Treatment of Nail Fungus

Nail fungus is made upward of small organisms that can taint fingernails and toenails. The nails of our fingers and toes are really efficient barriers. A nail fungal transmission may start as a light-colored or yellow place under the hint of your fingernail or toenail. As the nail fungus spreads deeper into your nail, it may induce your nail to discolor, thicken and produce crumbling edges - an ugly and possibly traumatic trouble. The nail provides a secure spot for the fungus and protects it while it grows, since fungus like blue and wet places. This is why it’s difficult to hit and halt nail fungus. Trimming the nails overly brief can ensue in tiny cuts allowing the fungus to infiltrate. Nail biting can too undermine nails and damage overprotective layers. Toenail fungus infections are often more popular than fingernail fungus, and are more hard to handle. This is because fungi flourish in blue, hot and damp environments.

The fungi that induce toenail fungus are really popular in wet national areas. Examples include national showers, locker rooms, and pools. Never walk barefoot in these areas. The nails frequently get yellowish, and can get light-colored patches. Sometimes the nails can move dark or brown. The nail provides the fungus with a powerful overprotective roadblock. This roadblock makes it hard for medications to destroy the fungus. For this cause, prevention is really significant. Nails can be really appealing. Women, more frequently than men, put a good trade of importance on how their nails seem and consume a substantial sum of moment and money on them. Nails reflect a person's private and health habits - better or terrible. Nail fungus handling should start as shortly as potential. The longer you look, the worse the circumstance will get, and the more hard to handle.

A transmission with nail fungus may be hard to handle, and infections may recur. But medications are accessible to assist exonerate upward nail fungus. Infected nails may too divide from the nail sheet, a circumstance called onycholysis. You may still look pain in your toes or fingertips and discover a somewhat nasty smell. Nail fungus is more popular among old adults for several reasons, including decreased blood circulation, much years of vulnerability to fungi and because nails may rise more slowly and thicken with aging, making them more vulnerable to transmission. The better handling of class is prevention. Keep your nails reduce directly across. If nails are difficult to reduce, weaken by soaking in salt water. Keep feet arid and easily ventilated. Be cautious with artificial nails and be exclusive about choosing your manicurist. Topical creams applied immediately to the infected place are frequently used for less severe infections.

Whenever your feet are damp for extended periods of time, the chances of getting the fungus increases. The nails can reveal a lot about the body’s internal health. Healthy nails are often a sign of good health, while bad nails are often a tip off to more serious problems. A high protein diet may help your nails grow stronger and healthier. There are many other options besides oral anti-fungal medications. Unfortunately, they are not very effective. The most effective topical medication is Ciclopirox lacquer. Combination therapy can help increase the effectiveness of the treatment. If you choose to take an oral medication, make sure you use a topical anti-fungal agent as well. Nail removal is also an option. Lamisil cream is a very effective anti fungal medicine used widely in order to treat ailments caused by fungal infection.

Flaunt The Beauty Of Your Nails With Stylish Nail Designs

Nail decoration is not a new concept and can be traced back from 3000 B.C in China, but has now been introduced in some European countries as well. Also, the technological advancements has lead to an improvisation in the field in terms of finishing, quality and varied new colors that have came into subsistence.

There are also a wide range of nail accessories that can be used to adorn your nails that you may have to be aware of in order to have better idea which one you will choose to decorate or maintain your nails:

• Nail Stripes: Simply peel away and put the stripe on the nail to stick the design to your nail.

• Dots and Stars: These beautiful and trendy accessories are accessible in the variety of nail polish or nail stickers.

• Nail Stickers: You just have to remove the sticker and rest it securely onto your nails.

• Water Marbling: It is the most common of all the nail accessories or arts among women of the present scenario. Fill up the cup with water and put in preferred colors of paint in the water, a marble design with a toothpick or pin can soon be created. Dip nails inside the water and remove nails from the water bowl after some minutes and finally clean away excess polish.

• Bright stones: these can be added to add a tint of grace to your design that has been polished on your nail.

Apart from this, if you are confused about the nail design that should be made, visiting a nail salon to get it done by a professional is a choice that most of us have. However, if you are keen to make it all by yourself, you can look up on the Internet, nail magazine and Asian magazine are some other alternatives available to derive inspiration for the same. Mixing color is another famous, old yet trendy technique that can be experimented with.

Though these nail designs are preferred by most women for special occasion, still there is a section of them who love to flaunt their exquisite nail designs in everyday lives. French manicure, multicolor nails, flowers and hearts are some of the well-known nail designs that fascinate women round the globe.

On the other hand, some of these women also like to experiment with original designs like during the Christmas season many women love to make Christmas tree or starts on their nails to reflect the fervor of the season. Few of them also glue pearl with their nail designs. Hence, at the end of the day, it all depends on the preferences or choices of an individual, if they want to make simple and sophisticated or glittery and funky.

Nail Art: Groovy Way to Express yourself

Since the beginning of time, humans have been preoccupied in making their bodies more attractive and beautiful through tattooing with plant dyes and other colorful natural ingredients. If you think that nails were spared from this preoccupation, you should think again. You see, as far back as 5,000 years ago, people from India were known to express their art works on their hands and nails using mehndi or henna, which were derived from plants.

Knowing More About Nail Art

The tradition of adorning nails with beautiful symbols and colors is gaining popularity in the country today. More and more salons are not just offering simple manicures, pedicures and nail extensions but also what is called nail art. Aside from just painting nails with different-colored polishes, you can now see some decorated with precious stones, metals, or just beautiful drawings of butterflies, ladybugs and flowers. Some are even pierced or stamped with various small objects, such as beads and metal balls.

Nowadays, nail art is starting to become one of the more popular ways to express oneself. The good thing for most people is it's not usually permanent as tattoos; so you can easily change the designs and colors to suit your needs. For people who are working and who have strict office codes, they can still satisfy their craving for art through their toenails.

Contemporary Trends And Styles In Nail Art

Painting And Airbrushing

Two of the easiest and most common ways of expressing yourself through your nails are by painting with ordinary nail polish brush and painting with airbrush. Simple designs, symbols and drawings can be achieved through these methods. For a more dazzling and chic effect, you can always request for some glitters. You will find many salons offering such services.

If you have little girls, you can also let them wear hand painted or airbrushed nail art during the summer. They will absolutely love having crawling spiders, little daisies, bright stars, and even cute little hearts on their small nails.

Marbling

If you are into abstract art, you will surely love this new nail art style. However, this requires a lot of patience on the part of the artist because proper mixing of colors in order to get the desired marble effect can be difficult. Unless you are intending to use psychedelic and loud colors, this style can be worn even in the office. Just make sure you chose pastel and light colors so as not to shock your superiors.

Piercing And Detailing

Body piercing is in vogue, especially for teens and young adults. If you are interested in hoops and other piercing gadgets but do not want to get hurt, you can opt to have your piercing done on your nails. However, it is best that you go to a professional nail technician because you don't want your nails being chipped in the process. Usually, hoops are placed on acrylic nails and not on the real ones.

What are Nails and Why Do We Have Them

Nail structure

Our nails are made up of several components, some of which are visible, some of which are not. What we see when we look at our nails is called the nail plate. A plate is hard, smooth, rectangular in shape, and slightly convex.

If you need medical attention for a toenail problem, a podiatrist or a dermatologist can usually help you. If a fingernail is troubling you, visit a dermatologist for advice.

Nails are translucent in color, but they take on a faint pink cast thanks to the network of blood vessels located beneath them. This color is variable. It may become paler, for example, when you're feeling cold and the blood vessels in your fingers and toes have constricted.

Half moons

The whitish, half-moon area visible at the base of the nail is the lunula. Its shape and pale color come from nail cells that are not fully mature; these cells will mature and turn translucent as they grow toward the nails' tips. The size, shape, and brightness of the lunula varies from person to person and even from finger to finger - for some reason, lunulas are often most pronounced on thumbs. Should you happen to notice your lunula isn't as bright as it once was, don't worry: the lunula often fades with age.

Cuticles and nail beds

The cuticle is the thin tissue that grows from the finger to overlap the nail plate and form a rim around the base of the nail. Its purpose is protective: to keep out debris and microorganisms that can harm the matrix and nail bed.

The nail bed is the finger tissue directly under the nail plate; its network of small blood vessels provide nutrition for the nail. While the nail bed does support the nail, it does not contribute to the nail's growth.

If you've ever wondered how the nail sticks to the nail bed, here's the answer: both the nail bed's surface and the nail plate's underside feature vertical ridges and depressions that fit together like puzzle pieces, locking the bed and plate together.

Also known as the nail root, the matrix is the area hidden beneath the cuticle. It is here that nail keratin is created. Nail cells divide in the matrix, thereby lengthening the nail plate, and pushing it forward over the nail bed. The folds of skin at the nail's base and sides are known as the nail folds. These folds frame and support the nails.

Natural Remedy

CAUSES

Fungi are microscopic organisms that don't need sunlight to survive. Some fungi have beneficial uses, while others cause illness and infection.

Nail fungal infections are typically caused by a fungus that belongs to a group of fungi called dermatophytes. But yeasts and molds also can be responsible for nail fungal infections.

RISK FACTORS

Nail fungus is more common among older adults for several reasons, including diminished blood circulation, more years of exposure to fungi and because nails may grow more slowly and thicken with aging, making them more susceptible to infection. Nail fungus also tends to affect men more than women and those with a family history of this infection. Resistance to fungal infection likely has a genetic component.

COMPLICATIONS

Nail fungal infections can be painful and may cause permanent damage to your nails. They may also lead to other serious infections that can spread beyond your feet if you have a suppressed immune system due to medication, diabetes or other conditions.

TREATMENT

Nail fungus can be difficult to treat, and repeated infections are common. Over-the-counter antifungal nail creams and ointments are available, but they aren't very effective.

Oral medications

To treat nail fungus, your doctor may prescribe an oral antifungal medication, such as:

* Itraconazole (Sporanox)

* Fluconazole (Diflucan)

* Terbinafine (Lamisil)

These medications help a new nail grow free of infection, slowly replacing the infected portion of your nail. You typically take these medications for six to 12 weeks but won't see the end result of treatment until the nail grows back completely. It may take four months or longer to eliminate an infection. Recurrent infections are possible, especially if you continue to expose your nails to warm, moist conditions.

Antifungal drugs may also cause side effects ranging from skin rashes to liver damage. Doctors may not recommend them for people with liver disease or congestive heart failure or for those taking certain medications.

PREVENTION

To help prevent nail fungus and reduce recurrent infections, practice good hand and foot hygiene by following these steps:

* Keep your nails short, dry and clean. Trim nails straight across and file down thickened areas. Thoroughly dry your hands and feet, including between your toes, after bathing.

* Wear appropriate socks. Synthetic socks that wick away moisture may keep your feet dryer than do cotton or wool socks (you can also wear synthetic socks underneath other socks). Change them often, especially if your feet sweat excessively. Take your shoes off occasionally during the day and after exercise. Alternate closed-toe shoes with open-toed shoes.

* Use an antifungal spray or powder. Spray or sprinkle your feet and the insides of your shoes.

* Wear rubber gloves. This protects your hands from overexposure to water. Between uses, turn the rubber gloves inside out to dry.

* Don't trim or pick at the skin around your nails. This may give germs access to your skin and nails.

* Don't go barefoot in public places. Wear shoes around public pools, showers and locker rooms.

* Choose a reputable manicure and pedicure salon. Make sure the salon sterilizes its instruments. Better yet, bring your own.

* Give up nail polish and artificial nails. Although it may be tempting to hide nail fungal infections under a coat of pretty pink polish, this can trap unwanted moisture and worsen the infection.

* Wash your hands after touching an infected nail. Nail fungus can spread from nail to nail.

Easy Ways to Avoid Fungal Nail Infections

“Be kind to your feet; they outnumber people two to one,” so goes the slogan used by the popular Happy Feet sandals back in the ‘70s. Unfortunately, not everyone follows this simple advice. Despite their usefulness, feet often take the lowest priority when it comes to health. This makes them prone to a host of disorders like fungal nail infections that commonly affect the elderly.

Onychomycosis is the medical term for this serious malady that turns nails into monsters, making them dull, discolored, disfigured, distorted, and deformed. As the disease progresses, it can spread to your fingernails and make day to day activities like walking, typing, and writing painful and difficult.

To keep your nails happy and fungus free, here are some practical tips from the Mayo Clinic and WebMD:

1) Keep your hands and feet clean. Dry them thoroughly after washing or bathing and use a good foot powder.

2) Don’t walk barefoot around public pools, showers, and locker rooms.

3) Choose your footwear carefully. Wear socks that absorb moisture and change them as often as necessary, especially if you have sweaty feet. Avoid tight, enclosed shoes.

4) Don’t wear the same shoes daily. Have at least two pairs that you can wear alternately. Take your shoes off from time to time during the day. Disinfect your shoes with a good antifungal spray.

5) Use rubber gloves if you come in contact with water often. Dry the gloves afterwards.

Ingrown Toe Nail

Symptoms of an ingrown nail include pain along the margins of the nail (caused by hypergranulation that occurs around the aforementioned region). Some ingrown toenails are chronic, with repeated episodes of pain and infection. Irritation, redness, an uncomfortable sensation of warmth, as well as swelling can result from an ingrown toenail. Bumping of an affected toe with objects can produce sharp, even excruciating, pain as the tissue is punctured further by the ingrown nail. By the very nature of the condition, ingrown nails become easily infected unless special care is taken to treat the condition early on and keep the area as clean as possible. Signs of infection include redness and swelling of the area around the nail, drainage of pus and watery discharge tinged with blood. The main symptom is swelling at the base of the nail on whichever side (if not both sides) the ingrowing nail is forming. The infection can spread, making the toe red and inflamed (paronychia). A collection of pus may also develop.

Ingrown toenails should be treated as soon as they are recognized. Treatment of ingrown nails ranges from soaking the afflicted area to surgery. Sometimes antibiotics are used to help the infection clear after the nail has been removed. Peroxide is immediately effective to help clean minor infections but iodine is more effective in the long term as it continues to prevent bacterial growth even after it is dry. The problem is congenital, the best way to prevent ingrown toenails is to protect the feet from trauma and wear shoes with adequate room for the toes. Soak the foot in warm water 3-4 times daily. Bandages can help keep out bacteria but one should never apply any of the new types of spray-on bandages to ingrown nails that show any discharge - preventing drainage will likely cause intense swelling and pain. Cutting toe nails properly goes a long way toward the prevention of ingrown toenails. Using a safety nail clipper, cut the nails straight across, so that the nail corner is visible. Trim nails straight across. Don't pick at your nails or tear them at the corners. If the nail is not deeply ingrown, the edge of the nail can be lifted from the skin edge that it is irritating. A small piece of clean cotton can then be used to prop the nail's corner up and over the skin edge until the skin heals.

Cat's Claws

When you are ready to start trimming your cat's claws, have your helper hold the cat gently, but firmly. Grasp one of the cat's paws in your hand and press down on one of the toes to extend the claw. Do you see where the nail goes up to a pink area? That pink area is called the "quick" and will bleed if you accidentally cut into it. It also would be painful for the cat. Cut the nail quickly and cleanly just below the pink area. Now, can you repeat that process for the remaining nineteen or so nails? The answer is probably not. Unless you sedate your cat (not really recommended) or your feline is just really, really laid back, you will have to complete the claw clipping in several stages. In the claw clipping process, do not neglect your kitty's dewclaws. These are like the equivalent to the thumb of a human and are only found on the front paws. Be sure when you stop to take a break that you praise your family feline and even give it a treat for good behaviour.

Ok, what happens if you do accidentally clip into the "quick" of the cat's claw? First of all, stay calm. Your cat will probably be freaked enough and fighting in the arms of your helper. You need to reassure your cat and apply a slight pressure to the tip of that claw until the bleeding stops. If the cat isn't fighting too much, apply an antiseptic that dries quickly. Avoiding infection is a smart idea. If you are ever in doubt as to how much of the claw you should clip, trim a little less than you probably would go for. It is always better to be safe than sorry.

Claw care for your kitty should happen every two to three weeks optimistically or on an as-needed basis. If possible, keep an eye on your cat's disposition. If your fur ball seems in a laidback mood, try trimming its nails at that time. It is possible to cut them, all on your own, but if your cat takes exception to the fact that you have a pair of clippers in your hand, it can be a difficult task. And if your cat is a bit of a hellion, ask your veterinarian or a professional groomer to clip your cat's claws. They have the experience, special training and some tips and secrets to getting a cat to cooperate.

Sometimes, however, clipping your cat's claws does not forestall the scratching in your home. If you do not want to give your cat away to a new home, you might want to consider declawing your cat. This involves removing the claws, through a surgical process, as well as the tissue that the claws draw back into. Talk with your veterinarian about this surgery and whether or not it might be the next step you should take with your cat. As with all medical procedures, there are risks involved like slow healing and infection.

Before taking that drastic step into declawing, try various behaviour modification techniques. But most of all, just know that it is natural as breathing for your cat to bare its claws and scratch. If you are lucky, you can train it to use a scratching post to do most of its handiwork.

Nail Fungus Medicine: Does it Work?

How it All Begins

Don't buy anti-fungal medicine just yet. It is important that you first understand why you have an infection in the first place. Understanding the origins of nail fungus can help you pinpoint the right treatment for you.

Fungal Exposure - You can get nail fungal infection if you get exposed to fungi. They usually thrive in moist and warm areas like public showers, pools and the like. Infection can begin if you have a skin cut or a gap between your nail and your toe flesh. Fungi can creep into the small opening. A nail fungal infection can begin as a small white dot on your nail. In time, it will begin to get worse. If you don't do anything about it, you could end up with yellow or dark nails with ragged edges.

Infected nails are not exactly the best of sights to look at. This may encourage some to cover up with socks and shoes. Unfortunately, fungi thrive in warm and closed environments like footwear. Covering up with non-porous footwear can make the infection worse.

Possible Treatment

As mentioned, you have a lot of treatment options. These may come in the form of oral medication or chemical nail applications. For mild fungal infection cases, these may already be sufficient to take care of the problem. In some cases though, the treatment could prolong from six months to one year. There are also times when medication may not take care of the problem completely.

Taking Medications - There is one other problem related to fungal medication. Oral medication in particular can result in some side effects. If you use some medicines for a very long period of time, you could even suffer from liver problems.

Natural Treatment

Of course, you can opt for natural treatment. Some products with natural ingredients may not be as or more effective than chemical treatments. They however, have an obvious edge. Natural products don't just work against the infection. They also help nourish the nails and skin and do not promote serious side effects. In other words, treating nail fungi with a good natural product will not put your health at risk. Some natural ingredients to look out for are jojoba oil, tea tree oil, lemongrass and vitamin E.

Looking for the Best Toe Nail Fungus Remedy

People with toe nail fungus have thick, ugly, odorous, discolored and out-of-shape toe nails which can be a source of embarrassment as well as pain. One can get this by walking barefoot in moist places such as swimming pools, baths and lockers. One is not alone in this, as about 35 million Americans are suffering from this disease.

Of course, there are a lot of remedies to toe nail fungus that everybody has come up with. These are some of the most popular ones:

1. Tea Tree Oil - Applying Tea tree oil on the toenails everyday is one toe nail fungus remedy. It can be used with olive oil for the best results. This will take some time to see the results, or even there are no positive results as all.

2. Mouthwash - Listerine mouthwash has been also shared by many as another good toe nail fungus remedy. One has to simply soak his/her toes in Listerine mouthwash. Listerine is an antiseptic so it can clear up the fungus. Remember, like tea tree oil, this has produced mixed results.

3. Creams - Applying Alpha Hydroxyl Acid, or AHA creams, before sleeping is another recommended remedy. This will remove the scaly skin from the feet, thus lessening the onset of a toe nail fungus infection.

4. Combinations - Tea tree oil with lavender oil is another great combination in battling toe nail fungus. Tea tree oil is nature's antibiotic and antiseptic, while lavender is the one that will prevent skin irritation.

5. Doctor's Prescription - Medical Prescriptions are also recommended by doctors as toe nail fungus remedy. This includes such medicines such as itraconazole (Sporonox), fluconazole (Diflucan), griseofulvin (Fulvicin), and terfinabine (Lamisil). But these have some moderate to serious side effects such as headaches, upset stomach, to liver damage to even death. One must be careful in using these prescription medications.

6. All-Natural Products - Another effective toe nail fungus remedy is the use of natural treatments such as Zetaclear. It has ingredients from the most effective treatments stated above such as tea tree oil, jojoba oil, lavender oil as well as clove oil. They have no adverse side effects like that of prescription medications, but they are as effective. To top it, they also offer a return guarantee, no questions asked, if one is unsatisfied with the medicine.

Nail Fungus: Faqs and Answers

A lot of people are now looking for natural cure for nail fungus. If you have the condition yourself, you would know that looking for a good, effective and safe synthetic treatment is not easy. Before you settle for just any natural solution though, you should ask a couple of good questions first.

Is there a natural solution to nail fungus?

Yes, there is. In fact, there are a couple of different natural solutions to choose from. For centuries, our ancestors have benefited from the use of healing and nourishing natural ingredients. Several of these may work well on nail fungal infections. Among some possible natural ingredients that may be used are clove oil, almond oil, jojoba oil, tea tree oil and lemongrass oil.

Health Shops - Some may opt to buy these ingredients from health stores. They may mix these ingredients and use them as home solutions. It is possible though that you stand a better chance at solving your fungal problem if you use a pre-mixed product. Manufacturers have taken the time to determine product concentrations and mixtures to ensure that you get the right mixture and extract strength for optimum treatment.

Are natural solutions better than artificial ones?

It doesn't really follow that natural is better than artificial. Some however may prefer a natural cure for nail fungus because many natural products do not cause side effects. Aside from not having a negative impact on our health, natural products may also have nourishing effects.

Be careful, though. Any solution for nail fungus cannot work overnight. You cannot expect to apply a solution today and your infection gone tomorrow. A good solution can take months to get rid of your problem.

Are all natural products equal?

Unfortunately, the answer is no. Like every other product in the world, there will always be fake or knock off versions of natural solutions to nail fungus. These products can be found in abundance online. The manufacturers of these products simply want to ride on the popularity of some effective natural solutions. If you aren't careful, you could end up wasting your money on a solution that doesn't really work.

Natural Cure for Toe Nail Fungus

Natural Products

There are a lot of natural products for fungal infections. A couple of them really do work. There are however a variety of natural ingredients that have been identified to work well against nail fungus. Different products may contain different ingredients with varying amounts of extracts and levels of potency.

What's In The Box - The key to finding out which product works best is to research about the various components of an anti-fungal product. Many product websites can give you a head start through their ingredient pages. From there you can easily perform your own research to determine the natural ingredients' treatment properties.

It's not an easy condition to cure, though. It can cling for many months even if you apply a topical solution consistently. It can even go away for awhile only to come back again. Once you pick a natural product to use against it, make sure you use it regularly as indicated. It is also best to use a natural product as early as possible. A toe nail fungal infection that has progressed to the advanced stages may be extremely difficult to treat. You may have to settle for having the infected nail removed.

Prevention and Self-Care

Prevent It - You shouldn't just rely on a natural cure for toe nail fungus. The best first step against toe nail fungus is to try and prevent it in the first place. If you still manage to get infected, you should strive to contain it in its early stages. Here are some tips for natural toe nail fungus prevention and self-care.

- Make sure that you always have dry feet. Use a clean towel to keep your feet dry. Fungus love moist places and moist nails. This could be one of the reasons for infection or a worsening of an initial infection.

Nail Masks and Antiseptic

Nail masks

Nail masks fall into the "nail care extra" category. While not necessary, they are an effective way to draw moisture to dry, parched, peeling nails, and to soften stubborn cuticles. Not all cosmetic companies make nail masks, but there is a lot of variety on the market. A nail mask can be done immediately before a manicure.

Nail antiseptic

A base coat needs a clean, oil-free nail surface to adhere to; if there's even a trace of oil on the nail, the base coat will begin peeling as soon as it dries. If a scrub brush and soap aren't removing all the oil, cream, or cuticle softener you've used, you could try a nail antiseptic - this is a kind of a toner for nails. Nail antiseptics typically come in nail polish-style bottles and are brushed on. Seche Prep@ is a particularly effective one.

If you don't want to go out and buy nail antiseptic, you can use rubbins alcohol, witch hazel, white vinesar, or a strons skin astrinsent.

All about base coat

If you were to ask me what my personal favorite nail product was, I'd have to say base coat. I love the smooth finish base coat creates, the extra layer of strength it imparts to my nails, the way it keeps dark nail colors from staining my nails and - when I don't feel like wearing nail color - the clean, well-groomed look it lends nails when worn alone. There are several types of base coat available and this can lead to confusion. I have stood in a drugstore aisle, eyes bleary from reading labels, trying to figure out which base coat to buy. For those of you who've ever done the same thing, I offer this short base-coat primer:

Base coats: These are standard, no-frills nail primers. They provide some strengthening, but they are primarily used to help nail color glide on smoothly and to keep darker colors from staining nails. When a base coat features ingredients that create an extra hard finish, it is called a nail strengthener.

Ridge fillers: These are base coats that contain silk, talc, or other types of particles to fill in depressions. If your nails have any kind of depressions, ridges, or peeled-away layers at the tip, ridge fillers can provide a smooth finish.

Anti-microbial or anti-fungal base coat: These products are formulated with ingredients that help kill harmful microorganisms that can cause infection.

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Confessions of a Nail

Tips to Avoid Nail Fungus Infection

- When using public facilities like swimming pools, locker rooms or gym shower, it will be best to wear rubber flip-flops or protective footwear. A lot of people are using these places. Don't take chances. Some of them may be infected by nail fungus, which can be passed from one person to another.

- After bathing, dry your hands and feet, especially the spaces between the fingers and toes.

- Regularly trim your finger and toe nails. As much as possible, cut them in a straight line.

- If your feet sweat a lot, it is advisable to spray antifungal to your shoes on a regular basis. Allow your shoes to air dry so fungus will not have a chance to thrive.

- Change your socks regularly. You may also use open-toe footwear to let the feet breathe.

- If you already have symptoms of nail fungus, never use nail polish or artificial nails to cover the affected nail. This will just worsen the condition. These trap the moisture and encourage further growth of fungi.

- Treat yourself to a nail spa, so your fingers and toes can be pampered properly by a professional. Observe if they sterilize the instruments. It may also work if you bring your own nail care kit.

- Never forget to wash your hands after cleaning or treating a nail infected with fungus. The microorganisms can easily be transferred to other healthy nails.

- Avoid plucking hanging nails since this will create a break in the skin, which may serve as entry points for fungi and other harmful microorganisms.

- If your feet sweat a lot, use socks that are specially designed to repel fungi and prevent unpleasant feet odor.

- Choose proper footwear that allows your feet to breathe. Some materials do not allow air to come in or out of the footwear trapping most of the moisture inside.

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Prevent Nail Fungus

Tips to Avoid Nail Fungus Infection

- When using public facilities like swimming pools, locker rooms or gym shower, it will be best to wear rubber flip-flops or protective footwear. A lot of people are using these places. Don't take chances. Some of them may be infected by nail fungus, which can be passed from one person to another.

- After bathing, dry your hands and feet, especially the spaces between the fingers and toes.

- Regularly trim your finger and toe nails. As much as possible, cut them in a straight line.

- If your feet sweat a lot, it is advisable to spray antifungal to your shoes on a regular basis. Allow your shoes to air dry so fungus will not have a chance to thrive.

- Change your socks regularly. You may also use open-toe footwear to let the feet breathe.

- If you already have symptoms of nail fungus, never use nail polish or artificial nails to cover the affected nail. This will just worsen the condition. These trap the moisture and encourage further growth of fungi.

- Treat yourself to a nail spa, so your fingers and toes can be pampered properly by a professional. Observe if they sterilize the instruments. It may also work if you bring your own nail care kit.

- Never forget to wash your hands after cleaning or treating a nail infected with fungus. The microorganisms can easily be transferred to other healthy nails.

- Avoid plucking hanging nails since this will create a break in the skin, which may serve as entry points for fungi and other harmful microorganisms.

- If your feet sweat a lot, use socks that are specially designed to repel fungi and prevent unpleasant feet odor.

- Choose proper footwear that allows your feet to breathe. Some materials do not allow air to come in or out of the footwear trapping most of the moisture inside.

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Grooming and Skin Care

Treating make up and skin care as different topics wouldn't make sense; after all, make up will work only if the skin is healthy. So how do you exercise make up and skin care, together? Here are some tips for make up and skin care:

* Always have skin care on mind, whether you are buying products for make up or actually applying them onto your skin after you have bought them. So what you are buying is a make up and skin care product, not just a make up product. Check the ingredients to see if it contains things that you might be allergic to. Also check if it contains high concentration chemicals that can harm your skin.

* "Make up and skin care" is also about testing the products before using them. So, apply the make up on a small patch of skin e.g. earlobes and check how your skin reacts to it.

* Keep track of expiry date on your make up products and never use them beyond the expiry date. In fact some products (e.g. vitamin C based products), if not stored properly, get spoilt much earlier than the expiry date.

* Cleanliness is an important part of make up and skin care procedure. Sharpen your eye-liners regularly and keep all your makeup equipment clean at all times. You might fix a date, each month, for overhauling of your equipment. As part of cleanliness, your make up and skin care procedure should also include keeping your hair clean at all times.

* Nail care is another important aspect of make up and skin care. Use a good quality nail polish and always keep your nails clean. Once you are done with cleaning and polishing your nails, you should rub in cuticle oil at the edges of the nail.

* If you have deep-set eyes, you should use a liquid eye liner instead of a pencil one. This will prevent smudging at the deep edges of your eye-lid.

* If you have a skin disorder e.g. acne, you should not apply heavy or chemical based make up. Consult your dermatologist if you are not sure about the make up products that you can use while you have acne or other skin disorder. Never try to squeeze pimples/ acne. Remember that make up and skin care should not conflict each other.

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