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What Is Paronychia?

Paronychia (pahr-uh-NIK-ee-uh) is an infection of the skin around a fingernail or toenail. The infected area can become swollen, red, and painful, and a pus-filled blister (abscess) may form.

Most of the time, paronychia is not serious and can be treated at home. In rare cases, the infection can spread to the rest of the finger or toe and lead to a deeper infection that may need a doctor’s help.

Kids usually don’t get paronychia in a toe (unless they have an ingrown toenail). But fingernail paronychia is one of the most common hand infections.

What Causes Paronychia?

Paronychia usually happens when the skin around the nail is irritated or injured. When skin gets damaged like this, germs can get in and cause an infection. These germs can be:

• bacteria, causing bacterial paronychia
• fungi, causing fungal paronychia

Things that can injure the skin around a nail include:

• biting or pulling off a hangnail
• frequent sucking on a finger
• clipping a nail too short or trimming the cuticle
• getting manicures
• having hands in water a lot (as from a job washing dishes)
• having an ingrown toenail

Kids with diabetes also have a higher chance of getting paronychia infections.

What Are the Signs & Symptoms of Paronychia?

If your child has paronychia, it’s usually easy to recognize. Look for:

• an area of red, swollen skin around a nail that’s painful, warm, and tender to the touch
• a pus-filled blister

Bacterial paronychia:

• usually appears very suddenly

Fungal paronychia:

• can take longer to notice and causes less obvious symptoms
• can be a chronic condition (last for a long time)

Chronic paronychia can cause changes in the affected nail. It might turn a different color or look as though it is detached or abnormally shaped.

In rare cases, if the paronychia is especially severe and goes untreated, the infection can spread beyond the area of the nail.

How Is Paronychia Diagnosed?

Usually, a health care provider can diagnose paronychia by looking at the infected area. In some cases, they may take a pus sample to be checked in a laboratory to see what type of bacteria or fungus caused the infection.

How Is Paronychia Treated?

Treating paronychia depends on how severe the infection is and whether it has started to spread. Often, soaking the infected nail in warm water for 20 minutes a few times a day will help it heal on its own in a few days. An over-the-counter topical anti-bacterial ointment may be recommended too.

If there’s an abscess, a doctor might need to drain it. In rare cases, part of the nail may have to be removed. The doctor also might prescribe antibiotics to treat the infection.

Usually, after an abscess is drained, the affected finger or toe heals quickly with no long-term problems.

For fungal paronychia, the doctor may prescribe antifungal creams, lotions, or oral (taken by mouth) medicines.

Can Paronychia Be Prevented?

Have kids follow these tips to lower their risk of paronychia:

• Don’t bite or pick nails.
• Trim fingernails and toenails with clippers or manicure scissors, and smooth the edges with an emery board or nail file. The best time to do this is after a bath or shower, when nails are softer. They shouldn’t cut their nails too short.
• Don’t push cuticles back or trim them and don’t use cuticle remover. Damaging cuticles can let bacteria get into the skin and cause an infection.
• Wear rubber gloves if there’s a chance their hands might be in contact with harsh detergents or chemicals.
• If your child has diabetes, make sure it is well-controlled.

As much as possible, have kids try to avoid injuring their nails and the skin around them. Nails grow very slowly, so any damage to them can last a long time and increase the risk of paronychia.

When Should I Call the Doctor?

Call your doctor if:

• Your child has paronychia that doesn’t get better with treatment.
• The infection seems to be spreading.

Note: All information is for educational purposes only. For specific medical advice, diagnoses, and treatment, consult your doctor.

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Chronic Paronychia – Dermatologic Disorders

By

Chris G. Adigun

, MD, Dermatology & Laser Center of Chapel Hill

Reviewed/Revised Dec 2021 | Modified Sep 2022

View Patient Education

Topic Resources

Chronic paronychia is recurrent or persistent nail fold inflammation, typically of the fingers.

(See also Overview of Nail Disorders Overview of Nail Disorders A variety of disorders can affect nails, including deformities, trauma, infections of the nail, paronychia, retronychia, and ingrown toenails. Nail changes may occur in many systemic conditions… read more .)

Chronic paronychia is an inflammatory disorder of the nail fold skin. It occurs most often in people whose hands are chronically wet (eg, dishwashers, bartenders, housekeepers), particularly if they have hand eczema, are diabetic, or are immunocompromised. Candida is often present, but its role in etiology is unclear; fungal eradication does not always resolve the condition. The condition may be an irritant dermatitis Contact Dermatitis Contact dermatitis is inflammation of the skin caused by direct contact with irritants (irritant contact dermatitis) or allergens (allergic contact dermatitis). Symptoms include pruritus and… read more with secondary fungal colonization.

The nail fold may be red and tender with repeated bouts of inflammation and often becomes fibrotic. Unlike acute paronychia Acute Paronychia Paronychia is infection of the periungual tissues. Acute paronychia causes redness, warmth, and pain along the nail margin. Diagnosis is by inspection. Treatment is with antistaphylococcal antibiotics… read more , there is almost never pus accumulation. There is often loss of the cuticle and notable separation of the nail fold from the nail plate. This separation leaves a space that allows entry of irritants and microorganisms. The nail may become dystrophic over the long term.

Diagnosis of chronic paronychia is clinical.

Chronic Paronychia of Second (Index) Fingernail

Signs of chronic paronychia in this patient include absent cuticle, swollen proximal nail fold, and Beau lines of the nail plate.

© Springer Science+Business Media

Chronic Paronychia With Swollen Proximal Nail Fold and Loss of Cuticle

© Springer Science+Business Media

Chronic Paronychia With Nail Plate Swelling, Absence of the Cuticle, and Abnormalities of the Nail Plate

© Springer Science+Business Media

• Avoiding irritants and excessive water exposure

• Topical corticosteroids or tacrolimus

• Sometimes intralesional corticosteroids and antifungal drugs

• For severe or refractory disease, surgery

Avoiding irritants and excessive water exposure helps the cuticle reform and close the space between the nail fold and nail plate. Gloves or barrier creams are used if water contact is necessary.

Topical drugs that may help include corticosteroids and tacrolimus 0.1% (a calcineurin inhibitor). Intralesional corticosteroid injections in to the hypertrophic proximal nail fold may expedite improvement. Antifungal treatments are added to therapy only when fungal colonization is a concern.

Severe or refractory cases may require surgery (1 Treatment reference Chronic paronychia is recurrent or persistent nail fold inflammation, typically of the fingers. (See also Overview of Nail Disorders.) Chronic paronychia is an inflammatory disorder of the nail… read more ).

If there is no response to therapy and a single digit is affected, squamous cell carcinoma Squamous Cell Carcinoma Squamous cell carcinoma is a malignant tumor of epidermal keratinocytes that invades the dermis; this cancer usually occurs in sun-exposed areas. Local destruction may be extensive, and metastases… read more should be considered and a biopsy should be done.

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Cuticle care. How to care for cuticles at home?

Published: June 7, 2021 at 00:00 am
Updated: June 21, 2021 at 11:17 am

Contents

1. How is the cuticle arranged, and why is it needed?
2. How and why to remove the side rollers?
3. Cuticle removal methods
4. Comparison of edged and unedged manicure
5. How to care for cuticles at home?
6. Oil use
7. Creams and lotions
8. Hand massage
9. Hand baths and peeling
10. Paraffin therapy and other spa treatments
11. Cold paraffin therapy
12. 10 rules for a healthy cuticle
13. Lifeguard funds
14. Summing up

Both the beauty of manicure and the health of nails depend on the state of the cuticle. This roller of skin surrounds the nail plate for a reason. It prevents the penetration of microbes, bacteria and other foreign particles into the growth zone. Cuticle care consists of periodically removing dead skin cells and regularly moisturizing the remaining skin.

How is the cuticle arranged and why is it needed?

The cuticle is a lateral skin fold that frames the base of the nail plate (matrix). Its task is to protect the nail growth zone from foreign bodies and infectious agents. This peel consists of 2 layers:

1. The top layer is the eponychium, which we can see without a magnifying glass.
2. Bottom layer – pterygium – whitish films that grow together with the nail plate.

Both layers protect and nourish the nail.

How and why to remove the side rollers?

Firstly, it is not necessary to remove the entire cuticle, but only keratinized cells. Secondly, this must be done very carefully so as not to damage the delicate skin. It is necessary to remove dead cells so that the cuticle does not grow, otherwise:

• it dries up, breaks, cracks;
• burrs appear;
• Pathogenic microorganisms can get into the formed cracks and wounds, provoking inflammatory processes;
• due to an unhealthy cuticle, growth slows down, the condition of the nails worsens – longitudinal stripes appear, the shape changes.

To prevent such consequences, it is necessary to remove dead cells in a timely manner. It is equally important to take care of the rest of the skin – moisturize it daily and protect it from damage. The cycle of partial renewal of the cuticle is 2 weeks, and a complete renewal occurs at intervals of 3 weeks.

Methods for removing cuticles

The method of removing dead cuticle cells depends on the type of manicure:

1. In a classic manicure, dead skin layers are cut off with scissors or tweezers. The skin is removed after soaking the hands and applying a softening agent to the periungual area. The peel is gently pushed away by the pusher in the direction from the edges of the nail to the middle. The bottom layer is carefully cleaned with a hatchet so as not to damage the nail. The quality of a cut manicure largely depends on the tool used. It is best to use hand-sharpened stainless steel tools. After carefully trimming the overgrown skin, the remaining part is lubricated with nourishing cuticle oil.

2. In the European manicure, keratinized skin is not cut off, but removed using keratolytics or removers. These are special products containing acids or alkalis. They soften the skin, and the side bolsters are easily removed with a wooden stick. At the end of the session, cuticle oil is applied to the periungual area.

3. Brazilian manicure uses gloves impregnated with a moisturizing emulsion with a complex of vitamins. They are put on the hands, and the emulsion in gloves is distributed in the periungual area. The product is intensively rubbed into the skin with massage movements. The edges of the gloves are then cut off to free the fingers and push back the skin with an orange stick. At the end of the session, gloves are removed, and excess emulsion is removed with a napkin.

4. Japanese manicure uses mineral serum, natural oil, algae scrub. Excess skin is removed with a gentle cuticle remover – remover with fruit acids. Fingers and palms are massaged with bags of purified sand, flower petals, herbs, aroma oils. Nourishing and moisturizing agents are applied to the skin.

Comparison of cut and uncut manicure

Advantages and disadvantages of the cut method

Benefits:

• Nails look well-cared for quickly.
• Even heavily overgrown cuticles are easily removed.
• Even a damaged or abnormally growing nail can be treated.

Faults:

• Risk of infection due to complete removal of the cuticle.
• Risk of cutting.
• More difficult to remove lateral ridges in the future – due to the fact that the skin becomes more rigid and grows faster.
• If the skin is cut incorrectly, there is a high probability of deformation of the nails and the appearance of grooves on their surface.

Pros and cons of the unedged method

Pros:

• The procedure is extremely safe.
• The skin is not damaged.
• No risk of bacteria and other pathogens entering the growing area.
• Only the dead layers of the skin are removed, while the living cells continue to perform protective functions.

Cons:

• If the cuticle was trimmed earlier, then after the first procedures of a trimless manicure, the result will not be perfect. But it will be reached after about 5 procedures.

How to take care of cuticles at home?

If it is enough to remove the dead layers of the cuticle once every 2-3 weeks, then you need to take care of the remaining living cells daily. Only under this condition will your nails remain healthy and well-groomed. Home care includes daily nutrition and hydration, massages, weekly baths and spa treatments.

Using oil

The first helper in home care for the skin around the nail is a nourishing cuticle oil. Such products moisturize and nourish the skin, enrich it with vitamins, soften, restore and soothe. You need to use them daily. To do this, it is enough to apply a drop of oil on each nail and rub it intensively into the periungual skin with massage movements.

A large selection of cuticle oils is available:

• in bottles with brush or dropper;
• shaped like a pencil;
• with different formulations and flavors;
• shimmery;
• with mastic tree resin, cocoa extract, vitamins and other beneficial ingredients.

Regular use of oils solves the problem of dryness and stiffness of the cuticle, prevents the appearance of cracks and burrs. The skin becomes soft and supple. In addition, the use of oils has a beneficial effect on the condition of the nails. They become strong and beautiful, with a uniform structure and a healthy glow.

Creams and lotions

Hand lotions and creams are indispensable helpers in daily home care. Depending on the purpose and composition, they:

• deeply moisturize the dermis;
• supply it with nutrients;
• protect from the sun, wind, temperature changes;
• soften cuticles;
• make her look healthy and attractive;
• do not allow dehydration;
• increase elasticity;
• improve blood microcirculation;
• heal cracks and other damage;
• smooth wrinkles;
• soothe, relieve irritation;
• remove dryness and peeling;
• give a healthy glow and well-groomed look;
• maintain water balance;
• improve metabolic processes.

Cream or lotion should preferably be applied after every hand wash. At a minimum, every time you go outside, you should apply a sunscreen in the winter and a moisturizer with SPF in the summer. It is recommended to apply a nourishing cream at night, intensively rubbing it into the skin of the hands and the periungual area.

Hand massage

Massage is another pleasant and useful procedure, for which it is not necessary to visit the salon. It is enough to have some free time, nourishing oil, lotion or cream and a desire to take care of your hands. Simply apply a small amount of cosmetic product to the palms of your hands and massage them in smooth circular motions until completely absorbed.

Massage enhances the effect of the cosmetics used, has a beneficial effect on the condition of the skin and nails:

• softens hands and cuticles;
• improves its elasticity;
• slows down the growth of leathery rollers around the nails;
• improves blood microcirculation;
• strengthens nails and stimulates their growth.

Hand baths and peeling

Beauty baths are a simple and effective way to take care of your hand skin at home. After the baths, the skin becomes soft and velvety, and the cuticles soften and are easily pushed back with an orange stick. Baths are desirable to do once a week.

To do this, take warm water and add useful ingredients to it, for example, sea salt or flavored salt composition for manicure, soda, herbal infusion or your favorite aroma oil. After soaking, use a hand scrub to remove dead skin particles.

Paraffin and other spa treatments

To make your hands shine with beauty and health, pamper them with spa treatments. They can also be carried out at home – for example, using cosmetic paraffin. He:

• melts quickly and easily in a paraffin bath;
• contains natural oils and vitamins;
• perfectly moisturizes, softens and soothes the skin;
• contributes to its restoration;
• improves blood flow;
• initiates skin renewal and rejuvenation processes;
• normalizes the hydro-lipid balance, the condition of nails and cuticles;
• eliminates microcracks, foci of inflammation, wrinkles and other defects;
• enhances the effect of cosmetics.

Paraffin and other spa treatments are recommended at intervals of 1-2 weeks.

Cold paraffin therapy

Especially for those who are too lazy to melt paraffin in a bath, a cold paraffin cream has been developed. This product has a rich natural composition, thanks to which:

• nourishes and moisturizes the skin;
• tones, improves elasticity;
• helps preserve youth;
• strengthens nails;
• relieves inflammation;
• has a calming effect;
• heals cracks;
• solves the problem of burrs;
• stimulates blood microcirculation and cell nutrition;
• increases the skin’s resistance to aggressive influences and diseases.

Paraffin cream is applied in a thick layer on clean hands, previously treated with scrub and nourishing cream or oil. Hands with paraffin cream applied to them are placed in polyethylene gloves and wrapped in cosmetic mittens or a warm towel. The procedure lasts 20 minutes and is carried out at intervals from 1 time (for prevention) to 2-3 times a week (for medicinal purposes). After the session, gloves are removed, excess paraffin is removed with a napkin, and a cream is applied to the hands.

10 rules for a healthy cuticle

To forget about burrs, microcracks, inflammation and other problems with the cuticle, just follow 10 simple rules: .

Always wear protective gloves when handling detergents, cleaners and other chemicals.

Rescue products

Irregular care, improper use of manicure tools, aggressive external influences and other factors can lead to serious problems with the cuticle. The side ridges of the skin can become inflamed, reddened, covered with cracks. Often they appear burrs and bleeding damage. If you do not take action, then even suppuration is possible, in which it is inevitable to go to the hospital.

In other cases, emergency treatment is also required, but it can be done at home:

1. Bleeding wounds – treat with hydrogen peroxide, baneocin or other hemostatic agent with disinfectant properties. After that, apply a healing compound, such as Cuticle repair wax from El Corazon. It will seal the wound, help to quickly restore the periungual skin and prevent its inflammation.

2. Damage to the dermis and nail plate due to allergic dermatitis or onycholysis – Rosi’s REGENERATOR will help. This pro-vitamin complex has an absolutely natural composition and has a long-lasting anti-flu effect. It normalizes the condition of the skin after dermatitis, softens it, removes inflammation and peeling, accelerates the recovery process, heals cracks and damage.

3. Capricious cuticle – prone to dryness, inflammation, damage, cracking and burrs. Rio Profi Energy Argan Oil 8 in 1 is suitable for the care of rough periungual skin and problematic cuticles. With regular use, this product perfectly moisturizes the skin, enriches it with useful components, makes it soft and supple. Essence nail & cuticle cream will also come to the rescue. In addition to caring for nails, it nourishes, softens, moisturizes, regenerates and protects problematic cuticles.

4. Burr prone. SEREBRO cuticle wax will help to forget about this problem. It is easy to apply and reliably protects the skin from external influences, contributing to its rapid healing.

5. Burrs caused by nail biting. Get rid of this habit and its consequences will help the 3-in-1 No Bite Pro-Growth from the manufacturer El Corazon. This matte treatment coating is applied to a bare nail or a finished manicure. The product has an absolutely harmless composition, strengthens nails and helps to quickly get rid of burrs. The secret of its effectiveness lies in the bitter taste, which reduces the craving for biting your nails and helps to gradually get rid of this habit. The tool is universal – suitable for use by adults and children, women and men.

6. Wounds, cuts and other minor skin injuries. The wound healing hand gel “Silk Gloves” from El Corazon will help to quickly restore the integrity of the skin. It eliminates dryness and inflammation of the skin, makes it smooth and elastic. Moreover, this gel creates the effect of invisible gloves that protect the delicate skin of the hands from external influences.

Summing up

In between visits to the manicurist, you need to take care of your cuticles every day and keep them healthy on your own. First of all, you need to protect the delicate periungual skin from damage and regularly moisturize it.

The easiest way to keep your cuticles healthy and healthy is to use nourishing oils, moisturizers and lotions every day. In addition, do not forget to do hand baths, peeling, masks, paraffin therapy and other spa treatments at least once a week. Cherish your hands and do not forget to take care of the cuticle, because the holistic look of the manicure, nutrition and health of the nails depend on it.

Why burrs appear and how to get rid of them

September 14, 2017

Likbez

Health

Burrs make the hands look untidy, cling to clothes, provoke the appearance of wounds and abscesses. You definitely don’t need these problems.

Where burrs come from

The main cause of burrs is dry skin, which occurs with frequent contact with water, household chemicals, paper, as well as wind and frost. An unbalanced diet, or rather, a deficiency of fats and vitamins A and E, can also be to blame for the lack of moisture.

Poorly done manicure can also play a role, especially if the cuticle is cut off.

Finally, the state of health in general and the digestive system in particular plays an important role.

If you follow your diet, take care of the skin of your hands and do not have the habit of biting your nails, and the burrs still persist, this is a good reason to see a doctor.

How to prevent hangnails

The best preventive measure is to protect your hands from anything that dries out your skin and to use moisturizing cosmetics regularly. Therefore, it is advisable to do all housework with rubber gloves and apply the cream on your hands as needed, and not just at bedtime.

Make sure your diet contains foods rich in fats and vitamins: fish, vegetable oils, nuts, vegetables, fruits and greens.

Get regular hygienic manicure, preferably unedged. Instead of cutting off the cuticle, rub a special oil into it and gently move it with an orange stick to the base of the nail. If you can’t completely abandon the edged manicure, do it as rarely as possible so that the skin has time to recover.

Do not bite your nails. This not only leads to the formation of burrs, but also increases the risk of infection of the wound with bacteria living in the oral cavity. And getting bacteria into your mouth from your hands can have very unpleasant consequences.

smussyolay/flickr.com

Opt for non-acetone nail polish remover. Products with ethyl acetate, isopropyl alcohol and propylene carbonate do not dry the skin as much. Not bad if the liquid contains glycerin or oil extracts.

Do not overuse quick-drying nail polishes, as they not only harden quickly on their own, but also instantly dry the skin around the nail.

How to remove burrs correctly

If it’s too late to do prevention and unpleasant pieces of dry skin are bristling on your hands, then there is nothing left but to get rid of them. But to remove does not mean to bite off, tear off or rip off. Here’s how to do it right:

1. Soak your fingers in a bath of warm water with a few drops of vitamin E or olive oil.
2. Cut the burr flush with the skin with sharp scissors or nail clippers. Do not pull or tug as this may injure the skin. And try not to cut off the excess so that a wound does not form.
3. Apply antibacterial ointment to the cut to prevent infection and speed up healing.
4. If you have to remove a large burr that has come loose from the skin, cover the cut with plaster.
5. If the patch is not needed, dampen the cut. For this, vitamin E or a moisturizer is suitable. Apply the product several times during the day, especially after contact with water.

What happens if you run a hangnail and how to treat it

A hangnail that is not treated in time can lead to inflammation of the nail fold, also called paronychia or periungual panaritium. If the skin around the burr is reddened, swollen or festering, this indicates a bacterial or fungal infection.