiological aging of the body and skin. Also, the cause may be heredity or very light skin.
Important: idiopathic guttate hypomelanosis occurs more often in women.
Vitiligo
This disease is caused by the loss of skin pigment, originally produced by melanocytes. That is, melanin is simply not produced in some areas of the skin. The most common cause of this pathology is a malfunction of the immune system or the occurrence of autoimmune processes in the body. As a rule, vitiligo appears before the age of 30. As the pathology progresses, spots may appear once and remain in a stable state (size and color). And sometimes relapses of the disease can occur. That is, more and more spots will appear.
Important: about 2% of the world's population suffers from vitiligo. In this case, vitiligo can even affect the hair on the head. Once faded, spots on the skin will never regain their pigment.
Fighting vitiligo
If white spots appear on the skin and a diagnosis of vitiligo is established, then you can make the marks appear smaller or less noticeable in the following ways:
- Taking glucocorticosteroid drugs (ointments and creams). They will stop the destruction of melanocytes.
- The use of the PUVA therapy method, in which the marks are exposed to ultraviolet rays of a certain intensity and length. In this case, pigmentation can be partially restored externally, but not internally.
- The use of laser radiation in combination with monochromatic light.
- Taking vitamin preparations of group B, as well as vitamins C and A. You can inject them into the affected areas of the skin.
- Diet therapy with the inclusion of rice, oats, apples and tomatoes, lamb and seafood in the diet.
- Herbal medicine in the form of taking medicinal decoctions externally and internally.
- Whitening the skin to even out its pigment over the entire surface.
- Donor skin transplantation for extensive lesions.
- Transfer of healthy melanocytes to discolored areas of skin.
Unbalanced diet is the cause of white spots
If the reader is wondering why white spots appear on the body and legs, then sometimes the cause of small spots on the legs (on the feet or on the sole of the foot) may simply be a lack of vitamins D, E and calcium. In order to restore the previous appearance of the skin on your legs, you need to reconsider your diet.
In addition, the reasons that influence changes in skin color may be:
- Secondary syphilis;
- Partial albinism;
- Psoriasis;
- Tuberculous sclerosis;
- Lupus erythematosus, etc.
All these diseases, in addition to the appearance of spots on the legs and body, can cause a person a lot of discomfort due to deteriorating health. Therefore, if you suspect any malfunction in the body, it is advisable to consult a family doctor. It is not enough to observe the problem; you must identify its cause and eliminate it.
Diseases of internal organs as a cause of uneven nails
The reason for the unevenness of the nail plate on the fingers may lie in diseases of some internal organs, often this may indicate that you have a disease such as influenza, arthritis, ARVI, etc. Disease of the cardiovascular system or thyroid gland also affects the condition nails To get rid of the irregularities that have appeared on the nails, you first need to establish the correct diagnosis, cure the disease, and only then deal with the elimination of imperfections on the nail plates.
Natural tendency towards uneven nails
There are cases when a person has a tendency to have unevenness on the nail plates at the genetic level. This happens quite rarely and, for the most part, it is impossible to get rid of this problem using either medical or other methods. In this situation, it is recommended to take a course of medications containing calcium, eat foods rich in calcium, and carry out procedures that will strengthen the nail plates using natural remedies that include silk and resin.
Folk remedies and recipes
Folk remedies can be no less useful than medications. These include baths to strengthen nails.
Recipes for healthy nail baths
There is a way to strengthen your nails at home: make a bath for them.
Recipes can be as follows:
- stir 1 tbsp in 250 ml of warm water. l. sea salt (in this case, sea salt can be replaced with table salt with the addition of 1 drop of iodine);
Sea salt is one of the most popular bath ingredients
- in 1 tbsp. add 1 ampoule of vitamin B1, 150 ml lemon juice to warm water;
- to 250 ml of fresh orange juice add 250 ml of warm water, 4 drops of iodine, 2 tbsp. l. table or sea salt.
The duration of a bath for the prevention and treatment of lumpy nails should not exceed 15 minutes.
Long-term stress
To eliminate this cause of uneven nails, you should change your lifestyle, engage in active sports, and be less nervous. In addition, giving up bad habits will help a lot. They say that smokers' nails turn yellow from tobacco settling on them, and that alcoholics' nails peel and become very dry.
If you have noticed, getting rid of uneven nails is not only possible, but also necessary. When your nails are straight, your hands also look beautiful and well-groomed. Even if nature has not blessed you with ideally shaped nails, simply well-groomed manicured hands, a classic nail shape and clear or soft polish will add elegance and self-confidence to you.
How to improve unattractive nail shape?
Not all people have ideal nail shape; for many, this disadvantage becomes a real problem. There is no need to be upset; modern cosmetology has enough products to make your nails more attractive.
There are many reasons why women don’t like their own nails, so before you begin correction, you need to decide what specific flaws you want to get rid of. Everyone has different nail shapes - wide and narrow, flat and convex, long and short. It is very important for every lady that her fingers always look well-groomed.
Cosmetologists advise owners of wide nails to adhere to the following rules:
- do not completely cover the nail plate with varnish, but leave it 2-3 mm unpainted at the edges;
- draw a drawing without horizontal lines;
- use shiny rather than matte finishes;
- do a French manicure with a small elegant pattern on the white tip line;
- decorate with patterns only the middle of the nail along a vertical line;
- choose varnishes only in bright and dark colors;
Correction of the shape of the nail should be done if its outline does not correspond to an oval or square - the edges are much wider (or narrower) than the base. When such a discrepancy occurs, visual effects are used. A dark-colored area always appears smaller than a light-colored area. By using these combinations wisely, you can hide the irregular shape of your nails. If it tends to expand towards the free edge, then it is better to paint the base with a dark varnish and the tip with a lighter one. In the opposite situation, a dark tone is used at the end of the nail.
If the nail plate is uneven, then abstract drawings in the form of various geometric lines, twisted patterns and chaotic strokes will help brighten up such a defect. It is quite difficult to do this yourself; it is best to entrust such work to nail art specialists.
Flat nails will look better if you use a polish with shiny particles or a pearlescent tint. A bright pattern with rounded shapes (a flower, a bunch of grapes, a tree leaf) drawn in the center also gives convexity.
Many women complain that overgrown nails bend down or up. In this case, you need to trim them more often, leaving a length of about 0.3-0.4 mm, and use nail care products. At home, it is not difficult to make special baths with soda and sea salt. Creams for strengthening nail plates help a lot. The shape of short nails will improve over time if you only use a glass nail file.
Often the problem of brittle and uneven nails is a consequence of a lack of vitamins in the body. In order not to harm yourself, you should consult a cosmetologist, he will recommend the necessary medications. It would be a good idea to purchase cuticle oil, which strengthens the base of the nail. Manicurists also advise giving up polish and other special coatings at least once a week.
Nowadays, having short nails is considered very fashionable. Those who like longer lengths can always visit salons, since a great many of them have appeared in recent years. They offer a wide range of services - gel and acrylic extensions, aquarium design, etc. People who have unattractive nail shapes often turn to specialists in the nail industry.
Acrylic coating is considered durable and elastic. With the help of this material it is quite possible to make natural nails harder, lengthen them, and hide unevenness. This procedure is relevant for both women and men. It helps many people get rid of the unsightly habit of biting their nails.
From a medical point of view, gel extensions are much better, since they do not contain substances that cause allergic reactions. After using this method, the nail plates look naturally thin and natural.
It should be remembered that extension is a rather lengthy process, taking about two hours, and also requiring repeated corrections. At the request of the client, the ugly shape of the nails will be replaced with oval, almond-shaped or square.
With the help of an aquarium design, the illusion of a three-dimensional design behind glass is created (while the nails remain completely smooth). This type of nail art is suitable for people with flat nails, as such an image visually gives the necessary volume.
Biogel extensions are considered the most harmless. It is applied to pre-treated nails and dried with an ultraviolet lamp. Biogel does not require leveling, so a good master will do this procedure in 1-1.5 hours.
Despite all the modern ways to correct the shape of nails, many women continue to use false nails. Some people simply don’t have time to visit a salon or don’t have enough money for expensive extensions. Cosmetics stores offer a large selection of false plates - pastel and bright colors, with and without patterns. When purchasing, you should choose not only the color, but also the shape that suits your nails. Glue and instructions for use are always included in the kit. You should also buy nail polish remover without acetone at the same time. Removing false plates is very simple - just put your hands in warm water for a few minutes, and the artificial nails will come off on their own. It is important to remember that wearing false plates for a long time can damage natural nails.
As you know, you can determine your health status by looking at your nails. If spots, yellowness or growths suddenly appear on them, this is a reason to visit a doctor. You shouldn’t frighten yourself with horror stories by looking at magazine sections called “ugly nails: photos”; it’s better to contact a specialist without wasting time.
Nail service professionals note that recently women have begun to do nail art on short nails more often. It is not only fashionable and practical, but also much cheaper than extensions.
(mirnogotkov.ru - worldwide network)