Girls now often neglect the condition of their natural manicure, not paying attention to its natural appearance and health. Fingers are a very important area on the human body, since they contain nerve endings that connect them with the entire body, so damage to the nail plate cannot be ignored, as it may indicate the presence of pathologies.
Black stripes on nails appear quite rarely, so women usually immediately pay attention to them. To prevent progression of the lesion, consult your doctor. This way you will ensure a positive outcome for the restoration of your nails.
Reasons for appearance
Black stripes on the fingernails are a non-standard symptom that cannot appear due to standard pigmentation, and is also not a genetic feature of the structure of the girl’s plate.
A dark stripe on the nail may be associated with one of the following types of reasons: internal (implies the presence of health problems) or external (exposure to external factors on a sensitive area.
Internal reasons, which consist in the presence of pathologies in a girl’s body, pose a danger to her, so it is important to take them into account:
- Hormonal disbalance;
- Fungal infection;
- Gastrointestinal dysfunction;
- Diabetes;
- Malignant tumor;
- Cardiovascular system disorders;
- Joint diseases;
- Dysfunction of the liver, kidneys.
Black spots often appear when a girl has serious health problems, since any disease affects the entire state of the body and often affects the condition of nails, hair, skin, and teeth. This is due to a decrease in general immunity.
There is also a risk of problems arising due to hormonal imbalance or surge. In girls, this occurs during menstruation, pregnancy, lactation, menopause, when the balance of hormones is disturbed.
To diagnose the cause of the damage associated with the presence of dysfunctions or diseases, it is recommended to immediately go to the hospital.
There are fewer external reasons for the appearance of black pigmentation:
- Mechanical damage. Any type of injury to a finger or hand can result in a bruise or hematoma that partially turns the nail black;
- Direct contact with aggressive substances. When working with chemicals, it is important to use protective rubber gloves to prevent acid from corroding the natural manicure and its gradual deterioration;
- Frostbite. Hypothermia of the hands or feet always leads to disruption of the matrix, which affects the visual condition of the manicure;
- Illiterate manicure. If you do your own nail treatment and carelessly use sharp tools, there is a risk of damaging the sensitive skin under the nail bed.
Keep in mind that the condition of nails may also change due to long-term use of aggressive medications and antibiotics, since their active ingredients affect the entire body.
You can independently identify the reasons for the appearance of black stripes, but keep in mind that in this case you will not have to follow the doctor’s instructions and treatment regimen. Elimination of the causative agent of the lesion leads to gradual healing of the nail plate.
Ingrown toenails: photos and treatment
Ingrown nails are a common occurrence. Ingrowth of the outer or inner edge of the nail plate into the tissue of the lateral nail fold initially causes hyperemia, swelling of the periungual fold, moderate pain when walking, and then there may be pyogenic granuloma and complications such as paronychia, lymphangitis, erysipelas, phlegmon, osteomyelitis.
In non-advanced acute cases, conservative treatment methods consist of placing a swab (strip) of gauze soaked in 5-10% synthomycin emulsion or ointment under the edge of the nail
"Levomekol", "Levovinisol"
Vishnevsky ointment, Solcoseryl
Rivanol lotions and lubrication with Castellani liquid (fukortsin) are also considered effective.
Proper selection of shoes, hygiene, proper trimming, treatment of excessive sweating are mandatory measures for ingrown toenails and other pathologies of toenails.
Heliomycin ointment
Onychopathology, i.e. changes in the shape, transparency, composition, apparatus, and pigmentation of nails indicate metabolic disorders, diseases of internal organs, and are often signs of certain syndromes and genodermatoses.
How to treat
In any case, if any damage or damage to a natural manicure or pedicure is detected, it is recommended to consult a doctor. As a rule, you need to contact a dermatologist, surgeon, pathologist or mycologist (if you know that the problem is a fungal infection).
After examining the damaged area and taking tests, the specialist prescribes a treatment regimen for the patient. It is important to follow the prescribed recommendations to prevent complications.
Features of treatment depend on the original problem:
- If the cause of the black plate is a fungus, the doctor prescribes antimycotics: Exoderil, Mycoderil, Mycosan, Lamisil. In the initial forms of infection, only external medications are used; in advanced forms, oral medications are included that eliminate inflammatory processes.
- When the body is intoxicated with strong medications, its cleansing is prescribed, for which absorbents are used: activated carbon, Enterosgel.
- To increase local immunity, aimed at restoring healthy nails, anti-inflammatory ointments are prescribed: Panthenol, Bepanten. They should be used immediately after the first stripes appear - daily, 2 times a day.
- In case of infectious diseases, chronic diseases, or organ dysfunctions, the patient is redirected to a more specialized specialist who prescribes appropriate medications.
Sometimes black spots on the surface are accompanied by pain. If they are undergoing a pedicure, then the girl can feel them while walking. To alleviate discomfort, it is recommended to use painkillers - Nise, Ibuprofen.
Typically, the rehabilitation period for natural nails takes about two months or more, since this time is enough for a healthy plate to grow back. To speed up getting a positive result, it is recommended to carry out complex treatment, which, in addition to medications, includes the use of traditional recipes.
There are several effective homemade formulations:
- Steam bath. Add 20 grams of sea salt and 5-6 drops of any essential oil to 1 liter of water. You need to take a bath for twenty minutes daily;
- Compress with onion and aloe. Mix aloe juice, onion pulp and lemon juice in equal proportions. Mix the mixture and spread it over a cotton pad, placing it on the damaged area and securing it with an adhesive plaster. After half an hour, remove the compress;
- Treat the plate with lemon juice, essential oils, iodine. Every day before going to bed, apply some natural component to the black pigmented part to provide nutrition to the matrix;
- Compress with soda. A teaspoon of baking soda should be poured with a teaspoon of hydrogen peroxide, and then spread over the black nail. After 5-7 minutes, rinse off the composition. During its use, a slight burning sensation may be felt, which should not cause discomfort. The recipe should be used no more than four times a week.
To eliminate black color on the nail bed, it is recommended to perform daily home care procedures, as they accelerate the regeneration of epithelial cells, which reduces the treatment period.
Change your environment if the bad streak in life goes on for a long time
Often in a person’s life there are antipathetic and negative people. Change your environment if the dark streak in life goes on for a long time:
- Only communicate with those who are friendly and genuinely supportive.
- But avoid energy vampires, trolls, haters and others.
- If you have to communicate with them, let it be in a “hello - goodbye” .
- Don't give them the opportunity to piss you off. Don't get into arguments.
Learn to respond to your enemies calmly, humorously and optimistically.
Prevention measures
During treatment, the doctor prescribes recommendations that must be followed to speed up the healing of the nail and eliminate its black pigmentation. They consist of being careful with your hands, so they must be observed even after restoration is completed in order to prevent repeated damage to the surface.
To prevent any damage to the stratum corneum of the nail plate and the epidermis underneath, the following instructions should not be violated:
- Perform the manicure carefully using sterile instruments. The free edge does not need to be completely cut off.
- When visiting public showers, saunas, water parks, use individual shoes.
- Wear protective gloves when using chemicals.
- In winter, use mittens or warm gloves.
- Shoes should be warm, comfortable for the feet - the toes should not rest against each other.
Be careful with your hands during treatment. The damaged area can be temporarily bandaged to prevent aggressive influence of external factors on it.
Genetic diseases
Sometimes such phenomena are associated with heredity. In this case, it is completely impossible to get rid of them. You can only change the situation slightly if you use a special cream. In very rare cases, black stripes under the nails can be pronounced.
To somehow give your hands a neat appearance, you should use special manicure sanding paper. But doctors do not recommend rubbing your nails more than once a month. And if your blood relatives did not have such problems, then it’s not a matter of genetics.
When it's a fungus
One of the most common causes of deformation is fungal diseases. The causative agent of the disease lives in damp and damp places and is transmitted through household means. It can be picked up in public baths, swimming pools, saunas. Often, the fungus is transmitted by wearing shoes of a person suffering from this disease.
The mycelium threads begin to actively develop, gradually destroying the nail plates and. They become thick, but at the same time brittle. The color changes, instead of a healthy pink tint or, and black defects appear underneath.
The skin on the upper phalanges becomes red and inflamed. A similar situation is observed on the periungual fold. Over time, if left untreated, the nail will become completely deformed.
If dark splinters appear on your nails or you notice other symptoms, you should consult a dermatologist. Fungi are amenable to long-term and complex treatment.
Varnishes and varnishes will help destroy the pathogen. If necessary, doctors prescribe antifungal tablets.
