Along with leg shaking and hair twirling, thumbnail flicking is another unconscious habit. The repeated backwards pressure causes "the thumbnail to become thick and ridged," says Bailey.
The fix? Grab some Bag Balm, $8.89. It's an old-time farm remedy for repairing horses' hooves, but it's also great for softening human nails, says Bailey. "It's loaded with lanolin, which comes from wool and softens the keratin in nails." Whether you have ridged or splitting nails, Bailey says, "it's a wonderful cure-all for nail abnormalities."
Make sure to apply the ointment soon after you come out of the shower. "Your nails soak up more water than your skin or hair. You can seal the water in with the ointment, which helps make the nail soft and pliable," she says.
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Ingrown toenails
When your toenails grow and cut into your skin, the fold can get infected. It may even begin to grow over the nail, at which point you'll have to go to the doctor. But when you notice that your toenail is starting to grow into your skin, all you need to prevent an infection is run-of-the-mill dental floss.
Take the floss and gently nudge it under the nail plate that's growing into your skin. The floss helps detach the nail from the skin so the skin can heal. But, Bailey says, you have to do this daily in order to decrease the swelling. You can also soak your feet in warm salt water for 10 minutes a day, and apply Neosporin to help reduce inflammation, says Kelly L. Geoghan, DPM, podiatrist at Mercy Medical Center in Baltimore.
To prevent an ingrown toenail from happening in the first place, always cut your nails straight across, and avoid wearing pointy-toed shoes.
There was a time when a hangnail or dry cuticles would've gone unnoticed. Now, nail issues are front and center thanks to the ubiquitous nail art trend and the popularity of polish in general. With nails becoming more of an accessory required to complete your look, nail issues have never been more important.
And we're not talking "issues" like chipped polish or short stubby nails that refuse to grow. This isn't #firstworld(nail)problems. These are disgusting -- and serious -- issues like discolored nails, fungal infections, and even nail tumors.
If your gross nail issue is making you feel less than pretty, we've got good news: You don't have to be the pariah of the nail-loving community. You can fix your problems with the ingenious cures board-certified dermatologist Cynthia Bailey, MD, shared with us here.
Bailey says that while these at-home treatments should solve your nail issues, they need to be coupled with some patience (nails grow just one millimeter per month after all). Ready to get your nails in check? See the genius at-home fixes now.
