Having beautiful nails is not necessary only for looking good, but they need to be clean for health purposes too. Just like your skin and hair, you need to take care of them so that they are healthy looking. They are exposed to environment and there are many ways by which your nails get damaged. Thus, here are a few tips that are easy to follow to keep your nails look great and keep them healthy!

Care for your cuticles: During a manicure avoid trimming your cuticles. They are meant to be the barrier for bacteria and when you cut them, it may result in painful infections. With the help of a cuticle pusher, you may moisten them and push them back, but do not cut them totally. Even when you are having a conventional manicure make sure that you protect your cuticles by dabbing some olive or almond oil so that the reaction of chemicals that come in contact with your skin becomes minimum.
Use moisturizer: Even your nails need to be moisturized and hence while you rub lotion on your hands put some of it on your nail and cuticles too. By using hand wash regularly you tend to dry your nail bed. Thus, after every wash, it is necessary that you use some moisturizer. If possible, use some coconut oil for rubbing on your nails. You can use cuticle cream too and rubbing that every day on your cuticles will help in keeping them moisturized.
Provide nutrients to your nails: Yes, even your nails need nutrients to be healthy. Take biotin that is also referred as vitamin H. Studies reveals that it helps in preventing nails from becoming brittle. It may not grow your nails faster, but it provides the necessary support to your nails so that they do not split, crack or tear away.
Wear gloves to protect your nails: Make it a practice to wear gloves while you are working with detergents, whether during dishwashing or anything else. Detergents have harsh chemicals that will leach away nutrients and moisture from your nails. Thus, it s better to protect before than taking care later.  Prevention is better than cure  you know!
Avoid using harsh polish: In nail polishes, you will find toxic chemicals like toluene, dimethyl, dibutyl phthalate, and camphor, diethyl phthalates, and formaldehyde. These nail polishes are dangerous for health. Instead try alternatives that do not contain such chemicals and are easy on your nails. Before you purchase them read the label carefully.
After following all these, if still you are not satisfied with the quality or health of your nails, it is better to get advice from an expert.

5 Simple Tips for Great Looking Nails

There are a lot of misleading information going around, especially online. So all that you read online, may not be correct. Sex is a topic that has been much hushed about, thus leading to the birth of many baseless rumours and embarrassing myths. Don t believe in every single detail you come across online, they have got their own glitches. But hey! You do need to know the truth about it all, and this article tries to do just that.

Here are a few embarrassing myths and facts about sex which you may come across:
1. Myth: You do not get pregnant the first time you have sex
Fact: You can get pregnant anytime after you have penetrative sex. There is no such stipulated count or time as to when you get pregnant. The moment you have penetrative sex, certainly without any protective measure, the chance of pregnancy goes up.

2. Myth: Men think and want more of it as compared to women.
Fact: This is not true. The desire for intimacy and sex varies among individuals, irrespective of the gender.

3. Myth: Having sex in a pool drastically reduces the chances of contracting any STD.
Fact: Generally, maximum STDs are contracted by coming in sexual contact or through unprotected sexual intercourse. Having sex in a pool with a person already infected with any STD will automatically up your chance of contracting the STD as well. Water cannot prevent the transmission of any STD.

4. Myth: Douching after indulging in sexual intercourse can prevent a pregnancy.
Fact: Douching is definitely not a method to prevent pregnancy. And it s about time this myth gets busted. Douching with soda, water or any other fluid can only guarantee infections in the genitals and nothing more. This is because douching disrupts the natural balance of the vaginal bacteria, thus also disturbing the pH balance of the vagina. The only way you can prevent a pregnancy is by using protection or taking birth control pills if you ve had unprotected sexual intercourse.

5. Myth: It isn t possible to contract STDs if you just have oral sex.
Fact: While it is true that maximum STDs are spread through unprotected vaginal intercourse, there are certain STDs, the transmission of which might not be only dependant on vaginal penetration. STDs such as HPV, Herpes and Syphilis can spread even if you just have unprotected oral sex. So, even if it is oral sex that you want to enjoy, do not give the protection a miss. Dental dams are always available at your disposal; using which might curb risks of such STDs.

5 Myths and Facts About Sex!

If you are experiencing symptoms such as swelling, inflammation, thickening, yellowing and crumbling of your nails, toenail fungus or onychomycosis is indicated. This is a very common problem, which is usually painless, unless the infection gets spread. The fungus thrives under certain conditions like abnormal levels of pH in the skin, a weak immune system, poor hygiene, diabetes and a continuous exposure to moist or damp environment. If not treated properly, toenail fungus can lead to cracking, splitting or total loss of your toenail. There are various ways of treating fungal infections in the nails. Some of them are as follows:

Tea Tree Oil: Tea tree oil contains antiseptic and antifungal properties, which help in treating toenail fungus. You need to mix some drops of tea tree oil with coconut oil and olive oil. Using a piece of cotton, apply the mixture on your affected nail, keep it for 10 minutes and scrub off the nail with a toothbrush. For ideal results, you must repeat this process more than twice regularly.

Baking Soda: Baking soda is a commonly used remedy for fungal infections in your nails. It also helps in neutralizing foot odor. Add baking soda, hydrogen peroxide and Epsom salt in hot water, add vinegar to the mixture and soak your affected nail in the solution. After this, wash your feet with water. Repeat the procedure twice a day for several weeks.

White Vinegar: This is an ideal ingredient for the treatment of toenail fungus. It helps in restoring the pH balance of the skin and fights against infections. Add one part of white vinegar to warm water and soak your affected toenail in it for about 10 minutes. After this, you must wash it off. Carry out the process twice a day for effective results.

Oil of Pregano: Oil of oregano is considered effective because of its antibacterial, antiviral, analgesic and antiseptic properties. It is an ideal way for treating fungal infections in your nails. Mix oregano oil with olive oil, apply the solution on your nails and leave it for over 30 minutes. Repeat the process thrice a day for good results.

Listerine Mouthwash: Listerine mouthwash is another important home remedy for treating fungal infections in the nails. This mouthwash contains certain compounds along with alcohol, which have very strong antiseptic properties and help in eliminating harmful fungi and bacteria from your nails.

Best Ways To Treat Fungal Infections In Nails

Many people bite nails when they are anxious or stressed. However, knowing its harmful effects will only increase their anxiety and stress. About 30% of children, 45% of teenagers and 25% of young adults have the habit of biting their nails. Nail biting is one habit which sets in due to various reasons and just continues due to nervousness, boredom, frustration or stress. People tend to unconsciously bite their nails and over a period of time, it becomes very difficult to get rid of the habit.

A good understanding of the harmful effects of biting nails, to the overall health and oral health, can be a good starting point to quitting the habit. The harmful effects of nail biting on oral health effects are listed below:

Source of infection: The fingernails are more difficult to clean than the fingers and the rest of the hand. Therefore, there is a good amount of bacteria residing there, which get into your mouth and your stomach when you bite nails. The next time you wonder why your stomach is upset, take a good look at your nails.
Tooth chipping: The enamel is thinnest at the tip of the front teeth. When biting nails, there is a constant pressure on this thin enamel which can chip after a certain point of time. Another way that a tooth chips is because of the pressure when biting a nail. The tooth can hit hard on the opposing tooth, leading to a fracture or chipping.
Altered shape of the teeth: In many cases, the front teeth appear worn off or are squared. This is because there is always pressure on the teeth from the nails.
Induce gap between the front teeth: When nail biting continues for years at a stretch, the two front teeth can develop a gap between them.
Tooth sensitivity: With the enamel wearing off, the dentin is exposed and this can cause tooth sensitivity in many people.
Joint problems: The temporomandibular joint (TMJ) near the ears helps in opening and closing the mouth. Constant pressure on the joint due to nail biting leads to inflammation of the joint which can cause ear ache, headaches, improper closing of the jaw and clicking sounds.
Delay treatment with braces: A person with braces with a nail biting habit will have very bad consequences. There is pressure from both the braces and the biting. This could also lead to the failure to correct the misaligned teeth.
How to manage this habit?

Identify the root cause of the habit
Identify alternate ways to manage stress (exercise, yoga, hobby, etc.)
A nail polish that has a bitter or offensive taste or smell
Well manicured and painted nails, which you won t feel like biting
Get family and friends to remind or chide you, whichever works.

Nailbiting - 7 Harmful Effects of it!

Nails are an important part of your physiology, although they are mostly used for either utilitarian purposes such as gripping or for beauty purposes such as nail decorations. Nails themselves can go through infections which need not have underlying causes and thus can cause damage to that part of the tissue. One such disorder of the nail is onycholysis.

What is onycholysis?
This is a disorder where the nail on the finger or the toes starts to separate from the skin below. This happens little by little and usually starts at the tip and then progresses backward. The further back it progresses, the more nail tissue it destroys. While the entire nail may not be detached from the nail bed, parts of it may chip off, showing the tissue underneath.

Symptoms of Onycholysis:

Jagged border between the pink flesh of the nail bed and the yellow edge of the nail
Detached nails become opaque, yellow or may turn green in color
Nail may become irregular in shape and size
Bits and chunks of nails can break off easily
Primary Causes for Onycholysis:

Frequent trauma - If you have a profession or work at home where you constantly require tapping away, it might cause minute injuries to build up within the nails and the fingers. Tapping on keyboards is one area where you could get repetitive trauma like this.
Manicure problems - Many salons may aggressively try to clean the underside of the nails and in the process, slowly dislodge the nail form the nail bed and cause onycholysis. This has known to be the case with many people.
Water immersion - If you have work where your nails are immersed in water for long periods of time, this could also affect the development of onycholysis.
Skin diseases - Certain skin conditions can also end up giving onycholysis. Psoriasis and contact dermatitis are other conditions that may lead to onycholysis as a consequence.
Allergy to nail glue - Many makeup artists and customers have complained that certain brands of nail glue can also cause allergies resulting in onycholysis.
Medications - Medications meant for the treatment of other ailments within the body can have the unintended consequences of causing onycholysis.
Treatment:
The underlying problems need to be corrected which may cause onycholysis. Once the underlying problem is corrected, onycholysis usually corrects itself. The nail may take some time to re-grow but will grow back on its own eventually and may take 4 to 6 months to cover the entire affected area again.

Onycholysis - How It Can Affect Your Nails?

Nail fungus is a fungal infection that develops under the tip of the toenail or the fingernail. It has a whitish or yellowish appearance and as the condition progresses, it causes the affected area of the nail to thicken, discolor and crumble at the edges. Usually this condition does not require any treatment, but if it turns severe, then you may require treatment to limit it from spreading.

The symptoms of this disorder are:
1. The affected nail thickens
2. There can be distortion in the shape of the nail
3. The nail can become crumbly and ragged
4. Discolored nails that lose its natural shine
5. Accumulation of debris on the nail
The infected nail may also be separated from the nail bed, causing pain and a foul odor.

Causes
The condition is usually caused by the dermatophyte fungus. In some cases, molds and yeasts can also cause fungal infections. Fungi are microscopic organisms that have certain characteristics such as:
1. They can cause complications if your nails are often exposed to moist and warm conditions
2. They usually thrive in moist and warm conditions such as showers and swimming pools

3. These fungi get into the skin through small cuts on your skin

The fungus usually affects toenails because, when you wear shoes, a warm and moist environment is created which is the perfect breeding spot for the fungus. The factors that can increase your chances of getting affected by this fungal infection are

1. Heavy perspiration
2. Athlete s foot (a condition which is characterized by rashes between the toenails)
3. Older people are affected more as blood circulation is reduced
4. Wearing socks for extended periods of time creates warm and a humid condition for the fungi to grow
5. Certain medical conditions such as diabetes

Treatments
There are certain medications that are used to treat fungal infections:

Oral anti fungal drugs: These medications help in getting rid of fungal infections.
Nail creams: There are certain anti fungal nail creams available that you can apply on your nails to get rid of this condition.

Nail Fungus - Understanding the Causes and Symptoms

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