Is your skin peeling around your nails? Can you imagine how your fingertips will look like after the skin around them has peeled off? This can be very irritating leave alone if it being itchy or painful.
So after getting deeply concerned about the effects, we opted to provide full insight into causes including on cuticle and under finger and toenails. You will also get treatments and remedies.
What causes the peeling?
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Most of the time we do expose our hands and foot to some irritation and harsh environments. Actually, this peeling is commonly triggered by dry skin around nails, rough fingertips or scaly cuticles.
These conditions can join hands with bacteria to develop severe situations. Taking care of your nails will help impede or limit the chances of this problem. This should be done when you are getting a manicure after touch water for a long time or even going out to intense hot or cold weathers.
Therefore, under this section, we have discussed some of the factors that can trigger this problem. We have also availed their relevant treatments.
According to MedGuidance.com, “there are numerous possible reasons for skin peeling around nails, ranging from infection to complex internal diseases to simply washing your hands too often without moisturizing. If you don’t know your medical history or cannot tell the detail of your skin condition, it can be next to impossible to figure out why your skin is peeling or dry.”
Therefore understanding these causative factors will help us come up with procedures to manage the issue. Some of the common triggers include:
Allergic reaction
There are several allergens that can trigger skin peeling (itchy or non-itchy) around nails. For instance, nail polish, touching soapy water for long, allergic reactions to latex and nickel and irritations triggered by some solvents, etc can cause this issue. You need to identify the substances you are allergic to and find their alternatives.
Treatment
The most applicable solution, in this case, is to identify substances you are allergic to and try to avoid them a period of about 4 weeks and examine the improvements.
If you or your doctor discovers the cause is due to an allergic response, antihistamine prescription can be ideal in severe cases where it is inflamed, swollen and painful.
Skin Conditions
This can be due to several skin conditions, these conditions may include:
Psoriasis
This disease affects the life cycle of your skin cells i.e. individuals who are suffering from this disease will experience the rapid building up of cells along the skin surface. This will lead to development of silvery, thick scales and painful red patches that may peel after sometime. Therefore, this condition is a potential trigger.
Eczema
Eczema or Atopic dermatitis occurs when the skin is inflamed hence leading to dry itchy skin that can peel thereafter. This condition can be caused by chemical irritants, trauma and even handling paper.
Chronic eczema in hands can lead to some severe condition that can influence peeling of the skin around your finger and toenails.
Dyshidrosis
This disease is also known as pompholyx or dyshidrotic eczema. However, this is not a common cause, but we need to give it a close examination since it can trigger mild symptoms of this problem.
Treatment
If at the peeling is due to skin diseases, then consult your doctor or dermatologist as soon as possible. This is because the doctor will be able to assess the situation, diagnose the disease and the most suitable treatment for it.
Infection
In some circumstances, the peeling can be triggered by some chronic infections especially due to yeast or bacterial infections. Bacterial infections can lead to several skin disorders that can trigger lesions. The lesions can take a long period to heal.
Treatment
To be able to manage the signs and symptoms of these infections, the use antibacterial and antifungal will help to manage the infections due to bacteria and fungi. If the situation doesn’t get any better after about four days, please treat see your doctor.
Lack of minerals
Lack of vitamins can be another reason for this kind of peeling. The deficiency of certain vitamins or minerals will cause direct skin dryness, this will probably cause the skin in various parts of the body to flake and peel, this can occur around the nails.
Treatment
If lack of minerals is the reason, you include them in your diet. Make sure that you have to the diet that will have the correct amount of healthy fats, minerals, carbohydrates, dietary fiber, proteins, and vitamins. This for sure will be a solution.
Nail biting
The can be contributed by nervous habits of peeling, picking or biting cuticles and nails. This creates sores that can lead to infections.
You also have to note that damaged skin can also be triggered when the hangnails are ripped off rather than being clipped gently at the bottom using a sterile tool. Therefore, you must not pick or bite the cuticles or nails
Treatment
The best solution for this case is to refrain from the habit of picking or biting your cuticles or nails. Find an ideal stress management program too.
Dry skin
The presence of dry skin is the major cause of cuticle peeling. Actually, when cuticles get dry, they will crack, peel and flake as well.
Some of the factors that can influence the cuticles to dry are may include excessive hand washing or contact with water, cold, dry weather, use of harsh detergent and soaps, use of acetone nail polish removers.
Excessive dryness can also lead to pain, redness, and swelling, bleeding, and cracking. There can infection when the germs find their ways into the skin through the damaged cuticles.
Treatment
This can be healed by soaking your hands in warm water, taking good care of your hands and feet. Some of the homes products such aloe Vera, cucumber, coconut oil can be applied to the affected skin to make it supple. Dryness due to other diseases can be stopped by treating the underlying diseases. Also, try to protect your fingers when going out to harsh environmental conditions.
Other Causes
Some other causes that can trigger peeling include certain medication and sucking of fingers (common in children).
Peeling cuticles
Actually, the cuticle is the area on the fingers just next to where your nails have grown from. In most cases, the dry cuticles will peel after sometimes. Usually, the epidermis is constantly peeling off and being replaced as it is rubbed by friction.
Normally, the flakes are usually so tiny that we could not be able to see them except under a microscope. On the other hands, these flakes may build up in one layer and start to peel. Actually, this is how cuticle peel.
Therefore, before you could start to treat this condition, you must first know the underlying causes. Here are some of the factors that can lead to their dry hence leading to their peeling:
- Overworking your hand under harsh condition
- Putting your hands in water for too long, remember water is not a good moisturizer for this case. This is because water will wash away the skin oils
- Harsh environmental conditions
- Again, certain skin conditions, some medications or infections
This problem can be relieved by soaking your hands in warm water, taking good care of your hands, application of hand creams or lotions and daily massaging with essential oils.
Warning: Don’t ever try to peel off your dry cuticles or any dry skin under your fingernails, as you could end up destroying the soft healthy skin.
Peeling under fingernails
This can also be due to various factors including infections, injuries, and dryness of the underneath skin.
Some of the factors that can influence the skin below the fingernails to be dry may comprise touching water for too long, using dehydrating cleaning agents and even exposing your hands to severe environmental conditions such as hot or cold weathers. Allergic responses can also be linked to this problem.
You should be very careful when you are treating this problem since products like lotions will not penetrate the surface layer of the skin to heal the dryness.
However, oils containing jojoba oil can penetrate it. This is because jojoba oil has the tiniest molecular structure that can infiltrate the surface layer of the skin, open up the pores, creaming and conditioning oils in after it. Botanical and solar oils can also be used. The oils should be applied to each nail surface and the skin beneath.
If the problem is due to other diseases, then you will need to treat them depending on their cause.
Around toenails
When it happens on toenails, it can be triggered by two major factors, and these are infections and injuries. Wearing unbeatable footwear can also lead to a similar problem by being a source of infections.
Some of these factors can also influence the toenails to fall off. Actually, this phenomenon is more rampant than even the peeling skin around the toenails. Working in harsh environment barefooted can also lead to this problem.
Finally, it can also be triggered by other diseases attacking your body, so for such cases, treating the underlying diseases can help stop the peeling skin.
Prevention
Below are some of the tips that can help you stop this problem:
- Observe proper hygiene habits on a daily basis.
- Be sure to wear shoes made of breathable materials that offer protection and balance
- Make sure you dry your feet properly after getting into contact with water.
- Always wear clean and breathable shocks
- Don’t ever try to rip of tear peeling skin
Remember there are home remedies and over-the-counter drugs that can manage the peeling if it is moderate.
Home remedies
Is it possible to treat peeling skin using home remedies? Of course, the answer is YES. It is possible to heal this condition using some of the effective home remedies that we are about to discuss.
However, know the root causes since the remedy used will depend on the root cause and nature. Read through to discover the most effective home remedies.
1. Honey
Application of pure honey on the affected area can really help in soothing the skin. After application, the honey should be kept there for around 20 minutes before it could be washed away using lukewarm water. Honey can also be mixed with other products including sandalwood, olive oil, and rosewater.
The mixture can be applied daily to keep the skin soft and smooth. Remember to wash away using lukewarm water after the whole process. This will effectively make it supple.
2. Warm water
To be able to limit the chances this problem, be soaking your hands using warm water for at least 10 minutes on a daily basis.
Lemon juice and honey can be added to warm water before you could use your hands. After rinsing your hands, you can then dry your hands and apply vitamin E oil, olive oil or a good hand moisturizer on them to maintain to help keep them moisturized.
3. Cucumber
Application of cucumber to the affected skin can also be another great solution. This process can be employed by cutting slices of cucumber and rubbing them gently on the affected skin. Make the juice get absorbed well into the skin. Wash area where you have been applying the cucumber with lukewarm water. Repeat the process daily until you get your desired results.
4. Aloe Vera
Because aloe vera has both soothing and cooling properties, it can be an appropriate treatment. To apply it, take out the succulent gel from the leaf of aloe vera plant. You can then rub the gel over the affected part of the skin many times in a day. You won’t believe the result.
Another best way of using Aloe Vera is by drinking two tablespoons on daily basis.
5. Olive Oil
This oil can be used on the affected skin. However, be sure to heat a virgin olive oil. You can then add lavender essential oil into the olive oil then rinse your hands using these warm oil.
At the end, gently wash your hands using lukewarm water and apply effective moisturizers after you have dried your hands.
Conclusion
Due to the fact that several causes can influence the skin peeling around the nails (around fingernails or toenails). Ensure you know the cause in your case so as to be able to decide on the best medicines to use.
Note that, after trying out some home remedies and over the counter products and you don’t notice any improvement, please see your dermatologist for further evaluation.
List of our References
- http://www.medguidance.com/thread/Skin-Peeling-Around-Nails.html
- https://www.quora.com/Peeling-skin-below-finger-nails-What-could-be-the-problem
- http://www.enkivillage.com/skin-peeling-around-nails.html
- http://www.wikihow.com/Stop-Your-Cuticle-Skin-from-Peeling
- https://www.caring.com/questions/tiny-strips-of-skin-just-below-my-fingers-nails-start-to
- http://www.livestrong.com/article/545879-what-causes-dry-cracked-skin-around-the-fingernails/
- http://www.healthboards.com/boards/nail-problems/314928-peeling-skin-under-fingernail.html
- http://www.boldsky.com/health/wellness/2015/sixteen-home-remedies-for-peeling-skin-around-fingertips-064364.html
- http://www.yogawiz.com/blog/home-remedies/peeling-dry-cuticles-skin-causes-and-home-remedies.html
- http://naildystrophy.com/peeling-nails/