Home > Nail Care > Guide to Onycholysis – Recognizing and Fighting
Posted on July 13, 2008 in Nail Care
By general definition, Onycholysis is the nail disorder in which, nail plates gets estranged from nail bed. The process is not accompanies by any sensation of pain, but may hamper the beauty of your hands, making them look ugly. Also known as Beau’s Lines, this abnormal condition of nails may also lead to discoloration of nails, making them yellow, white or even, green in color. More than that, it may mark the beginning of a severe skin disorder.
Causes of Onycholysis
Onycholysis mostly occurs in women, who are in the habit of growing long nails and using different cosmetic products to nurture them. However, this nail disorder may occur due to other reasons as well and people from both sexes and all age groups are eligible to be victimized by it.
- Hand injuries and nail damage may lead to Onycholysis.
- Overexposure to water, especially cold water may lead to this nail disorder.
- Ill-treating activities like biting may also cause this problem.
- Use of beautifying procedures like manicure and chemicals present in products like nail polish, remover etc. also contributes towards Onycholysis.
- Skin infections and allergies caused mainly by fungus are other causes of this nail disorder.
- Side effects of medicines and health issues like thyroid dysfunction may also lead to Onycholysis.
Symptoms of Onycholysis
Onycholysis is accompanied by deformations in the area surrounding and under the nails. You may experience following symptoms to confirm the existence of Onycholysis in your nails:
- The loosening of nail plate from nail bed is the most alarming indication for Onycholysis.
- The opaqueness in large area of a nail may also confirm the infection caused by Onycholysis.
- The discoloration of nails to accommodate white or green layers also indicates the existence of Onycholysis.
- The irritation in the area may also be considered as a symptom for nail disorder.
Treatment of Onycholysis
The treatment for Onycholysis may be classified into two stages as follows:
Prevention:
- You may prevent the occurrence of Onycholysis by restricting the growth of your nails.
- You must not expose your nails to beauty products containing harmful chemicals.
- Also, the level of moisture around nails must be maintained.
- And of course, you must not indulge in ill-treating your nails like rubbing them against hard surface and biting them.
General treatment procedures:
- Wear protection gloves while exposing infected nails to water and chemicals.
- You may apply emollient cream over infected area after taking a bath.
- If you have infection in foot nails, avoid wearing rough shoes.
- Triamcinolone is recommended for the treatment of Onycholysis and must be injected under strict medical conditions.
- It is advised to avoid trauma in case of Onycholysis infecting the nails.
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December 21st, 2008 at 9:16 pm
I have a nail on each of my feet that will turn colors at the base and eventually fall off. there is always a new nail already there when the old falls off what is this and how can i stop it?