Cuticle Removal

 Quick tips on how to maintain your cuticles at home if you are unable to make it to a nail appointment! 

Why Regular Manicures and Pedicures Should Be Part of Your Self-Care

Self-care is a term we hear a lot, but what does it actually mean? Self-care means taking the time to do things that support your physical and mental health. How can taking care of your hands and feet be good self-care?

If you enjoy giving yourself manicures and pedicures, then you should by all means do them yourself. However, for many of us, trying to make our fingernails and toenails look nice, caring for our cuticles, and smoothing out rough skin isn’t an enjoyable task. We may think of manicures and pedicures as an unnecessary luxury, but in reality, caring for ourselves in small ways like these pays big dividends in our physical and emotional health. Having a manicure and pedicure gives you an opportunity to care for yourself, relax, and take a break from everyday stress.

Having well-groomed nails is, for many of us, a reflection of our personal grooming standards. They are part of how we present ourselves to the world. The color, shape, or artistry involved in how our nails look are all part of our image and have an influence on how others see us.

A manicure is not only an aesthetic service but also a hygienic one. Cleaning your fingernails thoroughly prevents the growth of bacteria. Also, caring for your cuticles can prevent infection. Regular manicures and pedicures reduce the chances of your nails developing fungi and other infections. The exfoliation involved also removes dead skin cells and encourages new cell growth, resulting in stronger and healthier nails over time.

Pedicures do more than make your toenails look pretty! The skin on the balls of the foot and the heels can be rough and callused. Calluses are the result of repetitive pressure or friction. Ill-fitting footwear, going barefoot, or simply walking for long periods of time causes calluses to develop on your feet. These have the potential to become painful, but they can be buffed off or scrubbed away by your nail technician if treated early in their development. Exfoliating, buffing, and moisturizing the feet on a regular basis helps remove dry, hardened skin, and prevent cracks that can bleed or lead to infection.

In the summer, a pedicure is almost a necessity! Sandals, flip-flops, and slides leave our toenails open to full display. Cutting your toenails improperly can lead to the ingrowth of the nail into the skin, necessitating a trip to a podiatrist for treatment. Regular pedicures help keep the toenails short and hygienic. In addition, having well-groomed feet means you can slip on any of these shoes and go about your business with confidence.

Manicures and pedicures also indicate that you prioritize yourself and are investing in your own self-care. Especially if you’ve been dealing with high levels of stress, taking the time to pamper yourself with a manicure and pedicure can significantly lower your stress levels! The massage, relaxing experience, and pampering will help reduce tension and help you relax, boosting your mental health. Source

Nail Shapes Meaning: What Your Nails Say About Your Personality

Nail art has been around for millennia and people have long used polish, decals, and nail decorations as a way to express themselves and their styles. But our nails might actually be saying more about our personality than we even realize. 

You have many different nail shapes to pick from, and the lifestyle you follow and the work you perform can all contribute to the options you pick when it comes to your next manicure. But the styles we gravitate toward can even tell us more than just logistics. Here’s a look at what your preferred nail shape says about your personality. 

Short Nails 

Short nails are really easy to maintain and don’t require a lot of time or resources. Individuals with short nails are often drawn to adventure and spontaneity and can be found trying out new things or learning new skills and hobbies. 

You may paint your nails as a method for self-expression, but you don’t want to worry about the upkeep of long or heavy nails, which is just one of the reasons you keep yours short. 

For all of your adventurous side, there’s a little bit of practicality that helps to keep you grounded to the things that matter most in life. 

Round Nails 

Round nails are still very practical since they don’t require a lot of upkeep, but there’s a little more room to play around with styles and designs since you can keep them longer. People who gravitate toward round nail designs are tons of fun to be around and always very positive and optimistic. They like a good adventure and are willing to try out a new hobby or activity if you offer. In fact, the rounded edge is actually an indication of a person’s pull to the creative spirit.  

Oval Nails 

Oval nails are for the romantics among us. They’re incredibly chic and versatile, which means they can be styled up or down, depending on the day, but they also offer a timeless, classic look that fans of dark academia and cottage core alike are sure to love. 

Whether you’re more likely to be wandering the streets of Paris or picnicking in the French countryside, oval nails give you an air of mystery and romance that matches your independent personality with ease. 

Square Nails 

Square nails mean business. If you have square nails or a variation of square nails, you tend to be very ambitious and driven by your dreams and goals. They’re a practical style that still allows for plenty of opportunity for creativity and design, which is why goal-oriented people are often drawn toward them. 

You’re not afraid to express yourself or your ideas, especially if it helps you to reach your dreams, and your personalized square nails are sure to give you the confidence to help every step of the way. 

Squoval Nails 

Squoval nails are one of the newest trends in nail styles and they take a little of oval nails and a little of square nails to create a look and personality all their own. Oval and square nails are both pretty low maintenance and still offer opportunities for creative expression and personal style, and squoval nails are the same way. 

You’re a take-charge person with focus and determination, but your nail style is trendy and a little bit unique. You blend romance and competence with ease and always impress your friends and family. 

Almond Nails 

Almond nails are incredibly chic, which absolutely reflects the style and personality of the people who wear them. You’re classy, modern, and in touch with the latest trends, but you don’t have to sacrifice your feminine style to get there. 

Your taste is often very elevated and you like staying in the loop on modern events in politics, art, and culture, which makes you everyone’s first stop for the next season’s top picks. No one can guide a dinner party conversation quite like you. 

Flare Nails 

You love making your statement every time you walk into a room. There are a couple of different options when it comes to really bold and unique edges, including flares, which are sometimes called fan nails. 

You also have the lipstick, the edge, duck nails, and a few others. Whichever unique and bold edge draws you in, you’re also about being confident, being capable, and making fashion your own. You tend to reach for bright colors and big ideas, and nothing holds you back from making your own way in the world. You’re an inspiration for your confidence and your passion. 

Ballerina Nails 

Ballerina nails are incredibly elegant and sophisticated, but they require hard work and patience to maintain properly—and you can identify with that. Folks might say you come off as standoffish on occasion, but the truth is that you only let in the people you can trust to protect you and support you. 

Once someone is in your inner circle, you’re loyal to them for life, but if someone breaks your heart, forgiveness will be a long time coming. Ballerina nails are a combination of feminine and powerful, and so are you. 

Coffin Nails 

Coffin nails have a lot of the same beautiful elements and styles as ballerina nails, but there’s a little more playfulness to them. You’re all about creating your own place in the world, but you don’t believe everything has to be serious or scary all the time, either. 

You believe that your work and personality will show your merit, but you’re much more interested in making your friends and family happy and finding joy and humor in all things. Coffin nails are long and offer a lot of opportunities for creative ideas and designs, which you love to share with the world. 

Stiletto Nails 

Stiletto nails are not for the faint of heart. If you love commanding a room and you’re not afraid of anything, then stiletto nails are the way to go. After all, you have quite the dangerous weapon right at the tip of your finger. 

Stiletto nails are bold, daring, and never back down from a challenge, and neither do you. If you like mixing creative talent and skill with determination to succeed, this is the nail that matches your personality. You’re dynamic and passionate at home, at work, and in relationships, and you’re always up for trying the scary thing.

You have many different shape options to pick from, like oval, square, almond, and stiletto, and even combinations of them all. Each variation can provide insight into who you are as a person and what your favorite styles will be. Embrace confidence, power, passion, and a whole lot more when you pick out your favorite nail shapes and designs.  Source

How to Prevent (and Treat!) Ingrown Toenails

One of the more common foot complaints podiatrists see is ingrown toenails, which frequently affect the big toe. They can be painful and definitely can knock the pep out of your step, limiting your ability to accomplish what you need to do. But why do they occur and how can you stop getting nailed with them?

“An ingrown toenail occurs when the sides of a nail grow into the skin surrounding it,” said Joseph Dobrusin, DPM a podiatrist at Banner Health in Arizona. “The skin doesn’t know that the nail belongs to you—all it knows is this is an offending object. This causes an inflammatory response leading to redness, swelling and pain.”

What causes ingrown toenails?

The biggest factor when it comes to ingrown toenails is that they are hereditary, Dr. Dobrusin said. “The shape of people’s nails is a genetic trait, so some people may be genetically predisposed to getting them,” he said.

Another causal factor is improper footwear—meaning socks and shoes that are too tight—which can pinch the toes. Cutting the edges of the nail too short at the corners may also be a contributor. In some cases, trauma to the toes or participating in some stop and go type activities (like basketball or tennis) can put undue pressure on your toes and contribute to toe problems.

While you may have read somewhere that pedicures are to blame, Dr. Dobrusin says nail technicians shouldn’t necessarily be to blame. “In most reputable, clean places, they do a good job of properly cutting nails,” he said. “Just make sure you aren’t having them cut your nails too short.”

Ways to treat ingrown toenails at home

For a mild ingrown toenail, meaning you have some slight tenderness and swelling, sometimes you can use simple home treatments. You can:

• Soak your feet in warm water or apply a warm, moist compress to your offending toe until the nail is flexible (And no, a shower won’t count).
• Dry your feet and between your toes thoroughly to avoid sweat or dampness.
• Place a clean wedge or any straight splitter under the edge of the nail to help lift it up away from the skin. Apply antibiotic ointment to the area when you’re done.
• Wear open-toed shoes or shoes with a large toe box.
• Take OTC pain reliever to help reduce mild tenderness and swelling.

If these steps don’t do the trick, and your toe is red, tender or oozing, this could be a sign of infection and will require a trip to your doctor or podiatrist (foot specialist). You may require an oral antibiotic if you have an infection, and your doctor may need to remove the ingrown part of the toenail with a local anesthetic.

How are recurring ingrown toenails treated?

If you have recurrent ingrown toenails and home remedies aren’t cutting it, your doctor may recommend removing the nail and tissue with a procedure called a chemical matricectomy with phenolization.

“In healthy patients, those with no comorbidities, it’s one of the best and most commonly performed procedures we have—still after 50 years,” Dr. Dobrusin said. “You go into the section of the nail that is causing the problem and take it out and apply 90 percent phenol that causes a chemical burn and prevents the nail from regrowing.”

While it can’t 100 percent guarantee you won’t have any toe problems in the future, it is likely your toe will be much improved.

In medicine, the saying goes, “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” 

Three ways to help prevent ingrown toenails include:

• Use proper nail cutting techniques
• Clip your toenails (straight across and not too short) using toenail clippers, not fingernail clippers or scissors. 
• Avoid ill-fitted shoes AND socks

Wear shoes that fit properly and have a good size toe box that allow your toes to rest flat. And slip on moisture-wicking socks that allow your toes to move around freely.

Check your feet

Don’t forget to check in with your feet on a regular basis for ingrown toenails or other foot problems, especially if you are prone to ingrown nails or have diabetes.

Book an appointment with UpKept today and we would love to help you prevent any ingrown nail issues.

Source

Surprising Things Your Fingernails Can Reveal About Your Health

Your fingernails are good for more than scratching the occasional itch and untangling a tight knot. They can also provide hints to the status of your overall health, through their color, shape and texture.

That’s one reason Jeffrey Linder, M.D., chief of general internal medicine and geriatrics at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, always begins an exam by looking at a patient’s hands. “It gives you a sense of a person’s general health and might give you a hint about what kind of work they do,” he says. “And then looking at the nails, occasionally there are clues to conditions or diseases.”

Before you whip out a magnifying glass and start studying your fingers, know that not all changes to the nail are bad. Some are completely harmless, and others are a normal part of aging or may be a side effect of a medication. “It’s important not to get alarmed if you see something abnormal,” Linder says.

But if you do notice a change and are concerned, it’s worth bringing to the attention of your health care provider, he says, especially if you are experiencing any other symptoms, like fatigue, shortness of breath or belly pain.

Here’s what you should check for the next time you look at your nails.

1. Changes in the lunula

Most nails have a white half-moon shape at the base, just above the cuticle, called a lunula. It’s biggest on the thumbnail and decreases in size as you make your way to the pinkie. And a change in color or size of this feature may indicate an underlying disease, Linder explains.

For example, if the lunula extends almost to the end of the nail, making the majority of the nail white except for a narrow band at the top, it could signal cirrhosis, chronic renal failure or congestive heart failure. This condition, called Terry’s nails, can also be attributed to aging, according to the Mayo Clinic.

Lunulae that have a blueish tint could suggest Wilson’s disease, a rare inherited genetic disorder in which copper accumulates in the liver, brain and other organs. Red lunulae may indicate heart failure, research shows. And in patients with severe kidney disease, it’s not uncommon to see half-and-half nails, where the white from the lunula extends halfway up the nail bed, and the other half of the nail is darker in color, says Richard H. Flowers, M.D., associate professor of dermatology at the University of Virginia.

2. Changes in nail shape and texture

Pitted nails

An abnormal nail shape and nail surface can also signal a health issue. For example, nails that are dimpled or pitted — “like somebody took a pen and just pressed it in and it made an imprint,” Flowers says — can can point to psoriasis, a chronic skin disease. Psoriasis can also cause the nails to loosen and separate from the nail bed, as can thyroid disease.

Spoon nails

Soft nails that look almost as if the center of the nail bed has been scooped out (dubbed spoon nails) can be a sign of an iron issue — either your body isn’t getting enough (iron-deficiency anemia) or it’s storing too much, a condition known as hemochromatosis, according to the Mayo Clinic.

Clubbed nails

A nail that curves around an enlarged fingertip, known as clubbing, may suggest cardiovascular and pulmonary problems. It can also occur alongside gastrointestinal problems.

3. Lines on the nails

Melanoma

If you notice a dark streak that runs the length of the nail, contact your doctor. It could be melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer. While rare, melanomas can appear on or around the fingernail (so be sure to check the skin around your nail, too). And unlike heart disease, kidney disorders and other conditions, melanoma doesn’t usually cause other noticeable symptoms, Flowers says — the color of your nail could be your only clue. “So if you get a solitary new band on a nail, you should definitely see a dermatologist about that,” he adds.

Beau’s lines

If your nails are decorated with an indented horizontal line, that could be a sign that you experienced a serious illness or sustained an injury or shock to your system that caused the nails to temporarily stop growing. These lines, called Beau’s lines, may also be a marker of uncontrolled diabetes or the result of cancer treatment or exposure to cold temperatures in people with Raynaud’s disease, a rare blood vessel disorder.

4. Changes in color

Nails that have a blue hue can signal low levels of oxygen in the blood, Linder says. This condition, called cyanosis, can be caused by many different health issues, including lung problems like pneumonia or asthma, or heart problems, according to the Cleveland Clinic.

Less dire is a yellow discoloration of the nails. This syndrome can appear in patients with chronic bronchitis and other lung diseases. Fungus, as well, can turn the nails yellow, though this is more common in toenails than fingernails, the Mayo Clinic says. And though a nail fungal infection can happen at any age, older adults are more at risk.

If your nails appear white, it could be Terry’s nails (see above) and reflect an issue with the liver, kidney or heart. It could also be an inherited genetic trait.

Thin and brittle nails may just need some TLC

If your nails are thin and brittle, a thyroid disorder may be to blame, or it may be that they just need more moisture.

“We always tell our patients that just like your skin tends to dry and thin and lose its ability to retain moisture, the nails do the same thing,” Flowers says. And, as with the skin, nails can absorb moisture, which is why he recommends rubbing them with Vaseline when they feel dry. “And that can kind of help prevent some of the cracking and splitting” from normal wear and tear, he says.

Wearing gloves when you do the dishes or clean with chemicals can also prevent nails from becoming brittle. Another way to keep them in top shape is by eating a well-balanced diet.

One thing Flowers doesn’t recommend is the nutritional supplement biotin, which is often touted for its ability to strengthen frail nails. Flowers argues that there’s not much evidence to indicate it helps. And taking it in supplement form can “significantly interfere with certain lab tests and cause incorrect results that may go undetected,” the Food and Drug Administration notes in an advisory to the public — including tests that diagnose heart attacks. It’s always best to consult a doctor before adding any new over-the-counter drug or supplement into the mix. Source

Happy Memorial Day

 

“One flag, one land, one heart, one hand, one Nation, evermore!” — Oliver Wendell Holmes

OPI Stars N Stripes Nail Look

 

 

Get ready to feel the patriotic spirit with this iconic red, white and blue look from OPI.