Showing posts with label care. Show all posts
Showing posts with label care. Show all posts

Friday, June 13, 2014

Natural Treatment for Fevers

Ways To Treat A Fever Naturally- A fever is the body’s way of scheming its immune response. Your child’s body is scheming the temperature and it’s going to fluctuate thumbs down problem what you do. Don’t awaken a child from a deep sleep to give medications pro the fever. Sleep is more valuable. As far as how Often a fever needs to be checked, once a day is sufficient. So, Fevers are safe, aren’t scary!

Don’t use rubbing alcohol as this can be absorbed into the skin. Give fever reducers Just if your child feels uncomfortable, not solely to reduce the warmth. And don’t alternate fever-reducing medications, as this could lead to overdosing or unnecessary medication with the intention of your child doesn’t need.

Two things worth considering if weighing that concern:

1. Febrile seizures are not considered harmful.

Febrile convulsions are not harmful to your child and do not cause brain damage. Most children with febrile convulsions only ever have one fit. There is no increased risk of epilepsy in children who have febrile convulsions.

2. Giving fever reducers may actually induce a febrile seizure. Febrile seizures are caused by a rapid change in body temperature in either direction. In certain circumstances, fever reducers bring the fever down too quickly and cause a seizure.



The only reason to treat a fever is to make a child more comfortable. When children are uncomfortable or crying, then you should treat them with medication.

Studies on fevers found that there was no evidence that a fever by itself could harm a child – unless the child was under the age of 3 months or had heart problems. In fact, the researchers determined that bringing fevers down could actually prolong illness. That’s because fevers are one of the body’s lines of defense against viruses.

Studies done in children with chicken pox, for example, found that children whose fevers weren’t treated had about a day less that they were considered contagious compared to those who were treated.

When we decided we didn’t want her fever to climb any higher, proceeded to follow the steps.

* Calcium Lactate

Calcium lactate especially helpful in making a sick more comfortable. When the body fights infection it draws calcium out of the bones to be utilized by white blood cells. The process can make you feel quite achy, so it’s easier just to give the body what it needs without it having to withdraw from “the bank.” Calcium lactate works with the fever to make it more effective, which in turn usually means it’s over more quickly !



* Apple Cider Vinegar

This is an old remedy that is thought to “draw out” the fever - people still swear by it! Soak a couple washcloths in apple cider vinegar and place on forehead and tummy, or add a cup to a warm bath. Some people also soak a cloth in and wrap it around the soles of the patient’s feet - lemons work, too.

* Garlic Foot Paste

Blend a enough fresh garlic cloves to make a paste that will spread across the feet. Blend with a little olive oil or coconut oil and apply. Leave a few spots uncovered so heat can still escape, then wrap in gauze and leave on overnight.

(Note: Do this on yourself so you can feel if it’s too “hot” for your feet.

* Warm Bath

A cold bath can shock the body into trying to raise the internal thermostat even more, but a warm to extra warm (depending on comfort level) can be helpful, especially when a cup of apple cider vinegar is mixed in.


* Egg Whites

- Soak a paper towel or cloth in egg whites.
- Place the soaked cloth on the soles of the fevered person’s feet, and put socks on to keep the cloths in place.
- When the cloths become warm, soak more cloths in egg whites and repeat until the fever is reduced to a safe level.

The egg whites started to immediately draw the fever from the head to the feet. Let her fever drop to a safe level so she could continue to fight naturally, and only repeated the egg whites if her temperature became too high. By the next day she was acting normal with no trace of the fever.

* Herbal Freezer Pops

Though not a remedy, these herbal freezer pops may help keep a child hydrated and more comfortable during a fever.

Have you ever used a natural remedy to reduce a fever? How did it work for you?

sources: mommypotamus.com

Monday, June 9, 2014

Is The Best Anti-Aging Beauty Ingredients?

Retinol

Retinol is a derivative of vitamin A, making it a milder version of retinoids. While it takes several weeks to see results, retinol is the most effective over-the-counter anti-aging ingredient when it comes to "smoothing wrinkles, unclogging pores, lightening superficial brown spots, and improving the texture of the skin,". Because of retinol’s potency, skin irritation is common, especially in direct sunlight. Apply retinol-based products at night on dry skin to avoid sensitivity and be sure to apply a moisturizer with SPF every morning.

Niacinamide

If you have dark spots resulting from acne scars, sun damage, or old age, lighten them with niacinamade, a vitamin-B3 derivative that prevents melanin, or pigmentation, from rising to the surface. It may help to improve the skin's moisture barrier and collagen production, all of which reverses the appearance of sun damage. Plus, it's known to reduce inflammation, and even acne.



Hyaluronic Acid

Hyaluronic acid is the exact opposite. It's a humectant, meaning that it draws out water from the air and dermis (the skin that lies below the surface). Look for a lotion that contains hyaluronic acid, which can add to the moisturizer's hydrating qualities, and may even spur new collagen production.

Alpha Hydroxy Acids

Alpha hydroxy acids are exfoliators that gently dissolve the "glue" that holds surface skin cells together, letting the dead ones slough away to reveal youthful looking skin. This process encourages cell turnover, which typically slows with age. Getting rid of dead skin also lets moisturizers, serums, and skin treatments penetrate the skin and work more effectively. But look for products with no more than 8 percent AHAs. In high concentrations, AHAs can help fade brown spots and fine wrinkles, but they make skin extra sensitive to the sun.

L-ascorbic acid

L-ascorbic acid is a fancy word for "vitamin C." When vitamin C is stable and good, it’s really good. It's an important antioxidant that helps build collagen, reduce inflammation, and promote elasticity to plump up skin. How can you tell if vitamin C in a product is stable? Look for "L-ascorbic acid" in the ingredient list.

Avobenzone

If there's skincare product to tell it’s a broad-spectrum sunscreen with SPF 30 or higher. Avobenzone is a common chemical ingredient in sunscreen that blocks UVA rays. It’s often paired with benzophenone-3 or oxybenzone to shield against UVB rays. For maximum protection, apply a chemical sunscreen directly on skin before serum, lotion, or makeup.

Antioxidants

Antioxidants help prevent and repair damage to your body tissue by encouraging cell growth. More, they neutralize free radicals (unstable, damaging molecules in your body caused by elements such as sunlight, smoke, and pollution). The most popular antioxidants include vitamins C and E, pomegranate, green tea, and coffeeberry extracts.

sources: webmd.com

Ways to Treat Your Feet Right

They're the workhorses of our bodies, but we produce them so little respect.

It's straightforward to take our feet pro granted. They're solely here, putting up with a host of challenges, from being jammed into distinguished heels and elevated to unnatural heights to smothering inside boiling socks or forceful nylon pantyhose.

While distress persons indignities, our feet take hundreds of tons of force impression solely all through an mean time of walking. That pounding explains why feet are the body part generally likely to make injured.

You don't need an expensive spa treatment to take care of your feet. Spending solely a hardly any minutes a time on foot care and choosing the aptly shoes can keep you emancipated of problems with the intention of could principal to pain and even disability. These ideas can help your feet feel splendid:

* Make a top to wash your feet (and linking your toes!) with a washcloth carefully and evenly. Yes, with the intention of earnings bending ended in the shower to soap them up; if you can't balance safely, aid a long-handled shower brush or sit on a chair outside the tub as you wash your feet under the faucets. Befall guaranteed to dry feet completely, counting linking the toes. This wash-and-dry logic lessens problems such as athlete's foot, odor, bacteria and fungus.



* If you like to bathe your feet, not remember the Epsom salts—they're too drying and don't offer one medical benefit. Instead, solely aid lukewarm (never hot) fill up and a little liquid soap, such as dishwashing solution, containing skin softeners.

* Moisturize your feet with washing. During dry-skin winter months, you could aspire to wet several era a time. Nothing like is looked-for: Basic lotions and creams are fine.

* Alternate the shoes you wear all time. That could mean having two pairs of your favorite everyday stylishness, but shoes need calculate to air made known to dodge triggering foot odor or infections. Change socks or stockings more than some time ago a time. If you be inflicted with a conundrum with smelly feet, bathe them in a mixture of vinegar and fill up.

* Your feet must not hurt—ever. Tight shoes can make something worse bunions, distort toe affect and cause awkward bottom growths. If you wear distinguished heels, point out heels with the intention of are large, established and thumbs down privileged than two inches. Toe boxes must be large; pointed toes shouldn't commence their narrowing affect until well earlier period the globe of the foot. To care for your Achilles muscle from shortening, alternate heel heights evenly.

* befall cautious in this area having a pedicure in a salon, everywhere sanitation of tubs and instruments is essential. If you be inflicted with diabetes, have a discussion with your doctor previous to having a pedicure.


* Flip-flops and completely flat tire shoes don't provide arch support. Neither does walking barefoot. Women are especially prone to rising flat tire feet, which can principal to other foot problems. To keep feet strong and healthy, lessen the amount of calculate you wear shoes with the intention of lack supportive arches.

* Pregnancy, aging and diabetes all affect your feet. Pregnant women need shoes with broad heels, arch support and skilled shock absorbency. Added pregnancy weight could cause your shoe size to exchange, so make your feet measured. Older women lose approximately of the cushioning fat on the balls of their feet; point out shoes with the intention of provide more shock protection. Diabetics can develop serious conditions correlated to the feet and decrease legs. Check feet pro one problems day after day and think it over a podiatric doctor by smallest amount annually.

sources:healthywomen.org

Wednesday, June 4, 2014

Latest Anti Aging Skin Breakthroughs

Antiaging Breakthroughs

Dozens of beauty products be inflicted with secure the promote, but sort out one of them really give up? WebMD asks the experts to separate the science from the build up.

Antiaging No. 1: Fractional CO2 Laser Skin Resurfacing

The antiaging breakthrough of the decade, according to many doctors, is a skin-resurfacing treatment renowned as CO2 fractional laser therapy. Combining the effectiveness of traditional carbon dioxide lasers - long planning to be the gold standard in crinkle confiscation -- with a extra attention practice, it delivers powerful results lacking the traditionally harsh feature things.

The natural aging process, combined with exposure to sun and pollution, destroys collagen -- the foremost protein of connective tissue with the intention of keeps skin fat and line-free. Laser resurfacing uses beamlets of energy light to bore to tears tiny holes in the skin, which facility to deposit the body’s natural collagen production on fast-forward. Here’s what’s extra: Fractional CO2 laser resurfacing does this in a way with the intention of prevents destruction to the top layer of skin, offering most results with smallest recovery calculate.



Common minor feature things pro fractional laser resurfacing include flush and swelling with the intention of lasts in this area two days.

Antiaging No. 2: The New Wrinkle Injections

Wrinkle injection equipment soared to extra heights continue time as the FDA standard four fillers: Perlane, Juvéderm, Artifill, and Radiesse. Antiaging Breakthrough No. 2: The New Wrinkle Injections continued...

Dermatologist Bruce Katz, MD, the director of Juva Skin and Laser Center in New York City, agrees. "Unlike a face-lift, which pulls the skin firm and forceful, volumizing plumps up the skin so the look is young but more natural," he says.



Inside even more skilled news in this area crinkle injections, studies conducted by Frank Wang, MD, by the University of Michigan Medical School found with the intention of persons containing hyaluronic acid (such as Restylane and Juvéderm) led to  "robust collagen production" while furthermore interfering with collagen breakdown. The cost of wrinkle-filling volumizers is linking $600 and $1,000 for every squirt.

Antiaging No. 3: Antioxidants

"Antioxidants are nutrients with the intention of, as topically useful, disarm and neutralize emancipated radicals previous to they destroy skin -- so they can mess about an valuable role in antiaging skin trouble," says Sumayah Jamal, MD, an assistant professor of dermatology and microbiology by NYU Medical Center in New York City.

Scores of studies exhibit the power of topical antioxidants (particularly CoQ10 and vitamins C and E) to rejuvenate and care for skin. The investigate conducted by David McDaniels, MD, by the Institute of Anti-Aging Research in Virginia, and Zoe Draelos, MD, by Dermatology Consulting Service in North Carolina, reported with the intention of coffee berry extract significantly improved the advent of fine shape and wrinkles lacking allergic reactions or skin irritations.



Other cosmeceuticals with extra and powerful antioxidants include:

* Prescriptives Super Line Preventor Xtreme with seven antioxidants (1 ounce, $48)
* Neutrogena Antioxidant Age Reverse Day Lotion and Night Cream (1.7 ounces, $17.99 each)
* Lumene Vitamin + Energy Cocktail (1 ounce, $17.99)
* Clinique Continuous Rescue Antioxidant Moisturizer with eight time-release antioxidants (1.7 ounces, $39.50)

Antiaging No. 4: Peptides

Minute proteins with the intention of stimulate the production of collagen, peptides be inflicted with been on the cusp of antiaging skin trouble pro a while. The excitement began several years past with NIH-backed investigate on the ingredient Matrixyl (palmitoyl pentapeptide-3), screening its skill to stimulate collagen production in skin. Even newer peptide formulations play a role like growth factors, stimulating skin cells to get on to a faster income, much like childish skin.



What’s extra pro peptides? Products containing the newest versions of with the intention of peptide equipment include:

* Olay Regenerist Micro-Sculpting Cream with amino peptide complicated (1.7 ounces, $29.99)
* Lumene Premium Beauty Rejuvenating Instant Serum (1 ounce, $29.99)
* Avon Anew Clinical Eye Lift (0.5 ounce, $28)
* Osmotics Blue Copper 5 Face Lifting Serum (1 ounce, $75)
* Emerge Bio-Peptide Night Repair Cream with 10% peptides (1.12 ounces, $43)

Antiaging No. 5: Vitamin A

Among the generally medically considered topical antiaging treatments are the retinoids -- derivatives of vitamin A. Retinoids are "thought to bring about on aging skin by increasing collagen production and decreasing collagen breakdown," says Jamal -- and a ream of studies backs her up.


But while many doctors said single the prescription-strength retinoids were powerful sufficient to cause noteworthy exchange in the skin, 2007 was the time with the intention of perception altered. Inside a study in print in the Archives of Dermatology in May, researchers from the University of Michigan found with the intention of 0.4% retinol oil useful three era a week pro 24 weeks yielded noteworthy difference in skin wrinkling as compared with a akin oil lacking retinol used on a separate assemble of public in the study.

Products containing retinol include:

* Vichy Reti-C Intensive Corrective Care (30 milliliters, $31)
* Neutrogena Healthy Skin Anti-Wrinkle Intensives with retinol and antioxidants (Serum, 1 ounce, $16.99; Eye Cream, 0.5 ounce, $16.99)
* Clinique Zero Gravity Repairwear Lift with retinol, antioxidants, and peptides (1.7 ounces, $52)
* L’Oreal Advanced RevitaLift Double Lifting Gel (1 ounce, $16.99)
* RoC Retinol Correxion Deep Wrinkle Serum (1 ounce, $19.99)

Antiaging No. 6: Antiaging Sunscreens

Among the generally exciting extra ways to fight skin aging are two dramatic breakthroughs in sun protection: Helioplex, a extra equipment with the intention of makes current sunscreen ingredients more effectual, and Mexoryl SX (ecamsule), a extra shielding agent. Representing the initially innovation in skin sun protection in more than 20 years, all is specifically designed to defend hostile to the aging things of fleeting UVA emission.

While generally sunscreens effectively care for hostile to UVB emission, protection from UVA was mostly restricted to the "long" waves, with ingredients with the intention of were unstable and often degraded in the sun.

Even more exciting: Inside 2007 these sunscreen advances were combined with antioxidants and other antiaging ingredients in moisturizers and time creams with the intention of offer Fort Knox-level protection hostile to the aging things of the sun.



Products containing the newest Helioplex technology include:

* Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Dry-Touch SunBlock SPF 70 (3 ounces, $9.99)

Products containing Mexoryl SX include:

* Vichy Capital Soleil SPF 15 Sunscreen Cream (3.4 ounces, $29.99)
* L’Oreal Revitalift UV Moisturizer and Sunscreen (1.7 ounces, $22)
* LaRoche-Posay Anthelios SX (3.4 ounces, $29)
* Lancome UV Expert 20 (3.4 ounces, $35)

sources: webmd.com

Tuesday, June 3, 2014

Treatment for Heel Pain

Treatment for heel bind ordinarily involves using a combination of techniques, such as stretches and painkillers, to relieve pain and alacrity up recovery.

Most suitcases of heel bind make better surrounded by 12 months. Surgery could be recommended as a continue resort if your symptoms don't increase with 12 months. Only lone in 20 public with heel bind will need surgery.

Rest

Whenever doable, surplus the affected bottom by avoiding walking long distances and permanent for long periods. However, you must evenly stretch your feet and calves using exercises such as persons described not more than.

Pain relief

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as ibuprofen, can be used to help relieve bind.

Some public furthermore discover applying an ice quantity to the affected heel for five to 10 minutes can help relieve bind and inflammation. Exercise

Exercises designed to stretch both your calf muscles and your plantar fascia (the belt of tissue with the intention of runs under the sole of your foot) must help relieve bind and increase flexibility in the affected bottom.

It is ordinarily recommended you sort out the exercises on both legs, even if single lone of your heels is affected by bind. This will increase your balance and stability, as well as selection to relieve heel bind.

Towel stretches

Keep a long towel beside your bed. Repeat three era on all bottom.

Hedge stretches

The front bottom must be in this area 30cm (12 inches) away from the wall.

Then relax.

Repeat this implementation 10 era previous to switching legs and repeating the cycle. Stair stretches

Your feet must be vaguely apart with your heels lynching rancid the back of the step.

Lower your heels until you feel a tightening in your calves. Chair stretches

Turn your feet sideways so your heels are sad and your toes are pointing in opposite information. Lift the toes of the affected bottom upwards while keeping the heel securely on the floor.

You must feel your calf muscles and Achilles muscle (the belt of tissue with the intention of connects your heel bone to your calf muscle) tighten. Dynamic stretches

While seated, roll the arch of your bottom (the curved underside part of the bottom linking your toes and heel) ended a around object, such as a rolling pin, tennis globe or drink can. Repeat the implementation twice a time.

Footwear

You must dodge wearing flat-soled shoes since they will not provide your heel with support and may possibly get on to your heel bind worse.

For women, wearing distinguished heels and for men, wearing heeled boots or brogues can provide short- to medium-term bind relief, as they help reduce pressure on the heels.

Your GP or podiatrist will be able to advise additional in this area footwear.

Orthoses

Orthoses are insoles with the intention of fit inside your shoe to support your bottom and help your heel recover. If your bind does not respond to behavior and keeps chronic, or if you be inflicted with an abnormal bottom affect or organize, custom-made orthoses are unfilled. Strapping and splinting

An alternative to using orthoses is to be inflicted with your heel strapped with sports well-built (zinc oxide) tape. The well-built helps relieve pressure on your heel. Night splints, which look like boots, are designed to keep your toes and feet pointing up while you are sleeping. This will stretch both your Achilles muscle and your plantar fascia, which must help alacrity up your recovery calculate.



Corticosteroid injections

If behavior hasn't helped relieve your awkward symptoms, your GP could urge corticosteroid injections.

Surgery

* an orthopaedic general practitioner – a general practitioner who specialises in surgery with the intention of involves bones, muscles and joints

* a podiatric general practitioner – a podiatrist who specialises in bottom surgery

Surgery is now and again recommended for qualified athletes and other sportspeople whose heel bind is adversely distressing their career.
Plantar relief surgery

Plantar relief surgery is the generally widely used type of surgery for heel bind. The general practitioner will graze the fascia to relief it from your heel bone and reduce the tension in your plantar fascia. Surgery can be performed either as:

* commence surgery – everywhere the section of the plantar fascia is released by making a graze into your heel

* endoscopic or smallest score surgery – everywhere a less important score is made and special instruments are inserted through the score to advance access to the plantar fascia

Endoscopic surgery furthermore carries a privileged expose of hurtful nearby nerves, which may possibly upshot in symptoms such as numbness, scratchy or approximately loss of movement in your bottom.

Strapping and splinting

An alternative to using orthoses is to have your heel strapped with sports strapping (zinc oxide) tape. The strapping helps relieve pressure on your heel. Your GP or podiatrist should be able to teach you how to apply the tape yourself.

In some cases, night splints can also be useful. Most people sleep with their toes pointing down, which means tissue inside the heel is squeezed together.



Night splints, which look like boots, are designed to keep your toes and feet pointing up while you are asleep. This will stretch both your Achilles tendon and your plantar fascia, which should help speed up your recovery time.

Night splints are usually only available from specialist shops and online retailers. Again, your podiatrist should be able to recommend a supplier.

Extracorporeal shockwave therapy (EST)

The soundwaves can now and again cause bind, so a community anaesthetic could be used to insensitive your heel.

Some studies be inflicted with reported EST is more effectual than surgery and other non-surgical treatments, while other studies found the procedure to be thumbs down better than a excuse (sham treatment).

sources: nhs.uk

Monday, June 2, 2014

Home Pedicure: Inexpensive Beauty Treatment Using Natural Products

If you don't be inflicted with calculate for a expert pedicure, or would like to produce your feet a family beauty treatment, at this time are a hardly any straightforward steps for a basic home pedicure with the intention of will be inflicted with your feet looking and feeling splendid. The equipment for this straightforward family pedicure are products you could already be inflicted with by family:

* Foot Spa or Plastic Basin

* Epsom Salts - Bath salts or bath oils are furthermore an option

* Towel

* Foot File or Pumice Stone - A bottom gather in a line with two uncommon filing surfaces is ideal. A pumice marble is an exfoliating tool made from volcanic rock.

* Nail File or a Nail Buffing Tool - A variety of nail records with fine and way grit is preeminent, and a gather in a line with a tapering tip can get on to filing less important toenails easier. If you rather, you can opt for a nail buffing tool, which has uncommon degrees of grit on all feature.

* Nail Trimming Tool



* Lemon or Lime Juice - The natural alpha hydroxy acid in lemon or lime juice helps exfoliate rough, dry skin. Squeeze a hardly any teaspoons of juice into a bowl.

* Cotton Balls and Cotton Swabs

* Foot Cream - Any moisturizing manufactured goods you rather will sort out, or think it over not more than for directions on making your own oil using essential oils.

Pedicure Steps

* Add roughly a 1/4 cup of epsom salts or a hardly any teaspoons of bath smear with oil to your basin or spa and fill it with sufficient fill up to cover your ankles. Use cool or lukewarm fill up to pacify exhausted feet or cool them down with a long time. Or if you rather, aid lukewarm fill up to relax muscles. Soak feet for 5-10 minutes.

* Rinse and dry feet. If looked-for, spruce and gather in a line the tops of all toenail.

* Starting with the gather in a line with the intention of has the highest grit or roughness, commence filing the top go up of all toenail using a light, sweeping shift. After filing for 15-30 seconds, switch to a gather in a line with a fine grit and do again. Another option is to aid a nail buffing tool, which has multiple surfaces from way to fine. This process will smooth made known unwarranted ridges on nails and produce them a shiny, healthier advent.




* Dip a cotton clean in the lemon or lime juice and apply to nails and cuticles. The citric acid exfoliates dry cuticles and gives nails a shine. This is a healthier alternative than cold cuticles or pushing them back, which can boost the expose of infection.

* Using a bottom gather in a line or pumice marble, smooth away rough or callused areas of skin, especially by the heels.

* Using cotton balls, apply lemon or lime juice to skin, avoiding one cuts, wounds, or rashes. Go ended rough areas again if de rigueur and discontinue if cutting occurs. Rinse and dry feet.

* Apply your favorite bottom cream or get on to your own all-natural hydrating oil: Add lone or two tablespoons of a carrier smear with oil such as sunflower or sweet almond smear with oil to a bowl. Stir in 5 drops of an essential smear with oil, such as peppermint or lavender smear with oil. Massage into skin and nails and wipe rancid surplus.



Quick Tips

If you be inflicted with corns or calluses with the intention of are awkward or are causing skin irritation, it is preeminent to seek the trouble of a podiatrist. A ordinary conundrum area is the heel, everywhere calluses can fissure (split open). Corns and calluses with the intention of develop around toes or on the globe of the bottom are often associated with underlying soft tissue inflammation, and could require qualified trouble. Another ordinary bottom conundrum with the intention of could require podiatric trouble is toenail fungus, which can cause toenail yellowing, bind, and thickening.

sources: foothealth.about.com

Natural Nail Treatment to Keep your Nails Healthy

Recognize your nail problem. Many people complain about fragile nails, having brittle and vulnerable nail plate. There’s an ongoing debate about whether brittle nails are caused predominantly by a lack of protein or moisture in the nails. Brittle nails may be caused by many factors. Brittle nails may be hereditary, poor diet, excess use or even a nail disease. Using products that contain calcium will strengthen your nails, prevent peeling and speed the growth of your nails.

Silica is necessary for the formation of strong healthy nails. This amino acid is additionally found in the herb coltsfoot and contains sulfur, which is required in skin and nail growth,” says Elena Kalmykova, an experienced nail technician from Florence Beauty nail art studio in Tallinn.

Food containing fatty acids will help your brittle nails and strengthen them. Use of a calcium gel is great for dry, brittle nails. Taking vitamins that contain vitamin A are great for your nails and hair. Getting a manicure will help harden the brittle nails. The presenting complaints of patients with brittle nails are often their inability to grow long nails and a description of their nails as soft, dry, weak, or easily breakable,” Nemtsenko stated.

Iron deficiency may cause spoon-shaped nails. One of the symptoms of brittle nails is frequent or easy breaking, cracking, splitting, or tearing of their nails. Actually, maintaining strong and healthy nails is not so difficult if you know your nail type. Knowing your nail type will also help you to go for the right treatment if you have any nail-related problems.”

The main cause of brittle nails is believed to be frequent hand washing and drying.

Here are some tips from an experienced nail technician Anastasia Popova, how to take treatment of you nails and some necessary steps you can take to get healthy nails.

“First of all, using too much nail polish and not cleaning the nail polish off every now and again to let your nails breathe can cause your nails to become weak and brittle. Using too much polish remover which can zap the moisture from your nails can also leave your nails brittle. Secondly, certain foods can be eaten to help strengthen your nails. Eating more cold water fish, like Salmon, Herring and Mackerel will also help your nails. The omega-6 fatty acids found in these types of fish is what helps cure your brittle nails. This B vitamin helps prevent the cracking and splitting that is common with brittle nails.

Even a 15 minute fragrant oil soak can do wonders for your nails.



Apart from ingrown toenails, nail fungus is probably the most disagreeable nail problem. Other nail problems include brittle nails, which can be the result of age or too much or too little moisture, or nutritional deficiencies. And certain skin diseases can affect the nails, including psoriasis (it can cause a thickening and pitting of the nails) and the patchy hair loss known as alopecia areata (it can cause ridged, pitted, rough nails).

Foil fungus

• To fight stubborn nail fungus, try tea-tree oil. A powerful antiseptic, it can help make nail fungus disappear. When you do this, you’re removing your nail’s protective barrier. Beat brittle, flaking nails with your diet

• If your nails are brittle or flaking, try getting more essential fatty acids.
• If your nails have white spots, you may be deficient in zinc.
• For dry, brittle nails, rub petroleum jelly or a thick cream into your nails to hold moisture around and under your nails. Say no to fake nails

For women who have problems with weak, soft, brittle nails, artificial nails can seem like a godsend. But if you want to avoid nail fungus, forgo the fakes, no matter how much you long for elegant nails. Artificial nails are the most common cause of nail fungus in women.

Natural Nail "Dos" & "Don’ts"



Cuticles should be moisturized and groomed, nails should be properly trimmed, filed and protected.

Massaging the cuticle area also stimulates blood circulation, which helps nail growth.

* DON’T cut your cuticles. Unless you’re a trained nail tech, you can cause more harm than good because cuticles form barrier that protects the nail. Then use a soft-tipped cuticle pusher to gently push back the cuticles.

* DO shape your nails with a fine-grit cushion file. Coarse-grit files are designed for use on artificial nails, and are too harsh for natural nails. Avoid metal files; cushion files are gentler on the skin around your nails.


* DON’T saw your nails back and forth with a nail file; it can weaken the nail’s free edge. Use a four-way buffer to shape nails, remove ridges, smooth the nail surface and give nails a super shine without polish.

Too much buffing can cause friction, build up heat and weaken nails. Always use a super-fine-grit nail buffer to lightly smooth ridges. If you wear polish, apply a ridge-filler base coat first.

* DO revitalize fragile nails with a nail strengthening treatment.

* DO wear nail polish; it can help protect nails and prevent breakage.

* DON’T expose nails to household cleansers or harsh chemicals. Even prolonged exposure to fresh water can dry out nails and hands.

sources: sallybeauty.com, besthealthmag.ca, baltictimes.com