Solar Nail Care, Nail Polish, Nail Products, Nail Salon, Creative Nail, Nail Airbrush, Nail Beauty, Nail Color, Nail Extensions, Nail Manicure, Nail

Solar Nail Care Inc., Since 1996 we are manufacturing complete range of Beauty Products and Accessories in China. Currently we export Art Nail Tips, Airbrushed Nail (Full Cover and Half Tip), Natural Tips, Nail Sticker, Body Tattoos, Nail Jewelry, Nail Dangle, Nail File (Glass Nail File, Crystal Nail File) and Buffer, Implement ( Sharpener, Nail Dryer, Tweezer, Scissor, Nail Clipper, Nail Art Pen), Pedicure (Essential File, Toe Separator, Foot File, Stone Pedicure) Puff, Sponge, False Eyelashes, Artificial Eyelashes, Fake Eyebrow, Curler, Solar nail care, nail polish, nail products, nail salon, creative nail, nail airbrush, nail beauty, nail color, nail extensions, nail manicure, nail supplies, nail tip, nail tips, acrylic nail tips, false nail, french nail, long nail, nail acrylic, nail colors, nail designs, nail gel, nail professional, natural nail, uv nail, artificial silk, ladies Finger nail, nail cuticle, nail manicures, nail pedicure, nail removal, nail ridges, sally hansen nail, acrylic nail tip,nail white, solar nail, acrylic nail tips, artificial fake, artificial nail glue, artificial nail kits, artificial nail remover, artificial nail tip, fake nail tips, remover nail, nail cuticles, nail fake, nail finger, nail french manicure, nail hand, nail peeling, nail removing, nail silk, nail skin, nail splitting, pink nail tips, remove nail tips, silk nail tips, split nail, Glitter and Bead, Rhinestone, Hair and Cosmetic Brush.

See How Easily You Can Do Nail Care

Keratin is the major component of nails. It is a protein known to be part of the building blocks of the body. Proper nail care protects toes and fingers from injury and trauma. In fact, the importance of nail care is present for more than a century in terms of protection and cosmetics.

Simple nail care can be done at the comfort of your homes. Just wash your nails with warm water and soap. Afterwards, push the cuticles if they are already ragged and long. Then, trim and file the nails to eliminate the spiky edges. This removes the dirt and maintains the beauty of your nails. Finish off with a hand cream for soft, smooth skin.

One of the most common techniques for nail care is manicuring. Professionals in manicuring have enough knowledge on nail care. Significantly, it is much appropriate to seek professional manicuring every month to maintain nail health and beauty. However, availing a professional manicurist is costly. But do not let price despair you. There are best yet convenient tips to a good nail care:

Tip: Use soap, nail brush, and warm water prior to manicuring. This will remove the oil and grim found underneath your nails.

Tip: Natural nail color tells the health of your nails. Essentially, your nails are part of the body that means, you also have to take care of your nails. Nails that are pink in color symbolizes healthy nails because of sufficient blood underneath the nails.

Tip: If you apply nail polish often, you should take it off for once or twice a week for your nails to breath. Sometimes, the chemicals found on nail polish will initiate destruction of your nails. So, you have to take care of your nails with nail polish.

Tip: If you want shiny nails, you do not have to apply a natural nail polish. To add health, apply castor or coconut oil to show off your nails without polish.

Tip: Nail cleaning can also be done through application of hydrogen peroxide. Just dip cotton buds to hydrogen peroxide and apply to your nails.

Tip: You can also use lemon as a primary cleaning agent. Lemon has an antiseptic content, which helps clean the nails without the stress on your nails. Simply apply lemon before you go to a professional manicurist. You can also use half of the lemon for soaking the fingertips or twisting it inside the lemon to clean the nails and cuticles. Plus, if you do not want nail polish for your nails, simply buff with a lemon peel to see similar results.

Sometimes, there are nails with presence of yellowish or whitish discharges. This can result to separation from nail beds that indicates a fungal infection. See your dermatologist for you to know the right anti-fungal paint to eliminate it. To eliminate the occurrence of infection, remove the loose skin or hangnails present with sharp scissors to prevent infection or skin tearing. In addition, if you have that tendency of nail biting, apply an anti-nail biting polish. Once you try to bite your nails, it will taste disgusting that will prevent you from biting your nails again.

A Guide To Manicured And Elegant Nails

First, no matter how much you decorate or paint or gloss your nails, you have to make sure you keep the actual nails healthy. This means including calcium and minerals in your diet. Drink plenty of milk, eat cheese, yogurt, and lots of fruits and vegetables. This will keep your nails hard, glossy, and pink. Otherwise you will endure brittle nails that easily break and nothing ruins a perfect hand more than unshapely, cracked, witch like nails. Protein and calcium will ensure that your nails stay healthy and beautiful even when left natural.

Then, you want to protect the area around your nails. Your cuticles are the protectors of your nails and you can soften them using various hand creams and even olive oil. Soaking your fingers into a cup of olive oil for 15 minutes or so will help soften all of your skin and make it fresh and young looking. Applying hand creams is also a great way of keeping your cuticles and your hands soft. In fact, keeping your hands smooth and soft adds to the look of lovely nails, so using hand scrubs with beads that have fast micro action will help strip away dead skin cells and keep the skin nearest your nails and all around your hand looking fresh, smooth, and beautiful.

Now that the basics are taken care of, you can begin decorating. Many people enjoy the natural French tipped manicured nails and toes. You can do this yourself at home with white nail polish and gloss top coat. Begin by cutting your nails all down to the same size and then filing them in either a straight across shape or a rounded shape. All your nails should be the same length and filed in the same manner. Jagged edges and uneven nails take away from the beauty. If you prefer long nails, allow them to all grow out and then file them to achieve a consistency. Nothing is more junky than mismatching length of nails.

Now, paint the tips of your nails white in the shape of your choice and then color the entire thing with a shiny top coat. All it to dry and then enjoy your fabulously French-tipped nails.

If you want colors, there are so many to choose from, you will be amazed and giddy. Bright red nails never go out of vogue, and painting your nails red is a good way to have ready nails that match with nearly every outfit. If you like the darker look, black or dark blue polish is also a nice look. Try to avoid white nails or neon colors like hot pink, high lighter yellow, or convict orange. These colors are tacky and do not appeal much to anyone.

Be aware that nail polish comes in a variety of textures. There are the matte shades that often come in pinks and corals, and then the more vibrant satin shades that express reds and purples. The glitter polishes are great for fun nights on the town.

If you really want to go all out for a special occasion, you can even try nail de-cals or stickers that might be appropriate for the theme. Maybe pumpkin stickers on Halloween or tiny hearts for Valentine's day. Regardless, having colorful nails will often spruce up your entire outfit and add a little burst of femininity to your attire.

Nail Care Tips

Our hands are such an integral part of our daily lives. Nail is also part of finger beauty. Beautiful nails completely supplement well-groomed hands. Healthy nails firm, smooth and slightly pinkish. The nail is made of an arduous protein called keratin. A protein is one of the building blocks which make up the body. The nail cares help protect the ends of the fingers and toes from trauma and also help us pick up small objects. There are many problems is linked with nail. An ingrown toenail is caused by pressure of the nail against the skin on the side of the nail. Prolonged periods of pressure can cause irritation of the skin, swelling, infection, and pain.

Ingrown nails are seen primarily in the big toes of people in industrialized nations. Many women are plagued by fingernails that split and crack. Certain medical conditions like diabetes can change the appearance of your nails causing a alter in texture or color. Good nail care is solved all this problems. Good nail care is an essential practice a part of our regular routine. If you want strong and sexy nail. Apply speed-dry nail polish when time is of the essence. Drink lots of water. Keep your body hydrated each day to maintain healthy nails. Eat foods rich in biotins like entire grains.

For your nails to be healthy your diet should comprise numerous fruits and raw vegetables so that they get the essential vitamins, minerals and enzymes. Eat food that is rich in silicon like broccoli, fish and onions. Food rich in zinc and vitamin B will strengthen your nails. Fresh carrot juice rich in calcium and phosphorous is perfect for strengthening nails. Drink plenty of water and other liquids. Fiber nail strengthener with calcium fluoride render brittle nails a protective shield around the nails and helps them gain durability. Drink fresh carrot juice daily, this is high in calcium and phosphorus and is excellent for strengthening nails.

Treatments like polishing, manicure, pedicure etc are crucial for the beauty and maintenance of our nails. Along with good nail care, it is also important to utilize the right nail care products. One of the main means of nail care is manicure. This giving of the beautiful form by it, removal strips of a skin, surrounding nails, and in most cases a covering their varnish. Nail care devices and before processing of nails should be washed up hands carefully lukewarm water with soap. For nails care it is necessary special nail care kit. It includes some nail-files, big and small nippers, scissors with curved ends, a blunt rake, a wooden or bone stick.

Ideas for Beautiful Nails

Beautiful Nails - A Dream

Everyone likes clean, well-manicured and polished nails. In fact, strong and healthy nails serve as the perfect representative of the overall health and fitness of a person. Though most of the people are unaware of the fact, nails too need to be taken well care of.

Importance of Healthy Diet

Eating a healthy diet is as important for your nails as for the vital organs of your body. It is important to include certain vitamins, minerals and other nutrients in your daily diet to ensure that your nails remain healthy and look beautiful. At the same time, you need to make sure that you do not put undue stress on them, by using them as tools for picking, plucking, and so on. To get some more tips for healthy nails, go through the following lines.

Tips For Healthy & Beautiful Nails

1. If your nails are too brittle and dry, you should increase the consumption of food that items rich in vitamin A (such as apricots, broccoli, carrot and cheese) and calcium (such as milk, yoghurt, cheese and almonds).
2. Drink plenty of water and fresh fruit juices. It will help keep your body, and in turn your nails, well hydrated.
3. Carrot juice is rich in calcium and phosphorus and helps strengthen your nails. So, try to consume as much fresh carrot juice as is possible for you.
4. Do not file you nails just after you have had a shower or have washed your hands. This is because wet nails tend to break easily.
5. While filing your nails, make sure to go in one direction only. Do not move the filer in a back-and-forth motion, as it makes your nails brittle.
6. If you want to keep your nails strong and shiny, resort to nail buffing. It augments the blood supply to the nail, in turn stimulating its growth.
7. If you are suffering from the problem of hangnails, it is advisable to eat food rich in protein, vitamin C and folic acid.
8. Ensure that half of your diet is made up of fresh fruits and raw vegetables. This will supple your nails with the required vitamins, minerals and enzymes.
9. Supplementing your diet with spirulina and kelp will help make your nails strong and healthy.
10. Deficiency of vitamin B 12 can lead to dryness, rounded and curved ends and darkening of nails. So, make sure to include enough of the vitamin in your diet.

The Dangers of Nail Polish

Many women like to paint their fingernails with nail polish. According to the different colors of nail polish, different kinds of temperament are expressed. However, many women just like the beauty caused by nail polish and do not know the dangers of nail polish at all. In fact, nail polish is a kind of substance which is harmful to the human health.

Most of nail polish contains many toxic substances which threaten the human health. No matter how expensive the nail polish is, it is essential to pay attention to the toxins contained in it. After you paint the nails with nail polish, you should not fetch anything with your hands directly so as to avoid making the toxic materials touch the food. Some people even think that it is healthy to use nail polish when a layer of base oil has been painted on the nails. In fact, the nature of base oil is as same as that of nail polish. Base oil can never reduce the harms caused by nail polish at all.

Generally speaking, nail polish is composed of two kinds of substances. One is solid components like pigment and flash materials, and the other is liquid solvent components like acetone, ethyl acetate, phthalic acid esters, formaldehyde and so on. There are mainly two kinds of pigment, namely natural one and artificial one. Artificial pigment is rather popular. But most of artificial pigment is toxic and seriously threatens the human health. In fact, there are also many harmful materials contained in natural pigment. These harmful materials can be reduced to some degree through purification processing. All the components of liquid solvent materials can endanger the human health. For example, phthalic acid esters can affect the normal hormone balance, causing great damage to reproduction and leading to many other health problems. Benzene and formaldehyde are both carcinogenic substances.

In order to make nail polish dry rapidly, a large number of acetone and ethyl acetate which are easy to volatilize are added into nail polish. However, when these two kinds of components volatilize, the pungent smell can be produced, which can seriously pollute the indoor air. If people breathe such a kind of smell for a long time, serious harms can be produced to threaten the nervous system. In addition, if organic solvents are used to paint the fingernails once and again, the fingernails will become crisp and grey.

Richmond Nail Salon

If you've never considered asking your local Richmond nail salon about eyelash extensions, now is the time. A surprising number of salons offer this product, and many are even quite inexpensive. Of course, price isn't the only factor you'll want to pay attention to - you'll also want to make certain that you're working with a salon that's safe and hygienic.

Done right, eyelash extensions are nontoxic, non-irritating, and won't spread eye infections or cause any other issues. Just be sure you pick a salon where the techs know what they're doing.

Eyelash extensions are a great looking, simple to maintain and it is a way to make sure your eyes look great. You don't even have to do much to keep them looking good - just keep makeup away from the base and don't tug. These lashes are durable, waterproof, and safe to wear with whatever makeup you choose. You can pick from natural looking ones, to enhance your existing eyelashes subtly, or decide to be a little wilder with extra long, curled, and brightly colored lashes.

If gorgeous eyes are something you've always desired, but you hate false lashes and mascara, the staff at your Richmond nail salon can help. A remarkable number of Richmond nail salons are now offering fast, convenient eyelash extensions with great results.

Take the time to find out more, now, and get ready for red-carpet-ready eyes! Actresses, models, and pop stars wear them and now, so can you. Do your homework and learn what you need to know about how to have the beautiful lashes you've always wanted.

Pamper Your Nails

A trend crazed person like me rarely misses out on updates like these. I have made use of this art and I can say that I love its feel that it gives on me and on my fingers. Having to go and spend my weekend in a nail salon has been a routine for me. I like to keep my fingernails and toenails to its optimum cleanliness and beauty. I spoil myself by having Vancouver 3D nails whenever I get the time and when a moment needs me to.

Being stylish needs strict guidelines and requirements so I always ensure that I get the best treatment around. I really don’t like having “just right” as a comment on my fashion sense so I certify that what I get is either “good” or even better, “great!”

Whenever I go out with my friends or go to a party, I make it to a point that I dress my part. So when I go to the mall, a casual wear would be appropriate but never without some good stuff on my nails. For Vancouver 3D nails, I would probably wear a design that has a simple 3-dimensional star on it or a small flower. This entirely depends on what color I am matching it with and what mood I am in. I love matching clothes and accessories and I consider my fingernails as a precious add-on to my outfit. I try to show who I am with the use of these Vancouver Japanese nail art designs because they capture my imagination and I think that having them makes a statement of my personality.

Tips for great looking nails

If you want great looking nails, there are some all natural methods you can use. Here are some tips for great looking nails:

#1 Stay way from acrylic

While it may be tempting to get the latest acrylic design at your local nail shop, in the end your real nails will be of ill health. Applying arcylic nails does not let oxygen get in your nails causing a yellowing discoloration. When you take off the acrylic nails you also will be making your nails thinner and more brittle. One other benefit from this is you'll be saving money from a weekly trip to the salon.

#2 Opt for Natural Nail Polish

If you abosolutely must have something on your nails, opt for nail polish instead.While it's not great for your nails, it's a much better alternative for those that are used to having acrylic nails on constantly. Some nail polishes come with moisturzers, this is a great chioce if you buy this type.

#3 Take your daily vitamin

If you do not already have a vitamin, consider getting one and take one pill daily. Not only will your nails have all the vitamins they need to look healthy and be strong, but you'll also be helping your overall health be more positive.

#4 Stay away from soda

Soda has been known to make people's nails brittle and yelllow. Instead try drinking organic juices, these have very little sugar but also have many of the nutrients found naturally in fruit.

If you have very unhealthy nails at the moment, following these fast and easy tips will help you get stronger and healthier nails in the future.

Home Manicure: The Art of Manicuring Made Easy

Why spend your hard earned money on something that you can easily do yourself? Home manicures are easier than you think, can save you money for indulging in other types of "treats", and give you the satisfaction of being able to say that you did it by yourself. So set aside some time and lets get started manicuring those nails!

A home manicure ought to be a weekly procedure. Here are your manicure instructions, so read them carefully before you start to ensure you have all the necessary supplies close at hand.

Begin by getting rid of any previous nail polish. Hold a cotton pad dampened with polish remover against the nail for a couple of seconds; and then rub from the base of the nail towards the tip. Apply a separate piece of cotton for each nail.

Next, file each nail with an emery board on a slant, just below the nail, file from sides to middle in one direction only.

To soften cuticles for the manicuring operation, immerse your fingertips for 5 minutes in warm, soapy water. Then applying the dull end of an orangewood stick dipped in cuticle remover, lightly push back the cuticle. Clip hangnails with a small pair of scissors.

Carry on your home manicure by scrubbing the nails with a nailbrush and warm soapy water. Clean below the nails with an orangewood stick wrapped up in wet cotton.

To put on polish, first rub your nails with remover and make certain they are dry and free of soap. Spread out one hand flat on the table. With the other, apply one thin coating of colorless polish. Brush from the base of the nail towards the tip, start down the middle, then down each side. Allow the polish to dry between coatings. Then put on two thin coats of color. With a tissue, get rid of the hairline of polish from the top side of each nail. Lastly, apply a colorless sealing coat all over the nail and beneath the tip.

Congratulations, you have finished your home manicure! Now sit back and admire the great job you did manicuring your nails.

It may come to no surprise that the procedure for a manicure & pedicure (toenails) are nearly identical, other than soaking and scrubbing any dead skin or calluses off your feet. So doing a home pedicure is also easy if you simply follow the above directions. So go ahead and "treat your feet"!

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.