What should you do if you have broken nails on your hands?

Usually, nail splitting is not a cause for concern, obviously associated with adverse chemical or mechanical effects, and when eliminated, the defect usually disappears as the nail grows. In this case, you can only pay more attention to nail care or consult a professional cosmetologist.

Constant delamination of the nail plates, longitudinal and transverse cracks, chipping cause concern, inconvenience and the question arises: What to do if the nails on the hands are peeling?

First of all, analyze your diet and behavior: do you bite your nails; do you use them to pick off or unscrew something; do you always wear household gloves when working with household chemicals; how careful is your manicurist, what tools does he use, and so on. If the answer is not clear to you, you need to see a doctor and get examined.

Salon procedures such as nail sealing only mask the problem, they can be used one-time if necessary to look your best, however, the nails will still need to be treated.

There is no single medicine that would make nails strong and smooth. Nutritional errors, passion for diets can lead to a lack of various nutrients and affect the strength of nails. In addition to the alimentary factor, a fairly long list of diseases that need to be treated by specialized specialists with specific drugs leads to brittle nails due to metabolic disorders. [ 1 ]

If hypoproteinemia (protein deficiency) is detected, then a diet with a high protein content and vitamin and mineral complexes are prescribed. If anemia is detected, iron preparations, vitamins B1, B6, B9, B12 are prescribed. The above-mentioned deficiency conditions may be associated with a lack of zinc in the body. This element is necessary for the normal functioning of many enzymes (more than two hundred), its deficiency negatively affects the course of almost all metabolic processes in the body.

A deficiency of one element usually entails a deficiency of another, so preference is given to complex preparations containing vitamins, mineral components, amino acids that can restore the chemical composition of nails.

The drug Natubiotin can help with nail splitting caused by congenital or acquired deficiency of biotin (vitamin B7) - a coenzyme of splitting and neosynthesis of glucose, lipids, fatty acids, propionic acid esters, protein and carbohydrate metabolism. Without its sufficient amount, full cellular development is impossible. Biotin deficiency can be congenital and associated with increased consumption in hereditary cocarboxylase deficiency. Acquired deficiency is more often associated with kidney and small intestine diseases. Biotin improves absorption and enhances the effect of other B vitamins, which participate in many processes, in particular - hematopoiesis, is a source of sulfur, one of the main components of collagen.

Biotin is contraindicated in case of intolerance. The tablets contain lactose, so it is not prescribed to patients sensitized to it.

Other patients may very rarely experience an allergy in the form of a rash.

During biotin treatment, you should not consume raw egg whites, as their consumption increases biotin consumption.

Due to the lack of data on the use of Biotin by children under 12 years of age, as well as pregnant and lactating women, it is not recommended for these categories of the population to use tablets.

For nail splitting, the recommended daily dose is 5 mg (one tablet). It is taken once a day before meals with plenty of water.

Helps to strengthen the health of nails Brewer's yeast with sulfur. In addition to sulfur, the dietary supplement contains a full range of B vitamins, vitamin E, essential amino acids, arachidonic, linolenic, oleic fatty acids. The drug increases the secretion of gastric juice and, accordingly, improves digestion, promoting the complete absorption of proteins, fats and carbohydrates, thereby normalizing metabolism in the body. Its only contraindication is individual hypersensitivity to the components. The recommended daily dose for adults is 7-10 capsules. They are swallowed whole before meals, washed down with the required amount of water. You can eat 10 minutes after taking.

Zinc deficiency can be compensated by the drug Zincit. This element is necessary for the synthesis of full-fledged onychoblasts. In addition, it promotes the absorption of vitamins A and E by nail cells. It is indicated for replenishing zinc deficiency of various origins - associated with diseases of the liver and kidneys, intestines, alimentary factors, with its increased consumption in diabetics, patients with collagenoses, excretion when taking diuretics and in other cases. The main active ingredient is zinc sulfate. The drug is in the form of soluble tablets. Can be used at any age. If it is necessary to take iron preparations at the same time, it is necessary to observe a two-hour interval between doses. Zincit is contraindicated in patients with hypersensitivity to its components, acute liver and kidney failure, encephalitis. Pregnant and lactating women are prescribed by a doctor in cases of proven hypozincemia.

To prevent zinc deficiency, the recommended daily dose for children under one year is 10 to 15 mg, for those over one year – 15 to 20 mg, and for adult patients – 15-25 mg.

Good reviews of the vitamin and mineral complex Complivit Radiance. It contains calcium, magnesium, iron, silicon, copper, selenium colbalt, a full set of B vitamins, ascorbic and lipoic acid, vitamin E. It is recommended to use it in the recovery period after infections and intoxications, stress, overexertion, to eliminate the consequences of poor nutrition. Nails are restored quickly, become strong and healthy. Contraindicated in case of sensitization to the components. Pregnant and lactating women should refrain from taking it. The complex cannot be used simultaneously with other vitamin preparations. Take one tablet daily during or after meals.

If a fungal nail disease is detected, then antimycotics are indispensable. Preference is generally given to topical preparations, for example, Lotseril, which is available in the form of a varnish or solution, is considered a modern effective remedy. Its active ingredient, amorolfine, exhibits fungicidal activity against yeast, mold and other types of fungus. Amorolfine penetrates hard-to-reach places well and is able to destroy a fungal infection that has not affected the root of the nail. You can even apply colored decorative nail polish to a surface treated with Lotseril. Treatment with this remedy should be carried out under the supervision of a doctor. The general effect of the varnish on the body is minimal. Usually, a course of continuous treatment takes from six months to a year, provided that the instructions are followed conscientiously, until the symptoms disappear completely.

Sometimes systemic treatment is required. Good results are achieved with Binafin tablets. The active substance of the drug, terbinafine hydrochloride, is a modern and powerful fungicide. Penetrating into fungal cells, terbinafine inhibits the enzymatic activity of squalene epoxidase in cell membranes, disrupting the synthesis of sterols. This leads to fatal consequences for the fungus - destruction of the fungal cell membrane, metabolic disorders in its nucleus and cytoplasm. [ 2 ]

Terbinafine has a very broad spectrum of activity. Low-dose administration is sufficient to destroy dermatophytes, [ 3 ], [ 4 ] molds and some other types of fungi. The drug has a fungistatic effect on some types of yeast fungi. [ 5 ]

The daily dose is usually taken once. The pharmacokinetic properties of the tablets do not depend on food intake. The dose is calculated based on the patient's weight (minimum patient weight is 12 kg, age is two full years): children weighing no more than 20 kg are given half a 125 mg tablet or a quarter of 250 mg; those weighing 20-40 kg are given a whole 125 mg tablet; children weighing over 40 kg and adults are given a 250 mg tablet.

The drug is quite toxic, can cause allergies and other side effects from the digestive organs, central nervous system and hematopoiesis. People with liver pathologies should be especially careful - periodically monitor its function, since treatment can be long-term (from one to three months). For patients with kidney disease, the dose is adjusted downwards. Female patients taking hormonal contraceptives should keep in mind that the menstrual cycle may be disrupted during treatment with Binafin.

Physiotherapy treatment can be prescribed for onychomycosis and onychodystrophies as a general tonic. [ 6 ] For mycotic lesions of the nail, treatment with short-wave ultraviolet rays can be effective - they can destroy even fungal spores. Ozone and laser therapy are also used.

Warming with high-frequency currents may be prescribed as general strengthening thermal procedures. Vitamin preparations may also be delivered to the nail plate using phonophoresis or iontophoresis.

Treatment at home

Nails - victims of cosmetic tricks or household carelessness, can be helped without leaving home. There are many ways to care for the skin of the hands and nails using products that have been tested for centuries, which can be found in kitchen cabinets or home medicine cabinets. Home procedures are not contraindicated for patients whose nails have suffered from metabolic disorders caused by somatic pathologies. They cannot replace a course of necessary therapy, but they will help improve the condition of the nail surface from the outside, nourishing them with vitamins and microelements, strengthening and moisturizing the outer layer of the nail, without having a significant systemic effect on the body as a whole.

Traditional nail treatment consists of local procedures - hand baths, nourishing masks, applications. Any of them are best done before bedtime, so that the nails can freely absorb the beneficial substances applied to them for several hours.

Health baths (water 37-40°; duration – approximately a quarter of an hour; quantity – every two to three days):

• milk - add a tablespoon of olive oil and a pinch of ground cinnamon to a glass of warm milk and stir;
• with sea salt (classic) – the solution is prepared in the following proportions: teaspoon per 200 ml of water;
• mix freshly squeezed juice from one apple with the same amount of warmed fresh beer and hold your nails in this mixture;
• with gelatin - dissolve a tablespoon in 200 ml of hot water and let cool to body temperature.

Also, do not rush to pour out the water in which the potatoes were boiled - this is a ready-made bath, just do not forget to cool it.

For dry and brittle nails, oil baths are suitable, for example, from any slightly warmed vegetable oil with the same amount of apple cider vinegar or with five drops of iodine or ten drops of lemon essential oil. It would also be useful to squeeze a couple of capsules of vitamin A into the bath.

You can mix equal amounts of slightly warmed vegetable oil with the same amount of fresh beer and squeeze the juice from a quarter of a lemon into the mixture.

After oil baths, do not wash your fingertips, but gently pat dry with a paper towel.

It is quite simple to rub aloe juice into the nail plate and cuticle steamed in a saline solution at night or wipe the nails with a piece of any citrus fruit (if there is a choice, then it is better to use lemon). You can rub garlic juice into steamed nails, especially if signs of inflammation are noticeable or the nails were injured during a manicure. In addition, garlic has fungicidal and bactericidal activity, and also nourishes the nails and the skin around them with vitamin and mineral substances.

To moisturize dry skin on your fingers and nail plates, after a bath with sea salt, you can apply fish oil or an oil solution of vitamins A and E to your hands (every other day). At first, such procedures can be done every night before going to bed, then, when the condition improves, at least once a week.

You can improve blood circulation in your fingers by wiping your nails with a cotton pad soaked in red pepper tincture. You can buy a ready-made alcohol tincture at a pharmacy or make it yourself by grinding red hot pepper and soaking it in a glass of alcohol or vodka for a week. Strain the tincture before use. Alcohol dries out the skin, so you need to ensure that your hands are adequately nourished and moisturized.

An oil mask for nails has a good healing effect. Its composition: in a blender, grind one tomato with the skin removed with olive and almond oil (take a teaspoon of each ingredient), add four drops of rosemary essential oil to the mixture. Before going to bed, generously smear the tips of your fingers with this mixture, you can also completely smear your hands. After 7-10 minutes, rinse with water, blot and lubricate your hands with nourishing cream.

Regular evening massage of the nail bed and plate will improve blood circulation and make the nails harder and more elastic. It is done with a soft toothbrush, soaped with glycerin or baby soap. You can drip oil solutions of vitamins A, E, D3, fish oil onto the brush or rub them into the nails after the massage.

To strengthen nails, make them more durable and elastic, and to reduce the consequences of nail extensions, injuries, and trimmed manicures, you can use baths with herbal infusions. For this purpose, brew chamomile flowers, which have the ability to moisturize and relieve irritation; oak bark, which has astringent and bactericidal properties; calendula flowers, which in addition to anti-inflammatory activity also have antifungal activity, and also contain carotenoids; string herb, yarrow, and St. John's wort. Use herbal mixtures. Herbal infusions promote disinfection and healing of microtraumas, improve blood circulation in the nail matrix, saturate it with vitamins and nutrients, which accelerates the regeneration processes of nail plate cells.

Herbal preparations are often taken internally for various somatic diseases. Herbal treatment of serious diseases is recommended to be carried out under the supervision of a herbalist.

At night after any procedures, it is a good idea to put on cotton cosmetic or special gel moisturizing SPA gloves on your hands.

Read also:

• What should I apply to my nails to prevent them from peeling?
• What to do at home if your nails are peeling?

Homeopathy

The main drugs for the treatment of brittle, peeling nails are Thuja (Thuja) and Sepia (the contents of the black cuttlefish bursa), with the second drug suggesting peeling along the free edge of the nail and thickening of the nail plate. Thuja is used more in patients with thin, dry nails that grow slowly, as well as in psoriasis. Both drugs can be prescribed for fungal nail infections.

Silicea, Psorinum, Medorrhinum, Graphites and many others can help eliminate the problem of brittle nails. Even for patients who bite their nails, homeopathic remedies Sulfur or Ammonium bromatum can help to get rid of this habit.

Homeopathic treatment can help overcome many somatic conditions that lead to brittle and flaking nails. But the condition of the nail plate is not the only sign that determines the choice of treatment.

Homeopathy takes into account many factors and involves an individual and comprehensive approach to each patient, which is the key to successful treatment.