Ever looked at your nails and wondered about their purpose, was it maybe there for decoration, to paint bright red? Is it to scratch an itch…
Nope, the nail on your fingers and toes play and important role to protect the sensitive skin on your nail plate.
"So does the cuticle also have its role. It is there to seal the nail bed off from bacterial and fungal infections. Cut the cuticle and expose it, and you are open for those fungal infections."
So what exactly is a fungal infection on the nail?
One of the most common nail and cuticle disorders is the fungal infection. It is also called onychomycosis. Fungal infections are usually caused by a type of fungus called dermatophytes. These fungi typically infect nails through cuts or open areas of skin and this is exactly why we should not be cutting the cuticles. It can off course also spread to other people with contact through infected surfaces like showers or pedicure tools that are not sterilized.
In my opinion, the cuticle stays healthy by moisturising it with a good quality oil like the Elim Cuticle MD that has a blend of 10 oils and also contains and SPF factor.
The Cuticle MD further has a base oil of fractionated coconut oil that is a natural antibacterial oil.
The oils include calming functions but also oils that help with the healing of cut and infected cuticles.
I generally believe that pushing cuticles with cotton and an orange stick or simply using a nail brush daily keeps the cuticle healthy.
If you are unlucky and picked up a fungal infection on the nail or cuticle, we recommend the use of the Elim Fungal Force, a treatment designed specifically to target fungi on the nail, isolate it and kill the bacteria and heal the infection.
Ever heard of ram’s horn nail? This occurs when the toe nail thickens and begins to curve abnormally into a hook shape. This occurs when one side of the nail starts growing faster than the other. Cut the nail evenly and nourish and protect it with a good quality cuticle oil. Gently brush the nail daily.
Even if you are not familiar to any of the above, an ingrown toenail might be more familiar. Again this is caused by the way we cut the nails and can be avoided by simply not cutting into the side cuticle and nails.
These are only a few of the disorders we find that occur on the nail Suffering from any of them we recommend you contact your local pedicurist and find a prescription for the problem.
But here are a few things you can do from now on to keep your nails beautiful and healthy.
Keep a nail brush in the shower and brush your toes and fingernails daily with soap or use the Illuminating Nail Cleanser from Elim.
Keep the Cuticle MD in your bag and moisturize the cuticles daily.
Once a month, go for a pedicure and insist that the cuticles are not cut, but rather pushed back.
Want to know more on how to effectively treat fungi and bacteria during a pedicure, contact Elim today on info@elimspaproducts.com for more information.
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