How to Heal Fingertip Cracks and Fissures

I've had a few people asking me lately about fingertip cracks or as I consider them fingertip fissures.  These fissures are very painful and can inhibit the afflicted persons daily activities if they are bad enough.  I'm not surprised to hear of this issue as fingertip and cuticle cracks and fissures, along with hangnails, happen more in the winter months due to the drying effects of colder temperatures and indoor heating. 

 Before you try to fix this on your own, know this first, if you feel that the area is infected, see a doctor immediately.  You should not proceed with any of the following if there is any redness and swelling, or if there is any chance of pus forming.   Taking a chance with blood poisoning is worse than trying to deal with the fissure.  Soak your finger in warm salt water and call your doctor immediately.

If there is no infection present, there are a few things that can be done to help heal these fishers once they occur.  The first thing is to remove the excess skin on each side of the fissure.  What you will need is:

1.       Super Glue (if fissure is in danger of opening further)

2.       Cuticle sissors or nippers

3.       A 100 or 180 grit emery board

4.       An antibiotic ointment

Trim back the excess skin on each side of the fissure with a clean cuticle nipper or scissor.  Use caution when trimming the excess skin to prevent from cutting too low or making it bleed.  The fingertip fissure can even be filed smooth with a clean emery board. 

If the fissure keeps splitting, clean your hands thoroughly with an antibacterial soap, cleanse the area with hydrogen peroxide (use this only once as it will eat away at live tissue) then use super glue to hold the fissure together and gently file off the excess skin.  This excess skin keeps pulling the fissure apart and prevents the split from healing.  And don’t be afraid of using an antibacterial ointment and Band-Aids if necessary.  

If this condition is not the result of extreme temperature changes or does not clear up with added moisture to the affected area, see a doctor.  Fingertip cracks and fissures can also be caused by skin conditions like contact dermatitis and eczema.  Also, products like harsh detergents and soaps with sodium lauryl sulfate can also cause this problem, along with fungal infections and under active thyroid conditions.  

One of the best things is to prevent the cuticle and fingertip fissures before they start.   Use a good cuticle oil daily and lotion your hands and fingertips regularly.  If you are extremely prone to these types of fissures, use a cream with Urea or Papaya Enzyme/Pineapple Extract as one of the ingredients as these help to soften the proteins of the skin to let emollients penetrate easier.

These tips on Fingertip Fissures is brought to you by Bella10 Nail & Skin Care.
Click here for more about Bella10.

6 Tips for Winter Skin & Winter Nails

Winter can bring on extra challenges in natural nail and skin care.   

Of course we all know lotion helps with winter skin, but even using lotion regularly sometimes doesn't help. Dry, rough and flakey skin, even splits or fissures can develop with the colder temperatures.  

Can winter weather also affect our nails they way it affects our skin?We all experience dry winter skin but many of us forget the effects that the winter can have on our nails. 

Nails grow slower because our metabolisms are usually slower in colder months. They do not regenerate the way they can in the warmer months.  In addition, extreme temperature changes due to cold weather and indoor heating can dry out the skin.  Your skin (and nails) expand and contract just as anything else when exposed to temperature changes. This constant expansion and contraction from indoor and outdoor temperature changes can make us loose our protective natural oil barrier which protects our skin and keeps it hydrated.  Therefore, winter weather means dry, rough, and even cracked skin.  Dry skin leads to dry nails… Dry nails increases nail breakage, and peeling.  So how can you minimize winters impact on your nails and hands?

1. Wear gloves or mittens when outdoors. For an extra kick, apply a good hand cream to your hands before putting them on.
2. Never underestimate the use of a good cuticle oil, like CutiOil.  The important part is to use it DAILY!  It will not only reduce or eliminate hangnails, it will also minimize nail breakage and peeling. A drop or two of CutiOil on extremely rough skin, in addition to your hand cream would be extremely beneficial in replacing the natural oils that have been lost!
3. Keep your nails shorter if necessary.  If you need to take down more length, use a quality nail clipper and never clip down your nails unless they have soaked in water for at least 2 minutes.
4. Use a gentle nail file to minimize nail peeling.  I like glass or crystal nail files or you can use an emery board with grits from 220 to 400 grit.  File your nail from side to tip, don’t saw your nails with the file as this can create more peeling later.
5. Avoid extreme temperatures.  Very hot water for showering and washing your hands will dry out the skin and nails.  Be certain to lotion your skin after washing to help replenish the oils lost that help keep your skin moisturized.
6. Apply your lotions and oils at night.  Night time is when your body goes into "repair mode".  Plus, applying your lotion and oils to your hands, feet or nails at night will lessen the chance you will wash it off quickly.  No need to over-apply unless your skin and nails are extremely chapped.  In this case, socks or gloves may be a great idea.

Bella10 Nail & Skin Care products are made to help mimic the skin's natural oils unlike products with mineral oils or petroleum.
 
Bella10 Nail & Skin Care products are natural, non-toxic and will help repair dry, chapped, and rough winter skin when used regularly. 

Get yours today!

To learn more about fingertip fissures and how to help heal cracked skin, see
"How to Heal Fingertip Cracks and Fissures"

Why Do I Have Nail Ridges?

I have heard this question from more clients than I can count!  

But what I need to know is...

What type of ridges do you have? Horizontal or Vertical?

Artwork by Dawn Loberg, from "The Secret to Beautiful Natural Nails"

Vertical Nail Ridges

     Vertical nail ridges are the most common type of nail ridges.  They are like a fingerprint for your nail, one that amplifies with age.  As we get older, they can become more pronounced due to everyday abuse; repeated blows, beating and battering of the fingertips and fingernails.  Vertical ridges also become more pronounced when the finger is injured from catching them in drawers and doors. 

     But injury and repeated abuse is not the only cause of increased ridges.  Vertical nail ridges also become more pronounced as we age, due to lack of moisture in the nail.  As we age, our skin slows in the production of sebum, which hydrates our nails naturally.  Depending on the individual, this natural process will dry out the nail.  The nails becomes seemingly harder and the ridges become more pronounced, but they can also become more brittle and prone to breaking.

Horizontal Nail Ridges

     Horizontal nail ridges are less common and can be due to a multitude of reasons.  Most often, they are due to infection and injury.  A common horizontal ridge can be be created if your feet mildly over-pronate, causing your toes to hit the tip of your shoe as you walk or run.  Over-pronating as you walk or run can also cause you to bruise your nail and even have it fall off.  Of course it is important to see a doctor when such an injury or infection occurs, especially in the area of the nail matrix, the area around the moon of your nail and below the cuticle.  This type of injury or infection can cause permanent horizontal nail ridges and waves, although this usually only happens on one or more fingers or toes.  When the ridges are on all the nails, it is usually a systemic nail disorder and you will want to consult a doctor. The most common type of systemic nail ridges can be the caused by, but are not limited to:

1.       Nail Pitting, most commonly from Psoriasis

2.      Beau’s Lines, which can be a sign of a zinc deficiency or something more serious like uncontrolled diabetes, etc. 

     If you are unsure on what exactly is causing the condition, see a doctor.  And for more information on nail conditions you should never ignore, including Nail Pitting and Beau’s Lines, check out the slide show by Mayo Clinic “7 Fingernail Problems Not to Ignore”.  

How to Care for Nail Ridges 

     Usually, vertical nail ridges can be minimized by applying a cuticle oil, like Bella10 CutiOil, daily, which can help with rehydrating the natural nails.  Bella10 CutiOil was created to be high in Lineoleic acid, which softens and conditions the nail, and with natural oils that mimic the skins natural sebum which can be lost as we get older.  I have seen some amazing results when used regularly  in a daily routine.  Nails have become less ridged, more flexible, and have less peeling and breakage.

     Other ways to deal with nail ridges cosmetically is best done with a ridge filling polish.  It will help your nail polish go on smoother than without it.  Use caution if you plan to buff down any nail ridge.  Most (but not all) nails are the same thickness all the way across.  If you buff  the ridge down, you may thin the nail plate at the point of the ridge, thereby creating a weakened nail.  This is usually true for vertical nail ridges.  Buffing can create splits down the nail that take up to 6 months to grow out.  It is a good idea to keep this nail shorter in instances where the split keeps occurring, especially if you are hard on  your hands and nails.   When the ridge continuously creates a split nail, this may be an instance when nail glue with a filler powder, acrylic or gel product is needed to hold the nail together.  Use good judgement when making this decision.


An Important Note on Nail Infection

     If for any reason, an infection develops surrounding your nail or even under your nail, due to an injury or severely split nail, see a doctor immediately.  Blood poisoning can easily occur with some infections and is not to be taken lightly.  Seeing a doctor can also reduce the chance for permanent nail damage.  Permanent damage can create horizontal nail ridges, waves, chronic nail splitting and even the loss of the entire nail, which can not be cured or corrected.

 For more information on natural nail care, Get the Book,

"The Secret to Beautiful Natural Nails" by veteran natural nail expert, Alicia Lyons

Bella10 CutiOil is the Best Cuticle Oil Ever!

I am  always busy!  I work in a salon full time, I write blogs about nail care and nail care products I like, so yes, I'm always busy.  We won't even mention my social life...  But this time I've added more to my busy life.  I've decided to get busy creating my own line of all natural nail care products.  And it feels right!  I feel that it's a natural progression in my career

 Since I've been in the beauty industry for over 30 years, worked with all kinds of products, I know what type of products work and with what kind of ingredients are best.  I've always wanted my own brand of Cuticle Oil, hence my saying "Oil, Oil, Oil" to all my clients and friends.  Oil in the natural nail helps to minimize nail peeling nails and it reduces nail breakage.

Presto!  Bella10 CutiOil!

But I had to have the right combination of natural oils, with natural vitamin content (A,C,D & E), that would hydrate the nail and the cuticle.  I knew that I wanted Almond Oil to soften the nail and allow the nail to bend a little and not break if it was bumped.  I wanted an oil to mimic the skin's own natural sebum.  Luckily, I not only found one in Jojoba Oil but I also found another that I just love, Macadamia Nut Oil.  When our skin slows in producing it's own oil, we need to topically apply something to help the nails and skin stay hydrated.  I also wanted Apricot Kernel Oil because it has a very small molecular structure and can be a carrier oil and draw the extra vitamin E that I wanted to add deeper into the nail itself.  I added a very light Egyptian Geranium and Rose fragrance too.  Wish this screen had a scratch and sniff so I could share how light and beautiful this fragrance really is.

I am very pleased with the mixture of all these fantastic natural oils.  The quality of the cuticle oil compares with some of the major brands that are on the market and the price is better than what you will find too.  I will be retailing CutiOil at only $9.99 per bottle and I am accepting wholesale accounts.

This is just the beginning, as it looks like I have the beginnings of making my own brand. CutiOil is available on the Bella10 website!

To find out more about the lotions, see

"Why You Should Consider Natural Ingredients in Your Skin Care and Cosmetics" 

 

Cuticle Nippers vs Cuticle Scissors

Through the years, I've always been a fan of cuticle nippers.  It's probably because when I was in beauty school (all those many years ago, lol) the first pair of cuticle scissors I had didn't work worth beans!  So nippers and I learned to be very good friends.  It was a struggle at first, but with practice, lots and lots and lots of practice, nippers and I were the best of friends!  Then I received cuticle scissor that blew me out of the water! These cuticle scissors were Tower Point TopInox® Stainless Steel Cuticle Scissors by Niegeloh, Germany from Zamberg.   Again, I've been a nipper fan from way back but I could not believe how these scissors handled.  It has an extra fine point to get into hard to reach areas, a sharp blade and smooth action to trim excess cuticle and skin with precision!  In a word, Dangerous.  In the wrong hands these scissors could do a lot of damage, but with desecration, these scissors were a dream come true.  What more could I ask for... I could ask for the ability to use these with greater ease.  I am just not used to looping my fingers into the finger grips.  What to do, what to do!  I need to practice with these!  OMG, they are so-o-o nice.   I love the cutting precision, especially with those flaps of skin further away from the cuticle area (that some of my clients love to create while picking at their cuticles).  These cuticle scissors eliminate that excess skin and create such a smooth finish.  So smooth that the client has nothing to get a hold of later.  lol.  Nippers can leave a ragged edge but not these scissors.  Yes, I may still utilize my nippers on occasion, but for now, I'm getting better acquainted with these beautiful new cuticle scissors. Again, if you want some quality manicure and pedicure implements, I highly recommend you go to Zamberg!  They really do have some of the best tools I've seen in a long time.  All of them are built to last so, with care, you probably won't need to purchase another cuticle nipper or scissor or even nail clipper for a very very long time to come.  Christmas is coming too, and these make excellent gifts for loved ones.  Check them out at http://www.zamberg.com/zb/home.aspx.

Trick or Treating With My Ghoul-Friends

With Halloween approaching at the end of this month, I felt it appropriate to show some Halloween Nail Art, Polishes and Treats!
Since we all love great ideas for things to put on our nails, let's start with the polish.  I think that the China Glaze Wicked  and the Jessica Dark & Stormy collections speaks for themselves.  The small bottle of Sally Girl nail polish U Glow Girl (only $.99 USD) is an under-rated piece of Halloween magic.  It glows in the dark!  So much fun!

Now, what can we do with that polish... Create some great looking nails, and here are just a few!

And for more great nail art ideas, check out my Pinterest page!
Lastly, the latest idea I've seen in Halloween treats are these funky finger cookies! Use sugar cookie dough rolled out pencil thin, score the lines in the top for the knuckles.  Use an almond shard for the nails and brush with a little cocoa powder to give these ghoul-ish fingers some contrast.  Bake the cookies at the recommended temperature for the sugar cookie recipe you are using.

Click here for the recipe

Yumm!