Girls now always monitor the condition of their manicure, as it speaks about her image, sense of taste, and style. However, the natural plate is often covered with a decorative coating, which is why problems with it may not be noticeable until the next correction.
Detachment of the nail plate is a cosmetic defect that can be temporary, but not always. A large number of factors affect the fact that the nail moves away from the skin.
The later treatment is started, the more difficult it will be to restore the condition of the nails, which is why it is recommended to immediately consult a doctor.
Why does the nail peel off?
There are many factors that provoke the development of onycholysis. The separation of the nail plate could be caused by:
- The nail on the thumb is moving away from the skin.
Injury to the phalanx of the finger or the stratum corneum. Damage could occur due to mechanical or chemical influence. As a result of an impact, strong pressure or burn, the vital activity of cells is disrupted, tissue necrosis occurs and the nail peels off. - Walking in tight shoes. If the thumbs are constantly in a compressed state, blood circulation is disrupted, nutrition of the horny plate deteriorates, and tissue rejection occurs.
- Poor quality pedicure. Injury can result from careless sharpening or careless cutting of the nail.
It's possible that it's not just your big toenails that are peeling, but several of your toenails at once. The cause of this pathology may be:
Psoriasis of toenails
- Dermatological diseases - eczema or psoriasis of the stratum corneum.
- Long-term use of tetracycline and fluoroquinolone antibiotics.
- Chronic diseases of the cardiovascular, endocrine, nervous or digestive systems that affect the condition of the nails.
- Fungal infection of the feet, localized on the horny plate.
Most often, toenails detach from the skin due to a parasitic fungus. Before treating an infection, you need to find out what pathogen is causing it.
Symptoms of onycholysis
As a rule, detachment is painless. This often makes it difficult to notice the initial signs of the disease. Be attentive to yourself, then you will not miss the first call. Incipient onycholysis makes itself felt with the following symptoms:
- Change in color of the nail on the big toe after an injury,
the border line between the white and pink parts of the nail plate begins to bulge and becomes uneven; - the nail completely or partially changes its usual color to blue, yellow or white. With an impact and a hematoma, the horny covering may turn black (see photo of a hematoma on the big toe);
- the nail plate thickens;
- nail growth stops.
When the connection between the stratum corneum and the soft tissues is disrupted, voids form under the nail. The pathological process can cover the entire area of the nail plate and end in complete rejection. Outwardly it looks untidy; Therefore, it is important to diagnose the development of onycholysis in time.
Signs of onycholysis
What to do at the first signs of the disease? The right decision would be to visit a doctor. Fungus, psoriasis, and eczema are treated by a dermatologist; examination by a more specialized specialist, a mycologist, is possible.
Important! If the doctor confidently diagnoses a fungal disease during a visual examination, look for another specialist. It can only be stated that the cause of damage to the stratum corneum is a fungus after appropriate tests have been carried out.
If the nail detachment began after an injury, you will need to consult a surgeon.
Clinical picture
Clinical symptoms of the disease are typical. They are characterized by the plate lagging behind its bed from the front end, at the base or on the sides of the holes. Inspection reveals a transformation in the color of the plate from colorless to whitish-gray, which is determined by the entry of air into the resulting space.
If microorganisms get into the gap between the canvas and the bed, the color of the plate changes, ranging from yellowish to brownish. When an infection with Pseudomonas aeruginosa is observed, the tissue becomes greenish. In the presence of a fungal infection, the structure of the plate also changes; it becomes rough and susceptible to deformation.
Over time, dirt, dead cells accumulate in the space between the plate and the bed, and an unpleasant odor appears due to hyperkeratosis. At this stage, there is a possibility of the appearance of secondary foci of the disease. Onycholysis occurs in full form when the entire plate is detached from the bed, and in partial form when only part of it lags behind.
Drug treatment
The choice of therapy will depend on the primary causes of the problem. In case of traumatic damage, it is enough to keep the nail clean, treat it with antiseptic agents, carefully trim it and wait for a new plate to grow.
For systemic diseases, local treatment is ineffective: an integrated approach is required to eliminate or reduce relapses of the underlying disease. If the nail moves away from the nail bed after taking antibiotics, the condition will return to normal after stopping the drugs. As the healthy nail grows, the damaged part will be pushed out.
The most difficult thing to achieve is the treatment of fungal infections. It takes a lot of time - from several months to several years. The doctor will prescribe you antifungal chemotherapy drugs. Complex treatment includes oral antimycotics:
Toenail fungus
- Fluconazole;
- Intracanazole;
- Ketoconazole;
- Griseofulfin.
Also used for external use:
- Clotrimazole;
- Bifonazole;
- Ciclopirox in the form of varnish, cream or solution;
- Oxytetracycline ointment;
- Terbinafine and other medications at the discretion of the treating healthcare professional.
To improve microcirculation and ensure the supply of nutrients to the nail bed, the doctor will prescribe massage or physiotherapeutic procedures. He will also prescribe strengthening vitamin complexes and preparations containing active calcium ions. This element is necessary to strengthen the nail plate.
Diagnostics
In most cases, if the nail on the hand comes off or turns black, the diagnosis does not cause difficulties for dermatologists. Preceding this disease, damage to nails by Bo lines is a valuable diagnostic sign, indicating either systematic injury to the nail plate, or periodic arrest of its growth against the background of progression of somatic pathologies.
Bo's lines are defects of the nail plate in the form of transverse depressions resulting from damage to the growth zone. In modern dermatology, it is believed that transverse lines are a consequence of trophic disorders of the nail matrix, changing the chemical composition of the plate. Taking into account the fact that it grows in about 90 days, the distance from the Beau line to the nail fold can be used to determine the moment of injury or the duration of the chronic pathology that provoked the appearance of white nails.
The presence of detachment on several or one nails of the toes or fingers and the determination of the possible causes of this phenomenon make it possible to make a clinical diagnosis with a significant diversity in the pathomorphological picture of this disease (changes in structure, color, transparency, hyperkeratotic layers varying in area and depth).
In addition, the mandatory diagnostic plan when a fingernail comes off includes scraping for fungi to eliminate the possibility of mycotic damage to the nail.
Onycholysis is differentiated from psoriasis, mycoses, lichen planus, Bowen's disease and onychodystrophies of unknown etiology.
Treatment with folk remedies
There are various solutions to improve the health of the stratum corneum at home. It is unlikely that it will be possible to cure a diseased nail using folk recipes; these procedures can be considered as an adjuvant to drug therapy. Comprehensive measures will help stop the process of onycholysis. You can prepare medicinal baths, lotions, mixtures for rubbing into the affected area:
- Mix freshly squeezed juice of one orange with 1 tbsp. l. salt, 4-5 drops of iodine and 50 ml of mineral water at room temperature. Keep your fingers in this solution for 10-15 minutes. This recipe is suitable when nail detachment and void formation are in the initial stages.
- Add apple cider vinegar or hydrogen peroxide to warm water in a 2:1 ratio. This bath is effective when the toenail is completely separated from the toe. Do it 2 times a day for 20 minutes.
- Add 0.5 tsp. gelatin in 200 g of water and let it brew for 30 minutes. Then heat the solution and immerse the damaged nail in it for 15 minutes. Repeat the procedure every other day until the condition of the plate improves.
- Steam 1 tbsp with a glass of boiling water. l. dry pharmaceutical chamomile and pine needles. Let it brew for 30 minutes, then strain and combine with green tea (1:1). Take the bath for half an hour, repeat the procedure every day.
- Use iodine. Apply a thin layer of it to the affected part before going to bed. Do this for several days in a row - 1-2 weeks.
- Prepare a mixture of crushed garlic and butter. Take the ingredients in equal proportions. Rub the product into the sore nail. Repeat the procedure every day or every other day until positive results are achieved.
- It is very useful to rub sea buckthorn or olive oil into the damaged nail before going to bed.
Before applying various compounds to the stratum corneum, the surface to be treated should be steamed and cleaned of contaminants.
Nail removal
In particularly advanced cases, when the infection is severe or the nail has almost completely come away from the skin, the doctor may recommend surgery to amputate the horny plate. The procedure is painful and is performed under local anesthesia. During the recovery period, therapeutic bandages are applied to the finger using antibacterial agents.
There is a chemical way to remove damaged nails. It is based on the use of keratolytic components that dissolve the horny part. You can purchase drugs such as Nogtimycin, Nogtevit at the pharmacy and, following the instructions, remove the nail yourself.
Removing a nail with a pedicure machine
You can also get rid of the nail plate when it peels off using a hardware pedicure or laser (see photo of big toe nail removal). Find out if this procedure is performed at your nearest cosmetology clinic. Within 2-3 months, a new nail will begin to grow, and if you have eliminated the root cause of the disease, you can guarantee that it will be healthy.
To quickly restore the stratum corneum, it is recommended to take a gelatin solution. Pour in 2 tsp. edible gelatin 100 g of warm water and leave to swell. Then heat the solution in a water bath, add another 100 g of water. When the crystals are completely dissolved, add 1 tsp. lemon juice and drink. Drink gelatin an hour before meals in the morning for 2 weeks. Then they take a break for a week and repeat the course again.
Preventive measures
The following preventive measures will help prevent the development of onycholysis:
- regularly monitor foot hygiene;
- try not to injure your nails (for example, when performing repair and construction work, wear closed shoes or sneakers);
- to avoid fungal infection, do not wear someone else’s shoes;
- avoid direct contact with chemicals;
- trim the overgrown part of the nail plate in a timely manner;
- don’t get carried away with nail extensions;
- do not buy tight shoes;
- keep your feet dry, avoiding high humidity;
- Treat chronic diseases in a timely manner.
By following these recommendations, you will maintain healthy nails.
Lack of vitamins
Deficiency of vitamins and various macro- and microelements can also provoke detachment of the nail plate. Their deficiency usually occurs when eating poor food.
The diet must contain foods high in iron, calcium, and zinc . large amounts of magnesium, vitamin D, and phosphorus is ideal , without which calcium absorption is impossible.
B, A and E , found in apples, butter and sunflower oil, seeds, dairy products, and nuts, are also important for healthy nails
Also in the diet there should be the presence of protein products, vegetables and fruits containing silicon, amino acids, zinc and folic acid.
