Your nails often say more about you than you think. This is because they reveal how you are doing with your health and vitamin intake. Fungus, ingrowing nails, fraying and brittle nails and white spots have, paradoxically, the same cause: an unbalanced and one-sided diet. Therefore, most problems associated with nails can be reliably treated with a supply of vitamins. And where vitamins cannot help, then garlic, propolis, or herbs will.
Fungus particularly affects diabetics and the elderly
Next to ingrown nails, brittle and fraying nails, and nails with white spots, fungus is one of the most pressing nail problems. It mainly affects elderly people and up to a third of all diabetics. Fungus can usually be recognized at first sight by enlargement (dilatation or thickening) of the nail plate, often accompanied by yellow discolouration or crumbling and peeling of the nail area. Fungus first appears on one nail, usually the thumbnail, and then spreads very quickly to the other nails.
Nail fungus in the form of filamentous fungi or yeasts is found mainly on toenails and soles. Feet sweat more, and dampness and warmth are a natural breeding ground for the growth of fungi. Fungus on hands appears more often in women who apply fake nails for a long time, but in general it tends to be rather exceptional.
Places of frequent occurrence of fungi
Fungi are often found in swimming pools, showers, or saunas. They generally do very well in rooms where humidity is maintained and hundreds or thousands of people pass through every day. However, you can also get to them when paying a visit to a person suffering from fungal infections, perhaps by using the same towel as your host or by borrowing their sandals for a walk across the garden. It is therefore worth walking in your own shoes, ideally airy, with cotton socks. Air and disinfect your shoes regularly. You can also help yourself after your return from places where you might have encountered fungi. Immerse your feet into vinegar water or water with dissolved potassium permanganate for ten minutes.
How to cope with fungus
You can treat fungus manifested by browning, breaking, or crumbling, and unpleasant itching with several proven natural recipes. In pharmacies, of course, you can find a number of specially developed preparations, but they are often very expensive, and their effect is comparable to our grandmothers' recipes.
Finely grated garlic works very well for nail fungus. Just apply it to the area where the fungus is present and cover with a patch or bandage. It is ideal to leave it on for a longer period, perhaps overnight, but an hour should be enough. You should repeat the process every day with new garlic until the fungus is gone. The nail will be healing gradually - when it starts to outgrow, fungus should not spread any further thanks to the garlic essential oil treatment.
Propolis is also known for its effect on bacteria and fungi and for other healing effects.
If you like to combine the pleasant with the useful, you can also try herbal baths to alleviate or remove fungus. A combination of medicinal sage with thyme and celandine is effective. Separately, you can try a bath with raspberry or poultice the affected areas with a decoction of ribwort plantain leaves. A less pleasant option is a vinegar bath.
Prevent nail ingrowth by proper trimming
Nail ingrowth occurs most often on the inner edges of the nails, pointing towards the other fingers. The edge of the nail begins to grow into the skin fold, causing unpleasant pain and irritation of the skin. This may be followed by painful redness and discharge of secretions, whether thick or thin.
The cause of ingrowing nails is practically always a total banality - poor trimming. Inappropriate footwear, hereditary tendencies to ingrown nails, or iron and vitamin deficiencies in general can also play a role.
If nail ingrowth has already occurred, start treating the affected area as soon as possible. In the case of ingrown nails, it is necessary to support the overall calming and disinfection of the affected areas. For example, a foot bath in warm water with apple cider vinegar is a great way to do this.
A little unusual is the use of mouthwash - place a cotton wool pad soaked in mouthwash on the affected area. In our offer you will find Mouthwash with propolis containing propolis, which has antimicrobial effects, and chamomile extract with soothing effects.
Propolis drops with Dropper
You can also find propolis here in the solid form or in the form of drops. Drops or if you prefer, tincture, containing effective antimicrobial substances can be used for local, spot application on the skin or in the oral cavity. Propolis is known for its effect on bacteria and fungi and for other healing effects. Preparations with propolis are used, for example, by people with minor inflammations, eczema, or with aphtae (canker sores) in the oral cavity.
Whichever form of treatment you will choose, always support it with careful hygiene, wearing looser shoes and cotton socks, but also with sufficient intake of vitamins, especially of group B and C, which have a beneficial effect on nails.
White spots on the nails signal a poor diet
White dots or ovals on the nails can signal a lot of different problems and deficiencies. Sometimes they appear as a result of frequent consumption of sugar, flour, and mayonnaise. They often warn of a disease called gout. Other times they accompany injuries and are just a blemish in beauty that will fade away on its own when the injury is completely cured.
However, if the nail stains have a bluish tint, they can indicate more serious problems - often pointing out to lung problems. They can also indicate a deficiency of protein, zinc, iron, or long-term exhaustion caused by lack of sleep or stress. So as a first aid, give your body rest, enough vitamins, and time to recover, and in the second phase you can seek help from specialists, if the white spots do not disappear on their own.
Brittle fingernails
Hands may not suffer from fungus as often, but the quality of nails decreases with age, stress, and vitamin deficiency. Nails break, especially when you are deficient in minerals and vitamins of groups B and C. As a rule, zinc, and silicon will strengthen them.
Experts on nail breakage also point out that poor nail quality may be related to mineral overload, therefore, the opposite of this.
If you have a particular and favourite brand of mineral water that you consume every day; even a whole bottle, it is definitely time to variegate your daily fluid intake. The quality of your nails is generally very much influenced by what you drink and eat. Making your diet more varied and healthier will have a positive effect on your nails (and not only on them).
Vitamins will help with breaking and fraying nails
To restore nail health, you may include nuts, fish, and sunflower and other seeds more often into your diet. Furthermore, consume more fruits and vegetables. A varied diet also prevents unpleasant nail fraying and hangnails. Problems with nails tend to occur in dieters or women with eating disorders because they are affected by vitamin deficiencies, especially vitamin C.
It almost seems that no matter what the question related to nail is, the answer is always: Get enough vitamins. You are right, it is indeed so. Even fraying nails indicate an unbalanced and one-sided diet. Vitamins are really the most important for strengthening and healing nails. Focus especially on vitamin C and B vitamins (B2 - riboflavin, B5 - panthenol, B12, B9 - folic acid, B7 - biotin or vitamin H), vitamins A, D, E and last but not least, minerals such as calcium, zinc, silicon, and iron also affect nail health.
Home care and grandma's advice for improving condition of nails
Nail fraying may also be caused by certain external influences - for example, overdrying in an air-conditioned environment or irritation by various detergents. If you want to help your tired nails in a natural way, indulge them with regular baths in nettle decoction (they will benefit from it as much as your hair). You can also try soaking your nails in warm olive oil for 10 minutes to strengthen and nourish them beautifully. From the grandmother´s advice, you can also try help through onions. Just cut the onion lengthwise and carefully lubricate the nails and their surroundings with the oozing juice. Do not wash off the coat and leave it on for as long as possible. A combination of honey and rum is also said to work well for brittle and fraying nails. Just mix the two ingredients in a 1:1 ratio and apply to the nails and their surroundings.
