Nail fungus is a common disease that occurs among both the elderly and young people. In most cases, onychomycosis affects the nails of men, but it also occurs in women and even children. An important role in treatment is played by the process of steaming nails. We will find out how and what is the best way to steam your nails, as well as why it is needed.

One of the symptoms of mycosis is the formation of growths on the nails, uneven thickening of the nail plate, brittleness, peeling, itching and pain. For treatment drugs to work, it must penetrate into the very thickness of the nail - into the lesion. To achieve this, it is necessary, if possible, to cut off all growths and remove the top layer of the nail. This can be done with scissors and a nail file. To make the process easier, the nails are pre-steamed. So, what are the benefits of steaming?

1. Softens the nail plate, allowing you to remove most of the damaged nail.
2. Improves blood circulation in the fingers, thereby enhancing the effect of creams on the dermis.
3. Enhances the effects of topical medications.
4. Reduces sweating and dries.
5. Destroys harmful microorganisms.
6. Stops the development of fungus.
7. Prevention of the spread of onychomycosis to healthy nails.

Thus, performing steam baths for the feet and hands when treating mycosis is extremely useful. They can significantly speed up the healing process.

Baths at home

The best recipes for homemade baths for steaming nails:

• With salt
• with soap
• with vinegar
• with soda
• with herbs
• with peroxide
• with garlic or onion
• with iodine
• with coffee
• with kiwi

Salt bath

Ingredients: hot water 1 liter, salt 2 tablespoons, laundry soap.

Preparation process: pour hot water into a basin or bowl, add 2 tablespoons of salt. It is better to opt for sea or iodized salt. Crumble laundry soap on a fine grater - 1 tablespoon. Stir everything until the soap and salt dissolve. The water temperature should be hot - at least 50 degrees. Take steam baths before each application of the medicinal cream, but no more than 2 times a day.

With soap

Ingredients: hot water, laundry soap, softening soap, eucalyptus oil.

Preparation process: pour hot water into a basin or bowl, grate part of the bar. You can also simply lather the soap in the bath water. Add 5 drops of eucalyptus essential oil. Mix everything until the soap dissolves. The water temperature should be hot - at least 50 degrees. Take steam baths before each application of the medicinal cream.

With vinegar

Ingredients: water 50-60 degrees, vinegar, shampoo.

Preparation process: pour hot water with a temperature of at least 60 degrees into a basin or bowl. Add 50 ml of vinegar and 2 tablespoons of hair shampoo. Mix everything. The water temperature should be hot at the end of cooking - at least 50 degrees. Make steaming baths with vinegar and shampoo before each application of anti-fungal cream.

With soda

Ingredients: water 50-60 degrees, soda, liquid soap.

Preparation process: pour hot water with a temperature of at least 60 degrees into a basin or bowl. Add 2 tablespoons per 1 liter of water soda and 2 tablespoons of hair shampoo. Mix everything. The water temperature must be at least 50 degrees. Take steam baths with baking soda and soap every day for 20 minutes before each application of anti-fungal cream.

With herbs

Ingredients: hot water, dry collection 50 grams for the treatment of dermatological diseases, some shampoos.

Preparation process: for steaming baths with herbs, it is best to collect chamomile, celandine, linden, wormwood, and thyme. Before making a bath, you should prepare a decoction: take a glass of boiling water for 50 grams of dry herb, pour it in and leave for 20 minutes. During this time, all useful substances will be released into the water. Pour the herbal decoction into the steaming bath through a sieve, add 2 tablespoons of shampoo, and stir. Take baths daily for 20-30 minutes. After the procedure, the nails are thoroughly dried and lubricated with medicinal cream.

With peroxide

Ingredients: water 50-60 degrees – 1 liter, – 2 tablespoons, tablespoon of soda.

Preparation process: pour hot water with a temperature of at least 60 degrees into a basin or bowl. Add 2 tablespoons of hydrogen peroxide and a tablespoon of baking soda. Mix everything. The water temperature must be at least 50 degrees. The procedure is carried out within 20-30 minutes. It is necessary to take steam baths with hydrogen peroxide before each application of anti-fungal cream.

With garlic or onion

Ingredients: hot water - 1 liter, 10 cloves of garlic, 1 large onion.

Preparation process: pour hot water into a basin or bowl. Add garlic, passed through a garlic press, or finely grated onion. You can also use a blender. These products can also be used in combination. Mix everything. The water temperature should be about 50 degrees. The procedure is carried out within 20-30 minutes. You should take steam baths with onions and garlic before each application of anti-fungal cream. Before the steam bath, you can lubricate your nails with iodine.

With iodine, shampoo and vodka

Ingredients: hot water - 1 liter, iodine - tablespoon, 1 glass of vodka.

Preparation process: pour hot water into a basin or bowl. Add 1 tablespoon of iodine and 1 glass of vodka. Mix everything. The water temperature should be about 50 degrees. The procedure is carried out within 20-30 minutes. It is necessary to make steaming baths with vodka and iodine before each application of a medicinal product - cream or ointment. Before the steam bath, you can lubricate your nails with iodine or pure alcohol.

With coffee

Ingredients: hot water – 1 liter, ground natural coffee.

Preparation process: pour boiling water over 3 tablespoons of coffee and let steep for 30 minutes. Pour it along with the grounds into a bath to steam your nails. Before pouring, you can thoroughly wipe your nails and fingers with the thickener, thoroughly rubbing it into the damaged areas. Coffee contains special oils that help soften the dermis. The baths last 20 minutes, after which the nails are thoroughly dried and lubricated with medicinal antifungal ointment.

With kiwi

Ingredients: 1 kiwi, 250 ml hot water.

Cooking process. Since kiwi contains an acid that has a detrimental effect on fungus and softens even old growths on the nails, this fruit has proven itself to be one of the best ingredients for steaming. To make a steam bath, you need to beat 250 ml of hot water and 1 kiwi in a blender. The baths are made for 15-20 minutes, after which a dermatological cream is applied.

Pharmacy preparations for softening

At the pharmacy you can buy a huge number of medicines to soften nails with fungus.

Nogtivit and Nogtimycin– creams created on the basis of stearic acid and tea tree oil. They have a disinfecting effect and also make the nails very soft, after which severely damaged areas can be removed. Before use, it is advisable to make one of the baths that we described above.

Bifonazole with urea– allows you to remove the diseased nail layer by layer in a few days. It must be applied in a thin layer to the nail plate and left without rinsing for a day. Next, all we have to do is make a steaming bath and remove the top layer of the nail. Complete removal may take from 4 days to 1 month.

The active substance has a cumulative property. Accumulating in the nails, it moisturizes and softens damaged areas of mycosis, and at the same time destroys the infection itself.

Demexide It allows not only to soften the nail, but also at the initial stage is able to cure mycosis.

Uroderm contains urea. It perfectly softens even the hardest and thickest growths. The cream is applied in a thin layer to the nail 2 times a day. Uroderm is also good for nighttime compresses.

If you do not know which medicine to soften nails with fungus to choose, contact your doctor. He will prescribe the best drug suitable for your stage of the disease.

Forgotten recipes

If baths for steaming nails with soda, salt, iodine and other products are still popular today, then sometimes no less effective treatment methods are found in folk medicine. Let's look at two forgotten recipes that are used extremely rarely today.

Kombucha for steaming

Tea made from kombucha for at least 8 days without adding fresh brew must be heated to 40 degrees. Dip your nails into a bath of warm tea and keep them there for 30 minutes. During this time, the acid and beneficial substances found in the tea will soften the plate and destroy fungi on its surface. Special substances found in this liquid damage the protein shell of not only the fungus, but even their spores. Do this bath every day. After the procedure, apply anti-mycosis cream to all nails.

Urine

Urine therapy became especially widespread in the 90s of the last century. But even today, recipes using it can be found in the practice of traditional medicine. In principle, treating fungus with urine is not without meaning. Urine contains urea, which softens and disinfects the dermis. At the same time, urea can be found in many pharmacological preparations. So why not use a natural product? A night compress is usually made from urine for steaming and softening. If you suffer from toenail fungus, soak a natural fabric sock in urine and wear it. You can not wet the entire sock, but only the part that will come into contact with the nails. Wrap the top with cling film and secure with a bandage. Leave the compress on overnight. In the morning you will see how the skin and nails have softened. If you don't want to use a sock, soak cotton pads in urine and bandage them to your nails, wrap them in plastic wrap, and put a sock on top. Fingernails are steamed and softened in the same way.

Toenails sometimes grow into the skin, change their color, shape, thickness and cause pain in a person. In most cases, this means that the plates have been damaged by a fungal infection. It also happens that the nails split, crumble, crack, become covered with bumps and become significantly thicker from constant contact with water, chemicals, and wearing tight shoes.

At home, you can make baths and compresses with essential oils, medicinal herbs, and soda. These procedures will significantly improve the appearance of the plate and relieve pain. A softened nail will be easy to shorten or file.

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Why do nails become thick?

A healthy, well-groomed nail plate does not cause a person pain or discomfort when walking. But often, especially in older people, nails become thick and hard, the surface loses its smoothness and becomes curved.

This disease is called subungual hyperkeratosis. At the same time, the stratum corneum of cells begins to actively develop, as a result of which the nail plate first becomes deformed and then thickens.

Causes and symptoms of the disease

The causes of painful thickening are quite varied, but most often it is caused by fungi that disrupt the natural process of formation of new layers of the nail.

Changes in the shape, color and thickness of the nail plate can be caused by the following conditions:

• Fungal infection - onychomycosis, which is caused by a dermatophyte fungus. The plate becomes dull and brittle, covered with multiple tubercles. Over time, the nail is torn away from the nail socket.
• Scaly lichen, when foci of fungus are located on the nails. The plates begin to crumble, the surface thickens due to the appearance of ribbing. The nail folds are affected and the nail begins to peel off.
• Nail psoriasis. It affects the epidermis or horny plates, on which a monomorphic rash and peeling are formed.
• Impaired blood supply to the nail bed. Most often found in older people. The structure of the nails changes, the plate thickens.
• Tight or uncomfortable shoes. Compression and deformation of the nail plate most often occurs on the big toe.
• Toe injuries.
• Long-term or constant contact with liquids or chemicals.
• Flat feet.
• Chronic diseases associated with a deficiency of vitamins and minerals or metabolism in the body (allergies, diabetes, anemia).

Thickening of nails in old age in women is associated with the onset of menopause. By the age of 50, salts begin to accumulate in the body, some of which are deposited in the nail plates, as a result of which they become coarse and ossified.

It is possible to carry out medical procedures and use medications for treatment only after consulting a specialist. The main goal should be to eliminate the underlying disease. It is necessary to restore nutrition to the nail plate and surrounding tissues. Therapy uses medications, compresses, baths, and nail polishing.

If thickening of the nails is due to a fungus, first of all you need to destroy its spores. Modern drugs such as Stop-Active, Miconazole and its analogues are considered effective.

Sometimes it is necessary to choose the right comfortable shoes so as not to injure the nail plates when walking. For anemia, vitamin complexes are prescribed orally. In case of allergies, the main allergen is identified, its effect on the body is reduced with antihistamines, and only then nail treatment begins.



Methods and means for softening nails

The procedure for trimming thick nails is almost impossible to carry out without prior preparation. First you need to prepare a steaming bath:

• In a five-liter basin you need to pour 25 g of liquid soap, 1 tbsp. l. soda and ammonia, pour hot water over the ingredients, mix.
• Place your feet in the container for 15-20 minutes. As the water cools, you need to add hot liquid to the basin.

After the bath, the softened nail plates can be trimmed carefully and painlessly.

Should not be added to the plantthief table or sea salt: it will make your nails even harder.

Do not cut rough, thick nail plates without steaming them in water: a dry nail may crack or come off.



Compresses and baths

To make pedicure easier, the following procedures will be effective:

1. 1. Compress with aloe. The procedure is carried out before bedtime. Tear off an aloe leaf from a flower, wash it with water and cut it lengthwise. Turn the leaf inside out, cut it into pieces and apply the juice side to each nail plate. For convenience, you can stick a patch on top. Remove the compress the next morning.
2. 2. Kombucha compress. A mushroom plate is taken out of the jar, cut into pieces and applied to the affected areas. The top is wrapped in polyethylene and cotton socks are put on. After 8 hours, the compress is removed. Softened nails are filed and trimmed.
3. 3. Baths with chamomile. For 2 liters of boiling water you will need a glass of chamomile. The broth is left to steep for 1 hour, then filtered, brought to a boil again and poured into a basin. When the water temperature drops a little, you need to immerse your feet in it for 15-20 minutes. This decoction has softening and disinfectant properties. After the procedure, you need to dry your feet with a clean towel. Steamed nail plates can be easily cut or filed.
4. 4. Baths with celandine. Boil 1.5 liters of water with the addition of 4 tbsp. l. celandine. The broth is wrapped in a warm blanket and left overnight to cool. The next day, soak your feet in it for 10-15 minutes. You can make a compress: soak 2 pieces of gauze in the solution, squeeze lightly, wrap your legs, put on plastic bags and cover with a blanket. After 15 minutes, wipe your feet dry.
5. 5. Compress with apple cider vinegar. Cotton pads are soaked in vinegar with a strength of no more than 9%. Each disc is applied to one nail plate. Wrap the top with cling film to achieve a greenhouse effect, and put on warm socks. After 2 hours, the compress is removed, the feet are washed with water, dried thoroughly and softened with cream.
6. 6. Bath with soda and soap. 3 tbsp. l. soda along with 1/3 of a piece of tar soap should be dissolved in hot water, put your feet in a hot bath for 20 minutes.
7. 7. Disinfectant bath. A piece of potassium permanganate should be dissolved in 100 g of warm water. When the remains of the crystal settle to the bottom, the water is poured into a large container and diluted to a light pink color. This is done in order to avoid burns on the skin, which can leave potassium permanganate crystals undissolved in water. The solution is used warm for steaming and disinfection for mycoses and ingrown nails.

Ointments and creams

To soften your toenails, you can use store-bought creams or ointments or prepare them yourself:

1. 1. Homemade ointment. Take melted butter, natural beeswax, an onion, a clove of garlic and an aloe leaf. All components are finely chopped and mixed. The mixture is heated in a water bath for about 3 minutes, then left to cool. The feet are steamed in hot water for 15 minutes, wiped dry, ointment is applied to the nail plates, and the feet are wrapped in film and a warm blanket. The ointment is left on the nails overnight. In the morning, nails are trimmed. If the ossified tissue has not softened enough, the procedure is repeated up to 3-5 times.
2. 2. Vitamin softening cream. Add 1 teaspoon of olive oil, vitamin E and vitamin A to any nourishing fatty cream, apply to rough areas every day and file off the softened areas. This method is mainly used in the initial stages of thickening the nail plate.
3. 3. Salicylic ointment. The pharmacy sells 5% ointment, which is used when the nail plate is affected by fungus. The ointment is applied in a thick layer as a compress in the morning and evening after steaming the legs in a bath with manganese, soda or soap. The bandage is kept for 1 hour. Then remove the remaining ointment with a soft cloth.
4. 4. Ichthyol ointment or Vishnevsky ointment. For purulent inflammation and ingrown nails, ointments are applied according to the salicylic principle. They are also effective nail plate softeners.
5. 5. Nailitis. A specially developed product that helps soften nails and trim affected areas without pain. The drug is applied after using a soda-soap bath. Apply it only to the nail, without touching the surrounding areas of the skin, seal it with a band-aid and leave it in this form for 3-4 days. After the specified time has passed, the patch is peeled off, a steam bath is made again and the soft parts of the nail plates are filed off.
6. 6. Uroderm ointment. A strong product containing urea, which can quickly soften keratinized areas. The ointment is applied to the thickenings 2 times a day in a thin layer. In advanced cases, an occlusive dressing is used. For fungal infections, the product is applied half an hour before applying topical fungicidal agents.
7. 7. Kanespor complex. Consists of an antifungal preparation, a set of plasters and a scraper. The product is intended to combat thick nails and onychomycosis. The nail plate is treated with the healing solution once a day in accordance with the instructions for use. Within 7-14 hours, the nail completely softens and is removed, covering the wound with a bandage. The patch needs to be changed to a fresh one every day.



Prevention

A list of tips to help keep your toenails healthy:

• Pedicures should be done at least once every 2-3 months by an experienced specialist.
• Once a week you need to steam your feet in baths with chamomile, sage, calendula and other medicinal herbs.
• To trim nails, it is recommended to use special manicure tools, nippers or nail clippers.
• Don't cut your toenails too short. This causes them to grow into the skin and often causes pain when walking.
• Nails should be trimmed in a straight line. The corners can be slightly filed. This helps prevent the nail plate from growing into the skin.

At the first appearance of changes in the color, shape, structure, hardness or brittleness of the nails, you should immediately consult a doctor. It often happens that their unhealthy appearance is associated with more serious diseases of the body.

It is important to remember preventive measures to prevent nail infections from fungi and onychomycosis:

• visit the sauna and swimming pool in rubber slippers;
• do not try on or wear someone else’s shoes;
• After a shower, dry your feet.

Older people who already have harder nails than young people suffer; the problem is serious.

Why is it necessary to soften toenails with fungus?

The question may arise: why do you need to soften your toenails at all? First of all, this is necessary for banal care of them - trimming and filing.

With too hardened ones, even such simple procedures become impossible. And if they are also brittle, then any haircut turns into a messy painting of the nail plate. Uneven, broken “claws” tear clothing and cause pain, touching the skin.

With fungus, softening is also necessary because most products must be applied directly to the affected plate.

This disease causes not only coarsening, but also thickening of the nail; a “dead” keratinized layer covers it on top.

It is practically useless to apply to it - after all, it will not be able to penetrate deep into the tissues. The drugs are effective only when using softening agents followed by treatment.

Softening the nail plate may be necessary not only for fungus. Elderly people often suffer from coarsening. The issue of softening the nail on the big toe is especially relevant for them.

If the situation is even more or less the same with other nails, then the largest one is the roughest.

What methods of softening are there?

How can you soften your toenails? For this, there are both folk and medicinal remedies. The simplest thing is baths. They not only soften the skin of your feet and nails, but also relax you at the end of the day.

The water should be moderately hot, and for greater effectiveness you can add various ingredients to it:

• decoctions of medicinal herbs;
• glycerol;
• a couple of spoons of soda;
• essential oils;
• a few drops.

A bath with a decoction of chamomile, essential oils of tea tree, rosemary is effective - they also act as antiseptics. But it’s better not to use salt – both regular and sea salt. On the contrary, it strengthens the nails and makes them harder.

Foot baths are indicated before using any other means to soften the nail and treat fungus.

Traditional methods

A popular folk remedy for softening toenails are various compresses. Here are some you can prepare:

Pumpkin pulp is also used for this. A regular foot cream can also be effective, which should be applied in a thick layer to steamed nails and then made as a compress.

Important! Nails should be treated, cut, and filed immediately after the procedure, since after a fairly short period of time they will harden again.

Drugs

All pharmaceutical products contain substances that help quickly soften the nail; in most cases, they are more effective than traditional ones. However, before softening a nail affected by fungus with an ointment or solution, you should consult a doctor.

They may be ineffective in some cases, and in others they may cause allergies, so the treating specialist must anticipate possible risks in advance.

Special solutions are used:

Ointments are often used to soften nails. They have different compositions and different effects, so they are also selected individually. Here are some ointments that have earned excellent reviews from patients:

In the absence of special ointments with an antifungal component, you can use any fatty ones - for example, Ichthyol, Vishnevsky ointment and others.

Special medicinal varnishes are also used. For example, Loceryl is popular, a varnish for daily use that effectively kills the fungal pathogen and puts the nail plate in order. It does not accumulate in the body, so it can be used for a long time.

Another effective varnish is Batrafen. After a few days of use, the top layer of the nail becomes soft enough to be removed and further treatment can begin.

Important! Before using medicated varnishes, you need to thoroughly wash your feet and treat the surface of the nail with a special sanding file.

Conclusion

The softening of the nail plate and the possibility of its further mechanical processing determines its susceptibility to drugs for fungus. Treating rough nails is ineffective, so treatment may take longer.

Since this disease leads to hardening and thickening of the nail, the procedure becomes irreplaceable and mandatory. All that remains is to choose the right remedy - there are many of them, both folk and pharmacy. This article provides only the bare minimum.

In contact with

A thickened nail plate not only does not look aesthetically pleasing, but also cannot be treated with a nail file. And in the case of a fungal disease, the process of filing a nail becomes real torture for both the master and the client.

If your nails are healthy, you can make steaming foot baths with herbal decoctions, various natural oils, soda and soap, compresses and lotions.

If fungus is present, softening agents should be more aggressive, but safe for the tissues surrounding the nail.

How to soften toenails using baths

With chamomile decoction - 6 tablespoons per 2 liters of hot water. spoons of dry chamomile. Let it brew (about two hours), then strain, boil and cool to a tolerable temperature. Take the bath for 10-15 minutes;

With soap and soda - 3 tbsp. l. dissolve baking soda in 5 liters of hot water, add soap (preferably with an antibacterial effect), cool to a comfortable temperature and you can put your feet down. Exposure time 20-25 minutes;

With natural oils – add lemongrass, rose, lavender and orange essential oils (5 drops each) to a bath of warm water. You can squeeze the lemon and pour the resulting juice into the same tray. The procedure time is 15-20 minutes.

After taking a steam bath, the nails can be processed: trimmed with special scissors, nail clippers, filed and polished with a metal-coated file.

Compresses and lotions to soften toenails

9% vinegar on a cotton swab should be secured to the nail using a regular adhesive plaster. Keep the compress for 2 hours, then wash the nail with warm water and treat it.

Vinegar should not come into contact with the skin to avoid getting burned!

Composition based on vinegar essence - mix vinegar essence, iodine and glycerin in equal parts. Add water to this “master” mixture in a 1:2 ratio. Then, without touching the skin, apply to the nails and leave for 10-12 hours;

Golden mustache or aloe - any of these plants can soften the nail plate. The leaves need to be washed, mashed until juice is obtained, applied to steamed nails and fixed in any convenient way. Leave the lotion until the morning, and in the morning you can do a pedicure;

Pumpkin is an excellent softener - 0.5 cm. The plates are applied to the nail and fixed. Action time is 10-12 hours.

All these methods are acceptable for healthy people. Vinegar and any other acid are terrible for fungal infections, so lotions and compresses with vinegar will not only soften the nail, but also fight the disease.

How to soften a nail with fungus

– thickness 2-3 mm. cut into pieces to fit your nails and cover the nail plates with them. Secure with a plaster or bandage. Leave it overnight, and in the morning you can apply vinegar to remove fungal spores and treat the nail itself;

Fundizol is an antifungal agent in the form of a cream that has a softening effect. Apply a greasy layer to the affected nail plates 2-3 times a day, cover the top with compress paper and securely fix with a band-aid;

Homemade ointment – ​​melted butter and beeswax, gruel of onions, garlic and aloe leaves (1 tablespoon each): mix, cook for 2-3 minutes and cool. Apply a thick layer to the nails, wrap with a cabbage leaf and bandage. Keep warm on nails for 12 hours.

If you have fungus, you should not use celandine to soften your nails to avoid deep burns!

The nail plates on the feet are rougher and denser in structure than on the hands. Nails on the lower extremities grow faster and are more likely to become deformed due to tight shoes. In addition, nails become rougher with age. To ensure that your toenails always look aesthetically pleasing, they need to be regularly cared for and trimmed to prevent ingrown toenails. How to soften toenails? What products are used for this procedure?

Foot baths

The most popular way to soften hard toenails is with hot foot baths. After the procedure of steaming your feet, the nail plates soften and are easy to trim. For a better effect, you can add to a bowl of hot water:

• The addition of natural essential oils: lavender, lemon, tea tree, rosemary, which have an antiseptic effect and a pleasant aroma, will turn a foot bath into a pleasant and healthy SPA procedure.
• A bath with the addition of soda, ammonia and any liquid soap in equal proportions has a softening effect.
• Baking soda and shavings of laundry or tar soap in a ratio of 1:3 perfectly softens even the roughest nails.
• Baths with a decoction of medicinal herbs: chamomile, celandine not only have a softening effect on the nail plates, but also disinfect them and have an antiseptic effect.

The time for bathing procedures is 15-20 minutes, until the water cools completely. During this time, the nails will become soft and can be easily cut off. It is worth noting that it is not recommended to add sea salt to the nail softening bath, as this procedure helps strengthen the nail plate.

Cream for softening toenails

In addition to steaming the nails, there is another effective way to soften the nail plate - using creams and ointments directly on the nails. This method is used for deformed nails affected by a fungal disease or ingrown toenails.

• To soften the nails, use an ointment for corns and calluses, which is applied for 15 minutes and then removed with a cotton pad. After the procedure, the softened nail is easily trimmed.
• Nogtivit cream is intended for painless removal of damaged nails. Nailitis is applied to a deformed nail. A renewed and smooth nail grows in place of the defective nail.

Softening an ingrown toenail

To properly trim an ingrown toenail, you first need to soften it well. To soften such a nail, night compresses from aloe are used. An aloe leaf cut lengthwise is placed on the nail plate and secured with a bandage or adhesive tape. In the morning, after removing the compress, there will be no difficulty in trimming a rough nail plate that has grown into the soft tissue. Vishnevsky ointment is also effective as a compress for ingrown toenails.

To prevent ingrown toenails, it is recommended to do foot baths once a week with the addition of fatty cream, iodine, aloe juice and vinegar in equal proportions. The duration of this procedure is no more than 15 minutes. Soon your nails will become more elastic and smooth.

Softening nails affected by fungus

Nail fungus is an unpleasant disease that requires immediate treatment. Nails affected by fungus should be trimmed very carefully. To soften the nail, use an apple cider vinegar compress. Apply a cotton pad soaked in vinegar to the affected nail and cover it with an adhesive plaster. It is very important that apple cider vinegar does not get on the skin around the problem nail, otherwise it may cause a burn. Keep the compress for no more than two hours.

How to soften hard nails in older people

With age, the condition and appearance of the nail plates change. They become tougher, rougher and acquire a yellowish tint. To soften aging nail plates, foot baths with liquid soap and soda are used, as well as night compresses with aloe or kombucha.

To care for toenails, as well as to soften them, there are a lot of affordable but very effective recipes that allow them to look smooth and well-groomed. By regularly performing the procedures, your nails will shine with beauty and health.