Cuticle on the thumb. Why does the cuticle become inflamed and how to deal with it? Cuticle care at home: how to care for it correctly

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, cuticle cracks make hands unkempt, decorative coating nail plate won't 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 can 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.

Inflammation of the nail cuticle occurs with the development of adverse symptoms. This article will help you understand what causes this pathology and how to treat it.

Why is it damaged?

The fold of skin that surrounds the nail plate is called the cuticle. Epithelial cells participate in its formation. These cells are gradually renewed. The cuticle is an important anatomical element that protects the inner surface of the nail from various damages.

Inflammation of the cuticle can occur due to various reasons.

• This is often caused by various traumatic injuries. For example, it often happens that the cuticle becomes inflamed after a manicure. Treating the cuticle with untreated tools can also cause it to fester. If the inflammation is severe enough, it can even lead to the formation of an abscess.

The cuticle can become inflamed not only on the fingers, but also on the toes. This often results from a poorly performed pedicure. It is very important that this procedure was carried out only with instruments that were thoroughly disinfected. It is quite easy to damage the cuticle; it only takes a couple of careless movements. That is why it is very important that the pedicure is performed by an experienced specialist.

• The bad habit of biting your nails also leads to cuticle damage. It usually appears in childhood. So, some people, when nervous, begin to bite their nails, which leads to damage to the cuticle. In this case, many parents make many different attempts in order to save the baby from this.

As a rule, they begin to lubricate the baby's fingers with various substances that have a bitter taste. However, this method is not suitable for removing a bad habit. In this case, it is better to show the child to a psychologist. In this situation, qualified specialist work is required in order to teach the child to deal with stress.

• Inadequate nail care is another factor that can lead to cuticle damage. So, if you do not treat these areas by special means, they may become very dry afterwards. In order to get rid of severe dryness, you should lubricate the cuticle with special oils or creams. These products nourish dry skin, which helps it look better.

How to treat?

It is better to treat an inflamed cuticle when it is not severely damaged. In this case, results can be achieved quite quickly. If the cuticle is severely damaged, and its treatment for a long time was not carried out, then in this case longer therapy is required. In some cases, it may even take several months to restore the beauty of your nails.

• A good way to restore cuticles that are inflamed are baths with the addition of potassium permanganate. At the same time, one such treatment procedure per day is quite enough. The duration of the bath should be 12-15 minutes. After completing this restorative procedure, hands should be thoroughly dried.

After this, the damaged cuticle must be treated with special ointments. For this you can use, for example, Levomekol. This remedy effectively copes with the resulting inflammation, and also promotes speedy healing inflamed skin. In order to medicine has not been washed, a fixing bandage should be applied to the finger. A regular bandage will do for this.

• It is important to note that treatment of cuticle inflammation at home is possible only if complications have not developed. For example, severe suppuration can cause the development of an abscess. If such a pathological condition appears, then only a surgeon should treat it. This condition is extremely dangerous and should only be treated by an experienced doctor.
• The site of traumatic damage to the cuticle can be treated with Miramistin. It helps reduce the severity of the inflammatory process and also helps reduce the risk of secondary infection. After treatment with this drug, a fixing bandage should be applied to the inflamed finger. You can do this procedure 1-2 times a day. Before treating inflamed cuticles, hands should be thoroughly washed with gentle soap.

• For inflammation of the skin ridges, you can use various traditional methods. So, for treatment you can use compresses made from aloe. Making them is quite simple. To do this, you need to cut a couple of leaves of a succulent plant and squeeze the juice out of them. After this, a piece of bandage folded in half should be moistened in plant juice and applied to the area of ​​inflammation. Then the compress must be additionally secured with a bandage. If desired, you can simply apply a cut piece of aloe to the area of ​​inflammation. As a rule, after 2-3 treatment procedures, healing of the inflamed cuticle begins.
• Baths with oak bark also promote healing of skin ridges. A decoction of oak bark contains a complex of various substances that help heal inflamed nails.

Prevention

To ensure that the cuticle always remains beautiful and well-groomed, certain recommendations should be followed.

• Carry out hygienic hand care regularly. It is better to wash your hands with soap that does not contain aggressive ingredients.
• If the cuticle is extremely dry, it should be treated with special nourishing and moisturizing agents. For this you can use various oils and creams.

People who bite their nails when nervous should definitely consult a psychologist. This bad habit, as a rule, has a long course and is characterized by the fact that it is difficult for a person to cope with various stresses. In this case, only an experienced specialist can help.

• Manicures should only be done with treated tools. If the instrument has been infected with some pathogenic microbes, then the risk of infection is quite high. If a manicure is not carried out at home, but in a beauty salon or nail studio, you should definitely ask the master how the tools were disinfected.

To learn why the cuticle on your fingers becomes inflamed, see the following video.

Even the fair sex, who spend a lot of time and money on caring for their nails and hand skin, may experience inflammation of the cuticle. The cuticle is the periungual ridge, from which no one is immune from inflammation. There can be many reasons for the appearance of the inflammatory process in this place. It is necessary to treat this disease in a timely manner, since suppuration is possible.

Reasons

Inflammation of the cuticle can occur for various reasons. Most often this happens after a manicure has been performed without following the rules of asepsis. However, this is not the only reason. Before starting treatment for this disease, it is necessary to accurately determine the causes of its occurrence. There may be several of them:

1. In first place is improper treatment of the periungual fold while doing a manicure. After removing the cuticle, hangnails may form in this place, which cannot be torn off due to the risk of suppuration. If the cuticle is not softened before cutting, it can also become inflamed. The use of non-sterile instruments leads to infection of the periungual fold, its inflammation and the formation of a purulent abscess.
2. The skin around the nail can become inflamed due to insufficient hand care. If this area is not systematically treated and softened, then you risk getting problems. A thickened large cuticle will often become damaged and inflamed. Excessively dry skin around the nail beds may indicate a fungal infection.
3. Nail extensions methimethacrylate increases the likelihood of cuticle inflammation. For this reason, women with extended nails should take extra care of their cuticles, choose the right nail care products, and keep their hand skin clean.
4. Often the cuticle becomes inflamed due to penetration of infection, living on the skin of the hands. Moreover, even a minor injury to the periungual fold, accidentally received or caused during a manicure, is enough. The most common causes of infection are streptococci, staphylococci and fungus. In the latter case, except severe irritation, there is peeling and itching of the skin.
5. Allergy. When in contact with household chemicals and other allergenic products, inflammation, irritation, swelling and peeling will appear not on one finger around the nail, but also on other parts of the hand.
6. The cuticle may become inflamed on a finger or toe due to injuries and mechanical impacts. This can be caused by bruises, cuts, blows, or wearing tight shoes.
7. Frequent inflammatory processes in this place may be due to constant contact with household chemicals or professional activities related to handmade. In this case, local immunity weakens, which leads to frequent skin infections.

Important! The habit of biting your nails can also cause skin infection and inflammation. In this case, multiple abscesses can form.

Symptoms

Inflammation of the cuticle cannot be confused with other diseases, since there are characteristic symptoms that depend on the stage of the disease. The disease goes through the following stages in its development:

• Initially, the periungual fold swells and turns red. Often in this place you can notice a hangnail of any size. If treatment is started at this stage, the skin can heal much faster without serious complications.
• If the inflammation lasts for several days, then local immunity weakens and an infection can join the inflammation.
• Once pathogenic microorganisms enter soft fabrics, swelling increases, pain appears. Itching may occur. It will be more difficult to cure the cuticle at this stage. Special antiseptic ointments and creams will be required.
• If treatment is not started on time, a purulent abscess appears at the site of infection. Pus may be localized only around the nail plate or flow under the nail. You will need the help of a qualified surgeon.

Attention! When suppuration occurs, the entire finger may swell. Sometimes the temperature rises and throbbing pain appears. The site of the abscess is painful to touch.

Treatment at home

If the cuticle is inflamed, then at the initial stage, baths with potassium permanganate will help. One bath a day for 10-15 minutes is enough to remove inflammation. After the bath, you need to wipe your hands and apply a medicinal ointment (Levomekol, Vishnevsky or Dioxidin ointment) to the inflamed area. We apply a folded bandage on top and secure it with a plaster or the same bandage.

Important! If a large purulent abscess has formed, then you need to contact a surgeon who will open it and drain it.

Treatment of small purulent abscesses on the periungual fold can be carried out at home. To do this, do the following:

1. A couple of times a day it is necessary to steam the areas with abscesses in a bath with the addition of potassium permanganate. The solution should be slightly pinkish. We carry out the procedure for 15 minutes. As the bath cools, you can add hot water.
2. After steaming, apply Ichthyol ointment or Vishnevsky ointment to the inflamed areas and wrap your fingers with a bandage.
3. We repeat the procedure with steaming and applying ointment until the abscess breaks.
4. After this, we stop making baths and apply the ointments mentioned above. Otherwise, the abscess sites will not heal for a long time.
5. Further treatment is carried out using the antiseptic and wound healing ointment Miramistin or Levomekol. Before applying the ointment, the wound must be treated with an antiseptic solution, chlorhexidine or hydrogen peroxide. To speed up healing, it is better to wrap the healing ointment with a bandage rather than fix the bandage with a bandage. This will improve air access to the skin.
6. We apply bandages with medicinal ointment and antiseptic treatment in the morning and evening until the skin is completely healed.

Folk recipes

If inflammation and infection of the nail cuticle is not accompanied by purulent formation, then it can be treated using traditional methods:

• Compresses with aloe juice. To do this, soak a cotton swab with juice and apply it to the inflamed area. Instead of juice, you can use a plant leaf cut lengthwise. A piece of leaf is applied with the pulp to the sore spot.
• As an additional treatment, you can use baths with oak bark, which helps accelerate tissue regeneration. To relieve swelling and redness, baths with nettle and chamomile are recommended. However, these procedures alone will not help. They need to be supplemented with the use of special ointments and antiseptic treatments.
• To speed up the healing of the abscess, you can use special oils to treat the cuticle. They will also help to remove the inflammatory process and swelling of tissues at the initial stage, and will have a slight analgesic effect.
• IN folk medicine boils and inflammations are often treated with honey cake. This method helps remove inflammation, draw out pus and speed up tissue healing. Before the procedure, it is necessary to disinfect the skin on the affected area. Next, prepare the flatbread. To do this, mix honey (15 g) with flour until a homogeneous cake is obtained. It needs to be applied to the damaged area and fixed. The cake must be removed after 12 hours.
• St. John's wort, plantain and horse sorrel will provide good help in the fight against abscesses. To prepare the product, fresh plantain and sorrel leaves are crushed in equal proportions to a pasty state. The mixture is applied to the site of the abscess and secured with a bandage. Medicinal baths are made with St. John's wort. To prepare them, 50 g of dry or fresh herbs are steamed in 200 g of boiling water. The herb should sit for about 30-40 minutes, after which you can put your sore finger in the container and steam it for a quarter of an hour. After steaming your finger, you can apply a paste of medicinal plants to it and wipe it on it. We carry out the procedures until complete recovery.

Prevention

To avoid abscesses and inflammation of the periungual fold, you must adhere to the following rules:

1. All manicure tools must be disinfected before use.
2. If you accidentally damage the cuticle during a manicure, you should immediately treat the area with an antiseptic solution.
3. To eliminate the possibility of cracks and hangnails, the cuticle must be regularly treated with special products to nourish and soften it.
4. It is useful to take warm cosmetic baths for hands and nails, then apply nourishing cream, paying special attention to the periungual ridges.
5. When using household chemicals, it is better to protect your hands with rubber gloves.
6. Special cosmetics for cuticle removal will insure you against damage and injury during a manicure.

It is much easier to prevent a problem than to fight it. That is why it is worth constantly adhering to the preventive measures listed above, which will keep your hands well-groomed and protect the cuticle from inflammation and suppuration.

It happens that after an unsuccessful manicure in a salon, a private author, or after doing it yourself, inflammation of the finger occurs.

This happens infrequently, but if inflammation appears after a manicure, then immediately consult a doctor, advanced inflammation can threaten an abscess. And this will require serious treatment.

Inflammation is characterized by the following symptoms:

• the cuticle, and sometimes the skin on the finger, turns red;
• the affected area swells;
• painful sensations of a twitching or ticking nature appear;
• the damaged area has more high temperature than the whole body;
• Eventually, the inflamed area breaks out.

Inflammation of the nail (nail plate)

Healthy nails look aesthetically pleasing. The main characteristics are:

• flesh pink color;
• smooth and even surface;
• without seals, i.e. the thickness is the same along the entire length of the nail.

When a nail becomes inflamed, its growth or even structure may change, brittleness and delamination may increase, or, conversely, thickening.

Grooves on the nails, both longitudinal and transverse, will tell an experienced master that the nail plate was previously injured.

The following color changes are common: whitishness, yellowness or even blackening.

Inflammation of the cuticle

The cuticle is a skin rim that frames the nail plate. Inflammation becomes noticeable almost immediately and is difficult to miss. The delicate skin begins to turn red, a tumor often appears, and in advanced cases the inflamed area can fester.

Another one of Signs of cuticle inflammation are itching and discomfort. As soon as you notice some changes near the cuticle, you should not ignore them, because it is the cuticle that provides the protective function of the body.

Inflammation of the finger near the nail

The problem of ingrown toenails is common. It occurs when the nail is cut incorrectly, that is, when the nail plate has not yet had time to grow, but it has already been cut along its entire length, including the sides.

As a result, the growth of the nail is disrupted; it is embedded in the side ridges, instead of growing straight.