How to soften the toenails to make it easier to cut?

Human hands are almost always in sight, so caring for them has become a daily habit of both women and men. The same cannot be said about the legs, which for most of the year are hidden by boots or toes. Nevertheless, regular haircut and care of the nail plate affect not only the beauty, but also the health of the toes. The difficulty is that the bottom of the nails themselves are more dense than on the fingers, and they are not so easy to cut with ordinary nail scissors. In addition, many people, especially with age, there is an increasing thickening of the nail plate. Even the nippers do not take such a dense layer the first time, and to make even the simplest pedicure, you will have to soften them in the bath or with the help of special tools.

Hard and hard nails give a person great inconvenience. Besides the fact that it is impossible to calmly cut them, they often change color, darken and grow into the skin. With such nails it is impossible to pick up comfortable shoes, calmly razdutsya at a party, and besides, often with a change in the nail plate comes not just discomfort, but the real pain. There may be several reasons for this.

• Shoes are not in size. Very often, in pursuit of beauty or economy, men and women acquire shoes and shoes that are not suitable for the length and thickness of their feet. With prolonged wear of such shoes on the tips of your fingers and nails there is a constant and strong pressure. This leads to the deformation of both the plates and the entire foot, which is very harmful for the human skeleton. Experts always recommend to buy such shoes in which the leg will feel free.

• Improper pruning and processing. In order for the nail not to harden and not grow into the sides of the finger, it is necessary to properly trim and file it. Do not round the edge or cut it too short. The edge should be smooth, and its length should be about 0.5-1 mm.
• Lack of hygiene. On the feet of the feet are many sweat glands that work around the clock. Especially often feet sweat in shoes made of artificial materials or synthetic socks. To avoid health problems, you must regularly wash them and process them with pumice.
• Injuries. Very often, the nail is bent and compacted as a result of being injured. In this case, it is necessary to consult a doctor and get his recommendations on how to eliminate the consequences of such an injury and correct the nail plate.

• Diseases. If the nails have become sharply thick, they have growths or a yellow patina, this can signal problems inside the human body. It can be strong endocrine changes, problems with the cardiovascular system, avitaminosis. Often, such results can lead to violations of the liver or kidneys. And the most common disease is a common fungus.
• Heredity. Very often, nails grow coarse and grow into those people whose parents or grandparents suffered from the same problem. One of the main recommendations for such men and women is a very thorough care and proper pruning.If the nail has already grown into soft tissue strongly enough, it remains only to turn to a good surgeon who can take out the edge of the nail or even remove the nail plate as a whole.
• Age changes. Unfortunately, after 40-45 years, the entire human body undergoes significant changes. This is reflected in both internal and external organs. Very often, the thickening of the nails in women occurs during menopause. Naturally this does not work, so you have to deal with this situation by various means.

Coarse nails need care, but even their minimal treatment requires great effort. Before you begin trimming and filing nails, they must be softened. This can be done in several ways.

The easiest, but effective way is to quickly steam the foot in hot water. Together with the skin, the nail plate is also fed with hot water, due to which it will become softer and more pliable. The procedure will require 10-15 minutes of free time and water of such a temperature that the skin can withstand. Soak your feet in this way can be done in a regular basin with hot water, and you can add various components to the liquid to enhance the effect. Essential oils of tea tree, lavender or rosemary can be used as such additives. To do this, it is enough to add 10-15 drops of oil to the basin and, in addition to softening the desired areas, you can get a good aromatherapy session in your own bedroom.

Instead of adding oils, you can prepare a decoction with various medicinal plants. Chamomile will relieve inflammation, celandine will help in the fight against warts, and oak bark will relieve excessive sweating of feet. For the preparation of broth will need 5-10 spoons of dry plants and 1.5 liters of boiling water. After the boiling water has cooled to an acceptable temperature, lower the feet for 15–20 minutes or until the liquid has completely cooled down into the pelvis.

One of the most convenient compresses is gauze bandage with a piece of peeled aloe leaf. It must be attached to the problem area, covered with plastic wrap and wound with a bandage or gauze. Aloe is left on the leg for the whole night, and in the morning it will be easy to cut off the nail with ordinary scissors. In addition to aloe, a small piece of Kombucha or a cotton pad dipped in a 9% acetic acid solution can also help. It is important to remember that vinegar can leave a burn on the skin, so leaving such a compress on the leg for more than 3 hours is not recommended.

Help to cut rough nails are capable of ointments and creams that can be bought at any pharmacy. They do not need a prescription from the attending physician, and the pharmacist will be able to advise you on several options. The main thing that needs to be done with this treatment is to follow the instructions included in the product packaging.

The oldest, but not lost, to this day, medicine for the treatment of the nail plate is Vishnevsky ointment. For a stronger effect, it is not enough just to spread it on the nail, it is best to apply it on a piece of bandage or a cotton pad and make a compress all night.

Modern medicines work much faster and can soften even the hardest nail in a few minutes to a couple of hours. These are drugs called Scholl, Nogtevit or Uroderm. In addition, ichthyol or salicylic ointment can also help in solving the problem.

We should also talk about the softening of the nail with a fungal disease.The first signs of the fungus are yellow shade, delamination and wave-like shape of the nail. Over time, such a nail begins to crumble and infects the neighboring fingers. As soon as the first signs of infection appear, it is necessary to begin treatment. You can contact a specialist for this or purchase antifungal drugs yourself. Cutting ill nails without prior treatment with drugs can not be. This may contribute to the appearance of cracks, boils and infections.

In the pharmacy you can find a lot of antifungal drugs. The best reviews received a set of "Kanespor" and ointment "Exoderil." In addition, 5% salicylic ointment and special lacquer lacquer can help in the fight against the fungus.

Sometimes it happens that you don’t have a chance to go to a pharmacy or a store, and you need to soften your nails for a haircut. In this case, you can use some recipes of traditional medicine and make a special foot bath or make a special ointment.

For this bath you need only 3 ingredients:

• 2 liters of water;
• 2 teaspoons of soap, grated on a fine grater;
• 6 tsp of baking soda.

The water is brought to a boil and cooled to an acceptable temperature. Soap chips and soda are poured into it, carefully stirred and dissolved. Feet in such a bath should be kept for 15-20 minutes, then wipe dry with a towel and start cutting.

A two-hour compress with vinegar will allow you to cut off the nail on the leg of even a very elderly person. To do this, it is enough to wet them with a cotton pad and attach it to the damaged area. A food wrap is wound on top and a sock is put on. After a pedicure, it is necessary to lubricate with nourishing cream that area of ​​skin to which cotton wool soaked in vinegar was applied. This is necessary so that the skin does not dry out and there is no burn or peeling.

If there is only an hour left, and a bath with hot water does not help, then You can use a simple recipe for a softening ointment made from natural ingredients:

• honey;
• vegetable oil (olive oil is best, but you can also sunflower);
• lemon juice;
• sour cream.

All products are taken in equal parts, thoroughly mixed and applied to the nails. There is no need to wrap them with film, but to enhance the effect you can do it. After 30 minutes, the ointment is washed off, and the nails are clipped effortlessly. You can prepare such an effective home remedy in advance, but even in the refrigerator it is stored for only a couple of days.

Treatment of the nail plate can result in large time and financial costs. It is best to avoid this problem, rather than eliminate it. To nails have always been healthy and well-groomed enough to follow a few rules.

• Regular hygiene and care. It is necessary to wash the feet daily, and the nail plate should be cut at least once every 1-2 weeks (depending on the growth rate). After water procedures, thoroughly dry or wipe the skin, especially the space between the fingers. Do not cut your nails too short, cut them around the circumference and leave the first signs of a fungus or a growing nail unattended. If possible, once every 2-3 months to do a pedicure in a proven salon.

• Acquire and wear suitable size shoes. In open shoes, walk carefully and try to eliminate injuries toes. If possible, buy shoes from natural materials, in which the foot sweats less.
• In public places, you must always be in shoes. On the beach, in the pool or in the sauna, you should wear lightweight slaps or disposable slippers so that the foot does not touch the dirty floor or wet sand.

With the observance of these rules, even age-related changes will not lead the appearance and health of the nail plate to a depressing state.Healthy nails want to apply beautiful lacquers and wear open shoes, because others will be able to appreciate their beauty.

How to soften the toenails at home, see the following video.