Hangnails are small pieces of skin that continuously keep coming off your fingers. Although this may not seem such a significant problem, it can become a problem especially if the nails become infected.
What causes hangnails? Vitamin deficiency like zinc deficiency is the major cause; dry skin also contributes to that. They can also occur if your hands are constantly immersed in water. Another reason that makes you susceptible to developing hangnail infections is if you have a habit to bite your nails. Whatever causes your hangnails, you can try the following methods to get rid of them.
How to Get Rid of Hangnails
Treating hangnails should not involve ripping, biting or cutting the affected area.
- Firstly, soften the area by soaking fingers in warm water.
- Clip the hangnail with cuticle scissors to prevent jagged edges.
- Once this is done, massage lotion to the nail bed and continue to do so for some weeks.
- You can also consider the application of antibacterial lotion and covering the affected area with a bandage.
If an infection has set in, try soaking the fingers in hot water for a few days. If this does not work, consult your doctor.
You can also follow the hottest video from Youtube to get rid of hangnails:
How to Prevent Hangnails
It is very easy to develop hangnails. Therefore, you should be aware of what you can do to prevent it. The good news is it is easy to prevent the formation and development of hangnails. Below are a few methods that enable you to prevent the formation of hangnails.
1. Moisturize Your Hands
Keeping your hands moisturized at all times ensures it does not become dry. As you know, dryness is a primary cause of hangnails. Therefore, keeping hands moisturized with a good hand cream, especially during dry weather is beneficial.
2. Use Petroleum Jelly
This is an excellent moisturizer. Petroleum jelly contains fats that penetrate into the deep layers of the skin. The application of petroleum jelly is one of the best ways you can prevent the hands from drying excessively.
3. Avoid Biting Nails
If you have the habit of biting your nails, you should try and avoid this habit as you are more at risk of developing hangnails than others. In addition, the risk of infection is also high. Infection of the nails can go deep into the nail tissue and you may require surgery to cure the condition. Therefore, try not to bite your nails. If you have already developed hangnails with an infection, there are various antifungal and antibiotic medications just for this purpose.
4. Trim Nails Regularly
Keeping the nails trimmed and not overly long can help prevent hangnail development. Visit the manicurist regularly or get your nails filed at home to ensure you keep your nails fashionable yet short to prevent hangnails.
5. Avoid Acetone Nail Polish Remover
Acetone-based nail polish remover dries out hands and nails. Since hangnails occur mainly due to overly dry hands, use of such products should be avoided.
Hangnails do not have to ruin your fingers and cause problems. If you care for your nails properly and avoid the causes of hangnail development, you ensure healthy nails.