Paronychia (inflammation of the nail cuticle) without treatment can lead to tissue infection and abscess. The disease has acute and chronic forms. It is accompanied by pain, swelling, redness of the periungual tissues and itching. The disease can be treated at home if it is mild. In severe cases, you should consult a doctor.

What does inflammation look like?

The disease affects the area under or around the nail. Symptoms of paronychia:

  • throbbing pain;
  • redness;
  • temperature rise around nail bed;
  • edema;
  • a collection of pus under the skin or nail.

Forms of the disease:

  1. Spicy. A painful, swollen area suddenly develops around the fingers. Redness occurs in this area. The affected area is hot to the touch.
  2. Chronic. The disease develops slowly. It manifests itself as gradual swelling and redness of the skin around the nails. The affected area is painful to touch. The infection often affects multiple fingers on the same hand. Chronic paronychia can cause the nail to separate from the skin. Its plate may also become deformed.

Cuticle inflammation can be treated at home or under the supervision of a doctor. You can cope with the problem yourself if the disease is mild. In severe cases, you should consult a doctor. A specialist may prescribe an antibiotic or antifungal drug. For chronic use under medical supervision.

You should go to the hospital in the following cases:

  • fever;
  • presence of diabetes;
  • spreading redness to the top of the finger;
  • accumulation of pus near or under the nail;
  • persistence of symptoms for more than 7 days.

If done correctly, it will go away in 5-10 days. It may take several weeks to combat the chronic form of the disease.

Causes of the disease process

Inflammation of the cuticle occurs due to fungal infections and pathogenic bacteria (germs can penetrate into the nail bed through wounds). The most common pathogens are staphylococci, streptococci, and gram-negative organisms.

Causes of the disease:

  1. Tissue damage. Cuts and tears in the skin around the nail can occur due to overly aggressive grooming. In some cases, an infection develops after a manicure.
  2. Bad habits. People who bite their nails and hangnails are at risk. The disease also develops in children who are accustomed to sucking their fingers.
  3. High humidity and contact with chemicals. In addition to tissue damage, the main reasons for the development of paronychia include constant interaction with water and products that irritate the skin. At risk are cleaners, housekeepers, hairdressers, and restaurant workers.
  4. Diabetes.
  5. Weakening of the immune system.

How to relieve inflammation at home

Treatment for cuticle inflammation can be done in different ways. The treatment regimen is selected taking into account the form and severity of the disease. Acute paronychia is eliminated using the following methods:

  1. Warm baths. They are done at home for mild illness 3-4 times a day for 15 minutes. After the procedure, you need to wipe the area of ​​the inflamed finger and nail dry. Warm water improves blood circulation and speeds up the healing process. Baths help reduce swelling and discomfort. As an alternative to water, you can consider chamomile tea. It has anti-inflammatory and disinfectant effects.
  2. Aloe. For inflammation, it is recommended to use the leaf of the plant. The lower part is cut off and then the pulp is applied to the sore spot. Aloe eliminates the inflammatory process and draws out pus. To better fix the sheet, you can wrap your finger with a bandage.
  3. Medicines. Inflammation can be treated with special ointments - Levomekol, Baneocin, Eplan.

During treatment, you cannot use cosmetics for nails, because... they are irritating. It is not recommended to apply varnish, hardener, base or other similar products.

How to protect yourself from inflammation

Even after proper treatment, relapse of the disease may occur. Cuticle inflammation can be prevented by proper care behind your hands. It includes 2 stages:

  1. Cleansing. It is recommended to take soap baths every 2-3 days. The procedure should last at least 10 minutes.
  2. Hydration. The skin around the nail should be lubricated daily with cuticle oil. Almond, jojoba or any other, say Damask rose, will do. Another effective remedy is natural wax. It helps prevent drying and cracking of the skin.

To prevent the development of the disease, you must adhere to the following recommendations.

  1. Use of protective equipment. Rubber gloves with absorbent cotton lining should be worn when hands are exposed to water or when using harsh household chemicals.
  2. Gentle manicure. Experts recommend trimming the periungual tissues, even if there are hangnails, only after steaming the skin. After the procedure, the area around the nail bed should be treated with antiseptics - hydrogen peroxide or Chlorhexidine.
  3. Refusal bad habits. You should stop biting your nails and hangnails.
  4. If you have diabetes, you need to keep your blood sugar levels within the normal range, follow a diet, and take the necessary medications.
  5. Timely treatment of wounds. Damaged skin on a finger must be disinfected immediately. To do this, treat the wound with iodine, Chlorhexidine or alcohol. This will help reduce the risk of purulent inflammation of the cuticle.

To prevent relapse, you need to thoroughly dry your hands after washing so that they become completely dry. Then you should apply a moisturizer. It is also necessary to monitor the condition of your skin in cold weather. It should not dry out or become chapped.

Almost all girls tend to give their nails a well-groomed and neat look. Experiment with manicure designs or decorate with all sorts of elements. But sometimes this desire leads to some problems. After another nail art procedure, redness may occur, the skin may become sore, swollen, and the finger may begin to itch. According to experts, the source of this unaesthetic disease is inflammation of the cuticle nail plate. And before starting treatment, it is necessary to understand the main causes of inflammation.

Causes of the disease process

Cuticle inflammation can be caused by a variety of things. Most often, an abscess on a finger appears after an unsuccessful manicure, but this is far from the only reason. Having determined what caused the irritation, it is much easier to decide what further treatment will be.

  • Incorrect treatment of the cuticle during manicure. After this procedure, hangnails may appear near the nail. They cannot be torn off; there is a risk of getting a purulent abscess. Poorly trimmed, unsoftened cuticles or the use of unsterile equipment may also be the cause.
  • Ungroomed hands. If you do not systematically treat the skin around your fingers, there is a chance of getting into trouble. For example, a cuticle that is too large is susceptible to minor injury and is much more likely to become inflamed around the nail. In addition, if the cuticle is very dry, there is a possibility that your fingers have a fungal infection.
  • Harmful microorganisms. Very often, after minor injuries, the periungual tissues of the hands can become infected. Quite often it is a fungus. It is accompanied by peeling and severe irritation.
  • Allergic reaction. Swelling and redness are the main symptoms of allergies. After your fingers come into contact with an irritant, they may swell. If this is the reason, swelling will appear in other parts of the hands.
  • Injuries and other external influences. Impacts, cuts, pressure or carrying uncomfortable shoes may cause swelling, inflammation and irritation.

Symptoms of the inflammatory process

As a rule, the finger begins to break out with the following accompanying symptoms:

  1. Redness of the skin around the nail plate
  2. The finger swells
  3. An unpleasant tugging pain appears
  4. After some time it may appear high temperature at the site of inflammation
  5. It is problematic not only to touch the inflamed part, but also to bend the finger normally
  6. And as a result, the painful place breaks out

Panaritium (abscess on the finger): causes, symptoms and signs, effective treatment

Panaritium is a purulent inflammation of the skin and deeper tissues of the fingers or toes. The main reasons for the development of felon are: abrasions, cuts on the fingers, poor-quality manicure and pedicure, ingrown nails, which contribute to the penetration of microbes deep into the skin. The main symptoms of panaritium are: severe twitching pain in the finger, redness and swelling of the skin of the finger (often around the nail), increased body temperature. In some cases, felon can cause serious complications that require immediate surgery. If you experience symptoms such as fever, accumulation of pus under the skin in the form of a bubble or stripe, or unbearable pain in your finger, you should immediately consult a doctor. Treatment of felon is usually conservative (medicine baths, antibacterial ointments) or, in severe cases, surgical.

Reasons for the development of felon

Panaritium is a purulent inflammation that develops as a result of infection (bacteria) entering deep into the tissues of the finger. Penetration of microbes through the skin is possible if it is damaged: abrasions, splinters, small cuts, poor-quality manicure and pedicure, etc. In some cases, panaritium develops without any previous injuries to the skin of the fingers. Below are the conditions conducive to the development of felon:

  1. Panaritium is common in children, due to their tendency to suck fingers or bite their nails.
  2. An ingrown nail (ingrowing of the nail into the skin ridge surrounding it on the sides) contributes to damage to the skin of the finger and infection with the development of panaritium.
  3. Fungus of the feet and nails (onychomycosis)
  4. Diabetes mellitus, circulatory disorders in the legs (thrombophlebitis of the leg veins, etc.)
  5. In people of certain professions related to manual labor: cooks, carpenters, agricultural workers, etc.

What to do at home if your finger breaks out?

In most cases, if a finger breaks out on the hand, the inflammation goes away on its own within 1-2 weeks, and patients are treated folk remedies.

If the abscess has not yet formed, there is simply redness, there is a chance to stop the development of the infection. To do this, it is recommended to treat the affected area with antiseptic agents (iodine, brilliant green). Among the folk remedies, aloe leaves cut in half and applied as a compress, as well as baked onions, help well.

If it was not possible to stop the development of inflammation, and a purulent abscess has formed, it is either opened (the procedure is carried out by a doctor), or measures are taken to open the abscess independently:

  1. Salt baths. Add a tablespoon of salt and a few drops of iodine to a glass of hot (but not scalding) water. The inflamed finger is kept in water for 10 minutes. This procedure can help open a mature abscess, but in the initial stages it is ineffective, since heating can increase the formation of pus.
  2. Baked onion. The onion is baked whole, in the husk. Used as a compress. Taped to the sore finger for a long period (4-6 hours).
  3. Sap. Pine resin, or resin, is applied to a bandage and applied as a compress.

Treatment of panaritium without surgery (conservative treatment) is permissible only in the initial stages of the disease and only under the supervision of a surgeon. The main methods of conservative treatment of felon are:

  1. Daily baths with a solution of potassium permanganate (potassium permanganate), which is added to warm (not hot) water until a faint pink color appears. Place the sore finger in the prepared bath for 5-7 minutes.
  2. After the bath, you should carefully blot your finger with a sterile napkin and then apply a bandage folded several times (about 5 by 5 cm) to the skin in the area of ​​inflammation, on which a thin layer of dioxidine ointment or levmekol is applied.
  3. Then the finger should be loosely bandaged.

If, as a result of conservative treatment, the symptoms of panaritium intensified, the body temperature rose, or an abscess appeared on the finger (accumulation of pus), immediately consult a surgeon. Surgical treatment Panaritium is performed under local anesthesia. The surgeon makes a small incision in the skin of the finger, removes dead tissue of the finger, and introduces local antibacterial agents. With subungual felon, the nail is usually removed. After the operation, the patient is given daily dressings, which allow the administration of local antibacterial and wound-healing agents. The total duration of such treatment is 5-7 days. Since felon is a purulent disease, antibiotics are often used in its treatment.

For the sake of the beauty of their nails, women are ready to do a lot - they spare no time and money in visiting beauty salons, purchasing a variety of varnishes and care products. Despite this, sometimes small troubles happen that cause a lot of worry. For example, inflammation of the cuticle. This is a process accompanied by redness, pain, swelling, and in some cases purulent discharge. Women have to face this problem quite often. Let's try to figure out why this happens and what is the treatment for inflamed cuticle.

Symptoms

The cuticle is a layer of thick skin located at the bottom of the nail. It performs a protective function, preventing dirt, infections and pathogenic bacteria from penetrating to the base of the nail. When performing a manicure, it is removed so that the hands look more well-groomed, and varnish coating lay down more evenly.

Sometimes the cuticle becomes inflamed, and this can be recognized by the following signs.

  • Redness in the cuticle area.
  • The appearance of swelling.
  • Increased sensitivity, manifested in pain or discomfort.
  • If treatment for inflammation is not started in a timely manner, purulent discharge may appear and the pain will intensify.

If you notice these signs, then you need to start treatment as soon as possible, since in the early stages such phenomena are eliminated much faster.

Reasons

Inflammation of the cuticle can begin various reasons. Let's look at what provokes its development.

  1. Burrs. By themselves, hangnails at the base of the nail rarely cause inflammation. Here, their improper removal has more of an impact: tearing them off, carelessly cutting them, using unsterile manicure accessories.
  2. Improper cuticle care. Without proper care, it becomes rough, thickens, grows, becomes dry and prone to cracking.
  3. Fungal diseases and the influence of pathogenic microorganisms.
  4. Mechanical damage to the skin on the finger: blows, cuts, scratches.
  5. Allergic reactions.
  6. Using household chemicals and other aggressive substances without gloves.
  7. Often the cuticle becomes inflamed after a carelessly done manicure.

Any of these reasons can trigger inflammation of the cuticle. It is important to immediately take measures at the first sign to stop the inflammatory process.

How to treat inflammation?

If the inflammation begins near one nail, then most likely it is due to mechanical damage. If several fingers are affected at once, it is better to consult a dermatologist to eliminate the possibility fungal infection. In other cases, your task is to relieve inflammation and remove pus.

The process, which began quite a long time ago, itself provokes rupture of the skin. In this case, it is enough to apply a little pressure on your finger to remove excess pus. After this, the affected area must be treated with any antiseptic. The following remedies are also good at stopping inflammatory processes and drawing out pus.

  1. Ichthyol ointment. It should be applied to a cotton pad and placed on the damaged finger, securing the bandage well with a bandage or adhesive plaster. This procedure is best performed at night. In the morning the pain will be much less.
  2. Vishnevsky ointment is an old, proven remedy that is considered one of the best for drawing out pus from the site of inflammation. It should be used similarly to ichthyol ointment.
  3. From available means, you can use aloe leaf. It needs to be cut and fixed on the sore finger.
  4. Treatment with folk remedies is offered by another effective method. A piece of bandage is thoroughly rubbed with damp soap, sprinkled with salt and tied to the painful area in the nail area. This method is more suitable for lovers of “grandmother’s recipes”.
  5. In the early stages, if there is only redness without the formation of pus, baths with the addition of a decoction of oak bark, chamomile, and calendula will help.

All of the above remedies will help quickly relieve inflammation. And do not forget to regularly treat the affected finger with antiseptics: alcohol, hydrogen peroxide or any other solutions.

Prevention of cuticle inflammation

It is much easier to prevent any disease than to treat it later. Be sure to pay a little attention to preventive measures, and you will not have to deal with this unpleasant phenomenon.

  1. Maintain good hygiene. Wash your hands in a timely manner, after performing a manicure, be sure to use disinfectants and treat your tools with them.
  2. When doing household chores using aggressive substances, be sure to wear rubber gloves.
  3. If you injure the skin in the nail area, it must be immediately treated with an antiseptic.
  4. Use moisturizers regularly nourishing creams. Every evening after washing your hands, apply a special cuticle oil.

If you carry out preventative measures daily, you will not need any treatment. We invite you to learn a little more useful information from a video with the charming Elena Malysheva.

- a mandatory component of manicure. If removed incorrectly, using dirty tools or causing wounds, the sensitive skin may turn red and begin to fester. In some cases, if the cuticle itches after a manicure, you can correct the situation on your own, but you often have to seek help from a specialist.

Causes of cuticle inflammation

Inflammation is difficult to miss. When wounds appear and dirt gets inside, the delicate skin at the base of the nail begins to turn red, and tumors often appear on it. When you press on the nail, you feel pain and some discomfort at its base, and discharge of pus of a yellowish-grayish color is often encountered. One of the main signs of cuticle inflammation is itching around the nail.

There may be several reasons why the cuticle becomes inflamed and breaks out after a manicure. Usually itching and redness are caused by poor hygiene and nail care. Main reasons:

  • Infection of the nail plate and cuticle as a result of non-compliance with safety rules and sterility of working tools.
  • Dirt and bacteria getting into a wound or crack in the skin due to failure to use gloves when doing work (especially dirty work) with your hands.
  • The appearance of an allergic reaction to gel polish, manicure or nail extensions, as well as cosmetics, household chemicals, creams, lotions.
  • The appearance of wounds and cracks on the skin due to the fact that the patient does not do a manicure and neglects the basic rules of caring for nails and the delicate skin around them.

If the nail festers, most likely in skin bacteria have entered, which now come out along with yellowish-gray pus. To prevent inflammation, it is recommended to apply a special bandage to the cuticle with natural oils or aloe pulp to eliminate redness on the finger.

To remove cuticles (especially toenails), it is recommended to use special nippers that do not have any additional impact on the cuticle and do not remove it from the roots. It is better to avoid ordinary nail scissors, since the risk of damaging the cuticle with their help is very high. Using scissors, you can carefully cut off burrs and loose skin.

If the cuticle does not heal a few days after going for a manicure/pedicure, you can ask the specialist for advice. It is also necessary to clarify with him the composition of emollient oils and other manicure products, the composition of which could provoke an allergic reaction in the body.

Many girls notice that part of their cuticle turns black. If this happens to the skin on your hands, the culprit may be dirt or pigment that gets in after peeling vegetables, gardening, or cooking. Also, the skin may turn black due to lack of hydration and excessive dryness.

Treatment

Cuticle inflammation can be treated in several ways. First you need to get rid of unpleasant and painful sensations, as well as cure inflammation and purulent abscesses. This can be done with the help of anti-inflammatory drugs - ointments, gels. Among traditional methods Baths with oak bark, chamomile, and calendula are considered the most effective. They not only eliminate redness and inflammation, swelling, but also help speed up the process of tissue regeneration.

If the cuticles on your toes turn black, you should give your feet a bath with soda or laundry soap– safe products that will remove all dirt from the skin. The cause of blackening may be dirt getting under the thin layer of cuticle. Also, part of the nail may turn black due to bumps and bruises, which are highly visible on delicate skin. When pressing on the damaged area, the patient will feel slight discomfort, but it will come from the nail rather than from the cuticle. The same applies to minor injuries to the lower part of the nail, high pressure and mechanical stress.

If the cuticle is moving away from the nail and is very swollen, before moving on to treatment, you need to find the cause of the inflammation. To treat fungal infections, you should use medications aimed at eliminating fungal bacteria. If you experience an allergic reaction to manicure products, creams, lotions and household chemicals, you will have to take a course of allergy medications. In especially severe cases - antibiotics.

In order for wounds on the cuticle to heal as quickly as possible, they should be regularly treated with an alcohol solution, which has disinfectant properties.

Pharmacy products

Pharmacy products are more effective in relieving inflammation and removing ulcers and cuticle redness. Their main task is to relieve the patient from redness and pain. All medicines must be prescribed by a specialist. Before purchasing them, it is important to make sure that the cause of the inflammatory process is not an allergic reaction - then the treatment will be different.

Drugs that will help eliminate abscesses with purulent discharge are:

  • Vishnevsky ointment. Universal remedy anti-inflammatory action. Its main task is to remove all the dirt along with pus from the wound, and then allow the cuticle to heal peacefully.
  • Ichthyol ointment. Based on it, you can prepare a night compress for the affected area. A small amount of ichthyol ointment is applied to a cotton pad or a piece of cotton folded several times, after which the compress is tightly applied to the inflamed area and secured with an adhesive plaster or a tight bandage. It is better to carry out the procedure in the evening so that the bandage remains in place all night and does not interfere with your usual activities.

If the finger around the nail is swollen, first you need to treat it with a disinfectant and only then proceed to create a compress or bandage for the night.

Treatment at home

Remedies suitable for home treatment traditional medicine. A paste based on aloe vera or plantain is good for relieving inflammation. It is also applied to a cotton pad or gauze, after which it is fixed on the affected area and left there overnight.

The pulp can be replaced with fresh shoots of aloe vera or plantain, which have the same effect and are good at drawing out pus. Aloe has excellent healing properties. The plant will not only draw out all the pus from the wound, but will also promote its speedy healing.

A nail bath with soda or various oils will help get rid of itching and redness. The main thing is that the ingredients did not cause an allergic reaction, which could provoke new wave inflammatory process. If there are small cracks and scratches on the cuticle, it is better to avoid using soda, as it can cause irritation and pain.

What to do if your nails itch due to nail extensions

Nail extension is a popular procedure that allows you to make the nail plate perfectly smooth and give it an aesthetic appearance. appearance. If an allergy to gel or acrylic for nail extensions is detected, the skin near the cuticle begins to itch and itch very much, blisters and redness often appear.

If your hands itch after nail extensions, you need to pay attention to the symptoms. If they appear, you should consult a specialist to make sure that the cause of the reaction is an allergy. Such products as Dermatop, Fenistil, Aleron relieve itching and inflammation well. They should be taken only as prescribed by a dermatologist.

You can reduce pain using traditional medicine: aloe vera lotions, plantain. A change in diet and proper nutrition. For strong nails and healthy skin you will have to reduce the amount of dairy and fish products, citrus fruits, chocolate, nuts, which often become causes of allergies.

Prevention for minor cuticle injuries

Even minor injuries to the cuticle can cause discomfort and pain. To avoid them, it is recommended to regularly remove hangnails using a manicure tool and not use teeth or nails for this purpose, so as not to injure the delicate cuticle.

After each manicure/pedicure, the cuticle must be treated with a special softening oil, and then with an antiseptic (hydrogen peroxide, chlorhexidine, oil tea tree). It is recommended to treat manicure accessories with the same products, even if they are used by one person.

  • Stop biting your nails and remove all hangnails with manicure accessories.
  • Make sure that your hands and feet are always dry, as moisture is a source of spread of fungal and other diseases.
  • Use gloves when doing dirty work.
  • Regularly moisturize the cuticle with a soft lotion whose components do not cause an allergic reaction. It is better that they contain vitamin E, which has softening and healing properties.
  • Do not use nail polish remover with acetone.
  • Manicures and pedicures are best done in a salon by a trusted professional, especially in the absence of high-quality cuticle removal equipment at home.

If small cracks appear on the cuticle, you should thoroughly treat your hands with an antiseptic, and also use gloves when performing physical activity, then immediately wash your hands. Any contact with the wound can lead to itching and redness.

The base of the nail is the most delicate place, easily vulnerable to infections. The only thing that protects it is the thinnest layer of skin - the cuticle. And often the cuticle itself is in danger - both because of household and cosmetic products, and because of internal problems of the body, fungus, bacteria.

Peeling, dryness, and cracked cuticles make hands unkempt; decorative coating of the nail plate will not make them more attractive.

Dry, rough cuticles occur for external reasons: working with chemical solutions without gloves, cheap varnishes and products for removing them, low-quality manicure tools (scissors, nippers), improper cutting of the cuticle.

Another negative result of dry cuticle and its improper, rough treatment is nail damage. The plate becomes deformed, a dent or waves appear at the base, growths and thickening of the nail appear. In this case, only a professional will help; no varnish will hide the defects. Extended or false nails will only give an external effect - the problem with the nail itself will remain, and the cuticle requires treatment.

Dry cuticle care basics

Should I trim my cuticles or not? Removing dry cuticles is a good method, but short-lived. The new skin will be denser and grow faster. If you have problematic, very thin and weak cuticles, or vice versa, dense and overgrown cuticles, it is better to entrust a manicure to a professional.

Modern alternative – unedged manicure– will save your hands with cracks in the cuticle and hangnails.

However, the effect of a liquid that softens the cuticle on cracked skin around the nail, wounds from hangnails, sometimes gives an unpleasant sensation. In addition, any cosmetic product may become a source of infection.

Treating dry cuticle at home

An unhealthy cuticle is a sign of problems within the body or the action of irritants. For a while it is necessary to abandon decorative varnish, trim manicure, work with detergents perform it with gloves - it is advisable to do the latter always, and not just at times of inflammation of the cuticle.

For home care used behind the cuticle essential oils, their mixtures and ointments based on glycerin and oil - castor, apricot, orange, tea tree. Instead of citrus oils, the peel from the fruit itself - orange, grapefruit - is suitable. A natural antiseptic – lavender oil – will help treat cracks, hangnails, and cuticle detachment.

Homemade cuticle cream recipe

  • flowers of calendula, chamomile, sage - 150 grams each;
  • Vaseline – 10 grams.

Instead of three different inflorescences, you can choose two or just one. Mix the ingredients in a saucepan and heat in a water bath until the Vaseline softens. Then remove the mixture from heat, cover with a lid, and leave to infuse overnight. By morning, the Vaseline will harden again, then remove excess water from the surface and reheat the Vaseline to a liquid state. All that remains is to strain, put in a jar - and you can use the ointment.

Dry cuticle causes serious inflammation, which should be treated not at home, but by a dermatologist:

  • infectious inflammation;
  • fungus;
  • paronychia;
  • felon.

Signs of infection, serious inflammation: swelling, redness around the nail, pain, pus. When these symptoms appear, hands should be washed, but without cleansers. After drying your hands, apply antibiotic cream to the cuticle; taking antibiotics orally will also not hurt.

ATTENTION!
What not to do with an inflamed cuticle:

  1. Cracks, hangnails - with these problems you should not touch the cuticle again. You cannot cut with nail scissors; the wounds can become infected.
  2. If there is severe inflammation or redness of the area around the nail, you should not touch the cuticle even with a remover, steam your hands or apply hot masks for your hands and nails.

To reduce the risk of infection through an already injured cuticle, if possible, the wound should be protected with a special plaster. For a therapeutic effect, apply a few drops of orange or tea tree to the fabric part of the patch.