Dry Cuticles

The condition of dry cuticles, more than being a health concern, is a cosmetic worry for most people, especially women.
The worst time of the year which makes the nails go dry and cracked is winter. This is the time when you must take utmost care of your nails, if you wish to keep them looking beautiful and healthy. The condition of dry cuticles, not only indicates the effects of the harsh winter, but it may also be a sign of poor health. And in fact, most people with poor health always have nail problems of some kind or the other. If your cuticles are going dry due to environmental conditions, then following a few self-care measures is good enough to deal with the problem. However, if there is any underlying medical condition as an offender, then medical treatment cannot be evaded.

How to Treat Dry Cuticles at Home

You can always go for medical preparations to take care of the problem, however, if using some simple home remedies does the trick, then why shell out money.

• If you love long nails, then you may have to give it up, if you have this condition. The thumb rule is, the shorter the nails, the lesser the problems
• One of the causes of dry cuticles is lack of moisture. Due to obvious reasons, nails do not have the ability to hold moisture. One effective home remedy is to soak your hands in warm water mixed with apple cider vinegar. Soak for about 10 minutes, and once you are done, dry them properly, and apply a moisturizer. For better results, it is a good idea to file back the dry cuticles, before you soak your hands
• Keep your nails from getting exposed to water for prolonged period, or other conditions which would make them moist. This is due to the fact that moist conditions may give rise infected cuticles, which might make the condition worse
• Most people have benefited from using concentrated essential orange oil to manage the problem
• Make a mix of tea tree and aloe oil, and apply it onto the affected area. The tea tree oil would help prevent any further damage, and the other oil would keep the nails moisturized.
• Never bother hangnails by breaking them or tearing them off. Doing this would be a direct invitation to bacterial infection. Simply clip the dry part of the hangnail and apply an over-the-counter antibiotic
• The less you make use of nail cosmetics like sculptured nails, fingernail polishes, or nail hardeners, the lesser would be problems like dry cuticles
• As I have mentioned, nails are one of the prime indicators of the health of an individual. So, a diet that is balanced would definitely help in preventing such problems from the inside. Include foods rich in vitamin C, antioxidants, and other nutrients

The condition of dry cuticles should not be taken as only a cosmetic issue, as it tells you much more about your health. If after using all such remedies, the condition does not resolve, then you may want to visit a doctor. You never know what the real underlying cause might be. So the sooner you detect it, the better it is, not only for your nails, but your overall health as well.
Also looking for Cuticle Infection, Vertical Fingernail Ridges, Causes of Peeling Fingernails, Causes of Weak Nails, Causes of Fingernail Ridges, What Causes Fingernail Problems, Vitamins for Healthy Fingernails, Fingernail Problems, Fingernail Problems in Children, Fingernail Pain, Fingernail Polish Remover