Read Desk. Frequent peeling or peeling of small pieces of skin around the nails can be quite irritating. Sometimes this skin is so small that people remove it by biting it with their teeth or pulling it with their hands. But it is not right to do so. Along with the stretched skin, the surrounding area may also peel, which can lead to pain, bleeding, and increased risk of infection.
This extra skin that grows at the side of the nail is commonly called a hangnail. The reasons behind this could be excessive drying of the skin, frequent washing of hands, coming in contact with soap or cleaning products and habit of picking nails or cuticles. Let us know the ways to avoid this.
Why does the skin around the nails come off?
If the skin on your hands remains very dry, the skin around the nails can also become dry and crack. Repeatedly putting hands in water or coming in contact with soap and cleaning chemicals can also reduce the natural moisture of the skin. Apart from this, the habit of biting nails, pulling the surrounding skin or biting the cuticle can also increase this problem.
Do not pull it out at all
If there is any piece of skin around the nail, do not make the mistake of pulling it out with your hands or biting it with your teeth. Doing this can cause the skin to tear excessively and create a path for infection. If a piece of skin is protruding too much, first clean the hands thoroughly. After this, carefully cut only the exposed skin with a clean and sanitized nail cutter or small nail scissors. Don't try to pull it.
Keep hands and cuticles moisturized
If the skin around the nails dries frequently, apply moisturizer on your hands several times a day. Make a habit of applying cream or moisturizer especially after washing hands. It can also be applied gently on the nails and the skin around them. Applying moisturizer thoroughly on the hands and around the nails before sleeping at night can help in reducing dryness.
avoid cutting the cuticle
It is not considered appropriate to completely cut the cuticle or push it back forcefully during a manicure. The cuticle helps protect the nail root from infection. Cutting or damaging it can increase the risk of germs getting inside.
wear gloves while cleaning
If you have to do daily utensils or cleaning work at home, try wearing gloves. Prolonged exposure to water and cleaning products can cause the skin on the hands to become dry and sensitive.
give up the habit of biting nails
Nail biting not only damages the nails, but the surrounding skin can also get cut or peeled. This may increase the risk of entry of germs. If you have a habit of biting your nails frequently, keep your nails short and whenever you feel like chewing them, try to keep your hands busy in some other work.
When to see a doctor?
If there is repeated redness, swelling, severe pain, warmth or pus around the nail, do not ignore it as a normal hangnail. These may be signs of infection. Similarly, if the problem occurs repeatedly and does not resolve despite home care, it is better to consult a dermatologist.
Loose skin around the nails can be a common problem, but removing it by pulling or biting it can be harmful. Keep hands moist, wear gloves when cleaning, do not cut the cuticle, and carefully trim away the exposed skin with clean nail cutters if necessary. With this, the problem of hangnails can be controlled to a great extent.
Follow the LALLURAM.COM MP channel on WhatsApp