Visual changes in the condition of a manicure or pedicure always frighten girls, since it is quite difficult to understand the reason for their appearance. The formation of yellow plaque on the nail plates of the feet is quite common, so it is important to know the main reasons for their formation.
However, sometimes it is difficult to understand why your toenails turn yellow on your own, especially if the problem is in the body. To do this, you should consult a doctor to diagnose it and prescribe treatment.
What is yellow nail
The yellowness of the nail plate on the hands and feet is a consequence of exposure to any unfavorable external factors, which subsequently lead to pigmentation. Some people are born with a specific nail color that can range from yellow to a distinct orange, but in this case this color is normal. It happens that the color changes and begins to peel off from the nail bed due to loosening the structure of the nail plate, in which case you need to check for fungal infections.
Preventive measures
Of course, anyone can develop thick and yellow nail plates, but in order to minimize the risk and, in general, never encounter this problem, you need to follow simple rules and adhere to basic preventive measures.
- Shoes must be selected according to size. As a rule, shoes, boots or sneakers should not be too tight or cause any other discomfort.
- In the bathhouse, swimming pool or gym, you should always use rubber or silicone slippers.
- Always practice good personal hygiene.
- Pedicure accessories, like any other hygiene item, should belong only to you.
- To make your pedicure strong and always in perfect condition, do not forget to do strengthening baths and compresses.
- In case of even the most minor injury, it is worth using an antiseptic.
- And don’t forget about vitamin complexes, vegetables and fruits.
Naturally, thick and yellowed nail plates are unlikely to cause admiring glances; moreover, as mentioned above, almost all external changes can manifest themselves from the inside and indicate serious diseases. Therefore, you should not neglect your beauty and health, because sometimes it is enough to adhere to generally accepted preventive measures and hygiene rules so that your pedicure is always in perfect condition.
Why do the nails on my big toes turn yellow?
There are many reasons why a yellow toenail appears. At the same time, both men and women suffer from this problem for completely different reasons:
- Often, yellow toenails form when the patient has acute or chronic liver disease. In this case, an uncharacteristic shade of the nails first forms, and then the color of the whites of the eyes and skin becomes yellow.
- Imbalance of microflora. A lack of beneficial microorganisms in the stomach can lead to yellowness and diseases of the internal organs.
- The presence of a fungal infection. In this case, the plate on the toe looks painful, takes on an uncharacteristic color, and the tissue structure of some areas of the nail plate begins to change.
- Middle-aged and elderly people may experience the so-called yellow nail syndrome. In this case, the toenails begin to peel, thicken and change color.
- If the toenail turns yellow and becomes thicker, this may be a consequence of diabetes mellitus or other pathologies, such as psoriasis.
- The plate may become yellow and thick when the immune system is reduced or the protective or nervous system is impaired.
- Failure to comply with hygiene rules can also lead to the appearance of a yellow tint on the nail plates of the feet.
- Excessive sweating or wearing synthetic and uncomfortable shoes is also undesirable. These conditions cause symptoms characteristic of fungus - thickening of the nail and the appearance of white spots.
- With long-term use of antibiotics, you should not be surprised if the nail on your big toe turns yellow, since this factor can also cause the manifestation of the disease.
- Infectious or somatic diseases can affect the color of nails.
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Possible complications
Yellowness caused by negligence or household factors can be quickly eliminated. If the cause of destruction is a fungus, you should get rid of it as quickly as possible by contacting a dermatologist. A fungus that has settled in the body will not go away on its own. Its cells are fixed and multiply.
The source of infection can spread to other organs. A person with a fungus spreads the infection to other people, and, above all, to family and friends. If the nail is yellow, the cause of which lies in internal diseases, the disease should be treated, and the prognosis for its spread depends on the severity of the disease and the timeliness of seeking medical attention.
Women can hide yellow toenails with varnish, but the symptom should not be completely ignored. The causes of the defect must be found out as quickly as possible so as not to miss time for treatment.
Article design: Oleg Lozinsky
Why do women's toenails turn yellow?
A yellow toenail in women may appear as a result of using low-quality nail coating products (varnishes). The chemical elements contained in the composition, penetrating deep into the keratin, can cause staining of the nails. The lack of a base coat can also affect the color of the plate. When applied, any varnish gives the plate a yellowish tint. The brighter the color, the stronger the staining will be, so you should apply a nail base coat before using any bright polish.
Diagnostics
Before starting any treatment, you must consult a doctor for diagnosis. In order to determine the cause of the appearance of a yellow nail on the big toe, a dermatologist needs to examine the yellowed plate under a specialized lamp and take biomaterial (a piece of a thick plate) for microscopic examination and identification of mycoses. After this, a scraping is taken from the skin around the diseased nail and blood is drawn to detect antibodies to leprosy and syphilis.
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When to see a doctor
You should consult a doctor immediately as soon as signs of yellowing are noticed, accompanied by other symptoms:
- difficulty walking;
- changing shape;
- thickening of the nail surface;
- swelling around the nail hole.
The dermatologist will advise you to undergo additional examination for the presence of disorders in the gastrointestinal tract and pulmonary system. If there is a change in color without any underlying cause, you should still consult a doctor.
Excessive use of dyes, reducing agents and other substances that change the usual structure of the nail can cause trouble in the future. The doctor will advise you on how to properly care for your nails and suggest medications to restore their normal structure.
What to do
For any reason of the disease, it is necessary to monitor your lifestyle and proper nutrition. In addition, you should start taking vitamins. If the plate on the big toe has turned yellow or a yellow spot has formed as a result of improper use of nail polishes or prolonged exposure to ultraviolet rays, then they can be bleached. For this procedure, you can use toothpaste or lemon juice.
Drug treatment
Depending on the cause of the disease, your doctor may prescribe various types of medications:
- If the cause of the appearance of yellow spots is problems with the liver (cirrhosis or hepatitis), then in such cases effective drug treatment is carried out using drugs designed for courses (Heptral, Essentiale Forte, etc.). In this case, the overgrown part of the plate requires careful removal.
- Due to decreased immunity, treatment with vitamin and mineral complexes is used. In severe cases, medications aimed at stimulating the functioning of the immune system may be used.
- To treat fungal diseases, varnishes are applied: Loceryl, Mikozan or Batrafen. They are expensive, but they give quick results.
- If the disease is extensive and the fungal infection spreads rapidly, it is necessary to take antibiotics: Diflucan or Fungavis. If a fungal infection leads to deformation of the plate, then ointments are used: Lamisil, Exifin, Thermikon. It is worth considering that the active ingredient of these drugs - ciclopiroxolamine - is effective only in the early stages of foot fungus disease.
Traditional methods
To restore healthy nail color, you can use traditional methods of treatment:
- Yellowing of the plates can be treated with fresh lemon juice . Use a cotton swab dipped in juice or pieces of fruit to wipe your nails every day for a few minutes or make compresses.
- You can eliminate signs of the disease and yellowing of the skin of the feet and nails using a special ointment . To prepare it, you need one tablespoon of 70% vinegar and vegetable oil, then add a raw egg to the solution. The ingredients must be thoroughly mixed and applied to the affected area, wrapped in a clean bandage and put on a warm sock.
- If the color of natural nails changes due to the use of varnish or prolonged exposure to other unfavorable factors, you can use tea tree oil or celandine , which successfully cope with lesions on the skin of the feet. You can use medications at any time of the day, but to maintain the positive effect, you must wear socks. To improve the condition of the nail, you can use nourishing creams.
Warm baths
If yellow stripes form on the tips of your nails, you can use oak bark baths. To prepare a medicinal decoction, you need to mix three tablespoons of oak bark with the same amount of lilac flowers, then add two tablespoons of calendula and one celandine. Pour hot water over the herbs and leave for about a day. After this, the broth must be filtered and used warm for foot baths. This procedure promotes nail growth.
How to get rid of yellow nails
To eliminate yellow plaque on your toenails, it is recommended to first consult a doctor if you know the cause of the defect.
As a standard, you can contact one of four specialists:
- Surgeon.
- Pathologist.
- Dermatologist.
- Mycologist (if the problem is a fungal infection).
When visiting a hospital, the doctor examines the affected area and prescribes tests, based on the results of which a diagnosis is made, and the patient is redirected to a more specialized specialist. He prescribes a treatment regimen for the girl.
Sometimes recovery measures are not necessary. For example, if a nail is injured, you just need to wait for it to heal and for a healthy plate to grow back on the toes.
To achieve a positive result, completely clear the yellowness of the nail, it is recommended to perform a comprehensive treatment, which includes taking or applying medications, as well as caring for the nails using folk recipes.
Drug treatment is prescribed based on the girl’s problem:
- For fungus, the doctor prescribes antifungal drugs that destroy pathogenic bacteria and completely clean the nail: Mikoderil, Mikozan, Lamisil, Exoderil;
- To increase local immunity, anti-inflammatory drugs are prescribed: Bepanten, Panthenol, which should be applied to the legs twice a day;
- In case of intoxication of the body with medications and drugs, absorbents are prescribed that remove toxins from the body - Activated carbon and Enterosgel;
- For diseases of organs and systems, appropriate medications are prescribed based on the girl’s health condition.
To increase the effectiveness of treatment, it is necessary to carry out complex therapy, which, in addition to taking and using medications, includes the use of folk remedies. This way you will increase local immunity and speed up the elimination of yellowness.
The main thing is when using home baths, compresses or lotions with useful ingredients, observe the frequency and frequency of their use. It is not recommended to take long breaks, as this reduces the effectiveness of the manipulations. As a standard, you need to do at least one steaming bath and a compress or lotion every day.
There are several common recipes that doctors often prescribe to eliminate yellowing of nails:
- Salt bath. For one liter of water, take 30 grams of sea salt and stir until completely dissolved. Additionally, add 4-5 drops of tea tree or lavender essential oil. The proportions can be increased. You need to immerse your feet in the liquid for 20 minutes and then wipe dry.
- Compress with onions. Mix finely chopped onion, aloe leaf juice and lemon juice in equal quantities. Apply the solution to gauze folded in several layers and apply it to the damaged nail, securing it with an adhesive plaster. After 25 minutes, remove the compress and wash your feet.
- Ointment with calendula. You can prepare your own ointment that has a calming effect. To do this, pour 100 grams of calendula leaves with the same amount of boiling water for an hour. After this, add a tablespoon of Vaseline to the cooled liquid and apply to the nail plate until absorbed once a day.
- Compress with laundry soap. The soap must be grated on a coarse grater and mixed with animal fat in equal proportions. Melt the mixture in a water bath until smooth. It is applied to the nail in its pure form, and a fingertip and a woolen sock are put on top, and the compress is left overnight.
Steam baths are effective because they open the epithelial cells and stratum corneum of the nail, ensuring high permeability of beneficial substances into the structure. Because of this, the active ingredients of the products used are absorbed better and faster.
You can also wipe your nails daily with an antiseptic or natural ingredients - iodine and lemon juice. So, if pathogenic microflora is present, you will remove it, ensuring rapid restoration of the surface, and prevent the progression of the defect to sensitive skin.
Prevention
If the cause of the disease is injury or an infectious disease, then it is impossible to prevent the occurrence of a fungal infection. Otherwise, by adhering to simple rules , you can protect yourself from the occurrence of unpleasant diseases and their consequences:
- You must follow the rules for visiting swimming pools, saunas or fitness centers.
- Before a manicure or pedicure, you must disinfect your instruments.
- Chronic diseases should not be allowed; they can cause yellowing of nails.
