Nails though granted they do not do much, are useful in offering an insight into our health. Aside from this, there are a host of reasons as to why you should keep your nails in good shape anyway. Here, you will find a list of essential tips that will help you turn things around if you have been neglectful so far.
Monitor Calcium Intake
Calcium is needed by the body to produce strong nails, hair, teeth and bones, and is therefore one very important part of the entire system. Those who have less calcium on a daily basis tend to have weaker structures across them all. This means that they are all brittle, and susceptible to damage unlike one who has a healthy calcium intake. Visit your doctor and get yourself tested to find out whether you are alright in that department. Yoghurt, cheese, milk and various other nuts and legumes are all great sources of calcium.
Treat Infections
For some reason, people let infections be assuming they will heal on their own. Which they might, provided they are very small. However, nail infections can be downright nasty so if you see one creeping up on you, get nail fungus treatment immediately. It simply is not hygienic to walk around with such infections on you, and it is irresponsible. Some symptoms to watch out for include pain, unpleasant odour, rashes, yellowing and lesions to name a few.
Trim
Your toe nails in particular should be kept short and trim. Long nails are open to injury and damage which can lead to bigger problems afterwards. If you like to keep your nails long, then you should be careful all the time. If there is a large impact, the nail could crack leading to infection if it affects the skin too. Plus, trim nails cannot retain daily dust and dirt which is incredibly unhealthy and can lead to other illnesses too.
Leave In-Grown Alone
If you are dealing with in-grown nails, then the first thing you should know is that you need to leave them alone. Go to a professional for treatment and get it tended to. Many often try and take care of such situations themselves, successfully complicating matters in the process. Some experience in-grown rather often, so ask about what you can do to control them. Make sure you invest in the right type of professional help, since the wrong person will just end up making it worse. Also important to remember with in-grown, is that shoes and socks for hours on end are not a good idea. If you must, then do take them off every once in a while to allow your feet to breathe. If you have just treated an area, dry it off gently and quickly without letting the moisture settle in.
