How to Heal Split and Cracked Nails

Whether you like painting your nails or just keep them trimmed and natural, brittle and split nails are a nightmare. Even if you don’t care much about your appearance, they can still snag on fabrics or on your hair and make simple tasks difficult. People will also stare at them and make judgements about your personal hygiene and health.

What causes split nails and what can you do about it?

Causes of Onychoschizia

Split and cracked nail is called onychoschizia in medical terms. Damaged nails are more commonly found on your fingers than on your toes and are usually caused by overexposure to harsh chemicals. Cracked nails do not appear suddenly, but usually begin with the drying of the nails due to repeated or prolonged exposure to chemicals you use on your body.

Sometimes it’s also caused by the lack of humidity or exposure to extreme conditions that result in the drying of the skin and nails. When the nails dry and expand, they become very brittle because they lose the natural oils that are supposed to hold the layers together.

Complications of Onychoschizia

Products called nail hardeners do not remedy the condition, and in fact, will just make the nails more brittle, because they contain chemicals that dry out the natural oils. If the condition is caused by another medical condition, you need to address it first, because nail treatment will not be effective. Some medical conditions that can cause brittle nails include diabetes, iron deficiency, other nutrient deficiency, and thyroid disease.

While there is no life-threatening complication from split nails, it can affect your appearance and the performance of simple tasks using your hands. In some cases, the split nails can make you vulnerable to bacterial and viral infections and injury that can cause the nail layers to peel.

Preventing Onychoschizia

The best way to treat split nails is to prevent it. Just like your skin and hair, your nails mirror your health and if there are chemicals you’re using on the body are harmful. To keep your nails healthy, maintain an ideal length that is suitable to daily tasks.

Long nails don’t give any significant health advantage except that they look pleasing aesthetically to some people. Be gentle with your skin and nails when choosing body products like soaps, moisturizers, cleaners, and grooming tools. Don’t forget to moisturize after washing your hands and to use nail polish and nail cleaning products sparingly.

Treatments of Onychoschizia

Treating split and cracked nails will take some time because you must wait for it to grow. To prevent further damage, you need to address any skin problems you currently have or treat other underlying medical conditions that may be causing brittle nails. You should also do the following:

  • Moisturize daily after washing with mild soap
  • Avoid prolonged exposure to water and chemicals
  • Eat a healthy diet
  • Avoid using nail polish and other nail products
  • Wear gloves if you need to wash or perform chores

What are Cosmetic Eye Procedures?

Cosmetic eye surgery refers to procedures that improve or alter the appearance of the eyes. The procedures are usually done to reduce the signs of aging or to create a double eyelid. Let’s look at these procedures more closely.

Blepharoplasty

Also called the eye lift, blepharoplasty, is sometimes performed alongside other procedures, such as, Botox injections, facial or dermal filler, and facelift to reduce the signs of aging. These procedures will remove the wrinkles and lines around the eyes, eye bags, and drooping eyelids.

Blepharoplasty can be performed in the lower lids, upper lids, and both to remove the fatty deposits in the eyelids, bags under the eyes, sagging or loose skin in the upper eyelids, and the wrinkles and excess skin on the lower eyelids.

  • Upper Blepharoplasty is done to address issues with the upper eyelids, such as puffiness, wrinkling, and droopiness. The sagging eyelids not only make you look older, but they can also diminish your vision. The procedure includes making incisions on the creases of the eyelids, the tightening of the eye muscles, and the removal and repositioning of the fat.
  • Lower Blepharoplasty addresses the issue of the fat below the eyes and the dark circles around it called eye bags. Some of these fats also accumulate in the lower cheek and are called troughs. The procedure includes incisions in the fat deposits and the correcting of loose skin to create a younger appearance.
  • Combination Blepharoplasty will reduce the appearance of the loose fat deposits around the eyes. The procedure includes incisions on the eye creases, the tightening of the skin, adjustment of fat deposits, brow lift, and contouring of the eye muscles.

Asian Eyelid Surgery

There is another popular type of eyelid procedure called the Asian eyelid surgery that creates a double eyelid for individuals who have minimal creases on the upper eyelids. The Asian term comes the type of customers who usually undergo the procedure, because a lot of Asians are born with the single eyelid. There is no problem with having minimal upper eyelid folds, so this procedure is done mainly on the assumption that single eyelids are less attractive than double eyelids.

The procedure removes some skin, fat, and tissues from the eyelid skin and an incision is made to create creases. Some individuals need to have both lower and upper eyelids altered to achieve the desired look.

Other Cosmetic Eye Procedures

There are other cosmetic eye procedures that are less known, such as the removal of the pterygium and the pinguecuela and the eye whitening surgery or the procedure designed to make the sclera whiter.

Although most the procedures, such as blepharoplasty, are considered safe, it’s still important to ask about the complications and risks of cosmetic eye surgery. Talk to experienced doctors about these procedures, because mistakes and revisions can be costly.