‘Onychomycosis’ is a common nail fungus problem, usually not related to poor hygiene!

‘Onychomycosis’ is the medical term for nail fungus – which is usually the result of a living organism that thrives in dark, damp environments such as under and around nails. This nail disease is commonly misunderstood: it is usually NOT related to poor hygiene! Fungal infections are very common on both fingernails and toenails. Toenails are more likely to be affected by onychomycosis since it is attracted to a dark and damp environment which is more common on the foot than on the hand. A common cause of ‘onychomycosis’ in the fingernails is… artificial nails!! SOME STATISTICS ON ONYCHOMYCOSIS: “Up to 50% of people over the age of 50 have a nail fungus infection to some degree. Approximately 10% of worldwide population suffers from onychomycosis. The prevalence of childhood onychomycosis is estimated 0.2%. The typical age range for onychomycosis in children is 6-14 years of age.” This disease is commonly misunderstood and left untreated for various reasons. nail fungus, in particular, is notoriously difficult to treat. Onychomycosis is usually a chronic condition that progresses to involve more of the nail and other toes. Even if you lose the affected nail, the nail that grows back is usually also still affected by the fungus. RESULTS OF TREATMENT ARE USUALLY POOR: There are some internal medications available by prescription that help fight onychomycosis, but they can have severe side effects such as upset stomach, headaches and liver damages. Also mixing these drugs with other medications can be extremely dangerous. Not to mention the cost. Some of the nail fungus prescription medications can cost well over $1000 by the time treatment is complete. Studies show that there is only 35-50% complete cure rate after 72 weeks of using these prescription medications as a nail fungus cure. Topical medications are helpful in treating early small infections. They just aren’t capable of penetrating the nail to reach all of the fungi, so most prove unsatisfactory as a nail fungus cure. SUGGESTION FOR FURTHER READING: • Onychomycosis in fingernails is often due to artificial nails! • Onychomycosis in the hands of children! • Onycholysis – when fingernails turn white or yellow at the distal part of the nail plate

Dr. Daryl K. Hoffman presents TOP 10 Skin & fingernail tips for men!

Men’s nails generally grow faster than women’s nails and tend to be stronger. However, their increased surface area makes them prone to trauma from bumps and bangs. Because lot’s of men never really learned how to use their hands and fingernails Dr. Daryl K. Hoffman (US plastic surgeon) compiled a TOP 10 of skin & fingernail tips – for men only! THE TOP 10 SKIN & FINGERNAIL TIPS FOR MEN! - 1 - “Do not bite your fingernails. Fingernail biting can break the skin, spread germs to your mouth and hands, and lead to infections. Trim nails with a nail clipper, instead!” - 2 - “Apply sunscreen everyday, especially if you work outdoors. Sunscreen will protect you from UV rays, that will age and weather your skin, and can lessen the harsh effect of the wind on your face!” - 3 - “Use moisturizer after shaving. This will soothe and smooth out your skin!” - 4 - “If you are losing your hair, opt for a shorter haircut. Going short can disguise balding, and makes you look much younger than the old-fashioned comb-over!” - 5 - “Make sure your face is clean. Men’s skin is about 15% oilier than women’s, and has larger pores. This means it is even more important to wash your face everyday. Stay away from harsh scrubs and scented soaps as they might irritate your skin!” - 6 - “Use a skin toner, like aftershave lotion, to reduce the size of your pores. This will help keep your skin looking younger and healthier!” - 7 - “Antioxidants are great for your skin. You do not need to get them from supplements; eating fruits and vegetables, like oranges and spinach, everyday will help reduce signs of aging!” - 8 - “Exfoliating once a week will minimize ingrown hairs, rid you of dead skin cells, and help give your face a cleaner, fresher look!” - 9 - “Do not forget about your lips. Use a lip balm with at least SPF 15 to protect them from sun-damaging, drying out, and cracking!” - 10 - “Drink eight glasses of water everyday. It is the best way to keep the skin all over your body hydrated!” Dr. Hoffman is a Stanford University trained certified plastic surgeon – accridited by the American Board of Plastic Surgery. Dr. Hoffman utilizes the latest advances in cosmetic procedures to help people achieve their body care goals. Dr. Hoffman is committed to providing his clients with personalized care in a warm atmosphere with the highest regard for quality and medical safety. SUGGESTION FOR FURTHER READING: • Hands, skin & fingernails: an encyclopedia! • The basics of medical hand analysis! • Your health is in your hands! • 10 Tips for women: how to grow beautiful fingernails!

Drug addicted Amy Winehouse hurt her finger – a clear example of paronychia!

Since 2007 Amy Winehouse’s problems with drug and alcohol addiction, as well as self-destructive behaviour, became regular tabloid news. An early example of the many physical injuries was the ‘paronychia’ on her right hand middle finger which was spotted in september 2007: The Guardian reported: “Amy Winehouse has hurt her finger. That’s the news this morning. How she did it, nobody knows, though surely it won’t be long before some news organisation suggests contacting the Portuguese police about it. All we can tell you is this: La Winehouse’s right middle finger is swollen above the top knuck and has turned the colour of a red Skittle. There also appears to be a little problem around the cuticle area, with a certain unevenness apparent in the pics posted by both Vicky Newton and 3am this morning of the singer attending a performance of the popular musical Chicago. Though the reason for the injury is unknown, speculation is rife. Vick, using her fabled gothic humour, posits: “I’ve narrowed it down to stabbing it with a hairpin putting up her beehive or burning it lighting a fag.” Others have suggested that she has, innocently, contracted some kind of fungal infection. But, whatever the cause, the big question remains: what does it all mean? And the even bigger question, too: why bother publishing the photo in the first place? The answers to these questions are: don’t know and, also, really don’t know. We just thought you would want to know about it. That’s all.” In 2008, Winehouse faced a series of health complications that threatened both her career and her life. In 2009 the UK singer returned occasionally on the stage and announced working on new music projects, while her problems continued (in june her father said in an interview that she was in a drug replacement programme and in september media reported that she has started a dental dental reconstruction to improve her teeth after her battle against dring and drugs). SUGGESTION FOR FURTHER READING: • The paronychia nail disorder can be treated with self care at home! • Common disorders in the fingernail & toe nail! • Paronychia, a disorder at the cuticle or nail fold • More reports about the fingernails of celebrities

Paronychia = a bacterial infection/inflammation fingernail disorder at the cuticle or nail fold!

FINGERNAIL DISORDERS: Paronychia

What is paronychia? Paronychia concerns a bacterial infection of the skin (cuticle or lateral fingernail fold) surrounding the fingernail or toenail – often caused by an ingrown nail. Along with gradual thickening + browning discoloration of the nail plate, pus is usually present under the skin. What causes paronychia? Regarding the cause of paronychia, the two most common causes are: • Pyogenic paronychia = inflammation of the folds of skin surrounding the nail caused by bacteria (NOTICE: acute paronychia is usually a pyogenic paronychia); • Candidal paronychia = inflammation of the nail fold produced by Candida albicans (NOTICE: chronic paronychia is often a candidal paronychia); • Runaround paronychia = inflammation around the entire nail. What is the right treatment for paronychia? In mild cases, an acute paronychia may disappear within a few days. A painful paronychia can be treated with self care at home (including: warm soaks, draining of pus). Severe cases of acute paronychia – should be treated with antibiotics (consultation with your doctor/general practitioner is then recommended). MORE DETAILS ABOUT THE TREATMENT OF THIS FINGERNAIL DISORDER: How to treat a paronychia nail disorder?

PHOTO – An example of a severce case of paronychia:

SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER READING:
• The FINGERNAIL TUTOR: an online nail disorder identification tool!
• 4 Common nail diseases!
• Koilonychia – causes + treatment of the ‘spoon nail’
• Leukonychia – having ‘white spots’ on your fingernails (white nails)

Megan Fox has a clubbed thumb, Hrithik Roshan has a double thumb – not a clubbing fingernail!

Megan Fox has clubbed thumb & Hrithik Roshan has a double thumb – not to be confussed with a ‘clubbing fingernail’! Earlier this summer Megan Fox’s right thumb became news after new photos of her indicated that the beauty has a rather misshapen thumb – which by the way had been observed as early as 2007 already. While scientists have described that thumb length has played a major role in the evolution of human kind, what do we really know about this rather remarkable type of thumb abnormality? Having your thumb in the form of a club, which is called brachydactyly – type D (BDD), which is a minor affliction that can be found in 1 out of every 1,000 people. Local hand surgeons know everything about it there is to know. Dr. Steven Bendner, a leading hand surgery expert at Beth Israel Medical Center, explains that the case of the thumb that looks a bit flattened and therefore shorter, is often a peculiarity that comes down in the family: “The nail of the thumb in this condition is often very short and wide. It is usually hereditary, although it could also have been caused by frostbite, or it could have been an injury to the growth plate in childhood. While one is young, the thumb often looks more or less ordinary, but with the passing of time its shortened condition begins to stand out more and more.” So, contrary to ‘fingernail clubbing‘ (a nail disorder which is associated with various medical problems – often related to lungs), a ‘clubbed thumb’ is usually nothing to worry about at all! Dr. Richard Kim, director of congenital hand surgery at Hackensack Medical Center, warns us not to play down the importance of the thumb.: “You need it to be able to touch the other fingers and it is important for pinching. In Megan Fox’s case, it appears that only the last bone of the thumb is affected and that it does not involve the joint. For her, it looks like it’s just a cosmetic deficit.” Hopefully, knowing about Megan Fox’s little imperfection will help other people to realize that – when not overplayed by the owner – a small cosmetic defect might only add to the charms of a person. Now, maybe you would like to hear more about the ‘double thumb’ (in his case a combination of ‘polydactyly‘ & ‘syndactyly‘) of the famous Indian Bollywood actor Hrithik Roshan??? SUGGESTION FOR FURTHER READING: • Fingernail clubbing might signal various medical problems! • An ‘Ode to the thumb’ – by French sculptor César Baldaccini! • Join the brachydactyly type D Facebook club! • Brachydactyly: a club for people with club thumbs

Long dangerous celebrity fingernails often become dangerious weapons!

Quite a few singers and celebrity actors have what’s called ‘long dangerous fingernails’. There are many story about how they hurt themselves… and others! There are many automutilation stories about celebrity women hurting themselves. But in quite some of them the hurt was the result of having long fingernails! For example, Beyonce and Jennifer Lopez have scratched their skin while rehearsing a song – and in Jennifer’s case on the set of a movie. By the way, their fingernails were not as long as the length of the ones in the pictures above on the right. But these pictures do illustrate that having extremely long fingernails – is sort of a ‘madness’. Ladies please don’t grow your nails out this long unless you are getting paid from publicity!! A recent example of fingernails becoming ‘dangerious weapons’ is – ‘surprise, surprise…’ Naomi Campbell (see the photo below). The famous ‘catwalk queen’ was rumoured of getting her temper get the best of her again: “While on vacation in Lipari, Sicily on the yacht of Russian billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov, the supermodel is rumored to have scratched paparazzo Gaetano Di Giovanni’s face and then clocked him with her purse.” “Di Giovanni claims that her nails did some serious damage to his left eye, according to the Italian newspaper La Republica.” READ MORE: • Lee Redmond honoured by Guinness World Record for her long fingernails! • A fingernail product search page! • What you should know about artificial nails • Beyonce, Heidi Klum & Victoria Beckham have ‘Minx nails’ Naomi Campbell’s fingernails:

Is your fingernail turning white or yellow at the distal part – it could be nail onycholysis!

FINGERNAIL DISORDERS: Onycholysis

What is onycholysis? Onycholysis concerns the (painless) loosening of the nail plate from the nail bed. This nail condition is usually featured with a changing color in the distal part of fingernail – often turning whitish (white nails) or yellowish (yellow nails), reflecting the presence of air under the fingernail plate. What causes onycholysis? Onycholysis is often a harmless nail condition caused by a nail trauma/injury – in general you can reduce the risk for having this nail condition by keeping your nails short (and dry)! Less common causes of onycholysis are: • Skin conditions, such as psoriasis or lichen planus; • Medical conditions, such as thyroid dysfunction; • Fungal infections; • Side-effects of medication; • Adverse effects of chemicals, such as nail polish remover; • Prolonged immersion in water. What is the treatment for onycholysis? The treatment for onlycholysis is simple when caused by a nail trauma/injury: trim the nail short, do not clean under the nail, and be patient. It generally takes 2 to 3 months to clear up. In other cases you must try to ‘tackle’ the cause. THE TREATMENT OF THIS FINGERNAIL DISORDER: Onycholysis – also known as a ‘loosening nail plate’

PHOTO – An example of ‘onycholysis’ featured with various colors:

SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER READING:
• Find the cause of your nail problem in 3 steps!
• Common disorders in the fingernail & toe nail!
• Koilonychia – causes + treatment of the ‘spoon nail’
• Leukonychia – having ‘white spots’ on your fingernails (white nails)

World Guinness Records honours Lee Redmond’s record (female) “longest fingernails!”

Guinness World Records honours Lee Redmond’s record: ‘longest female fingernails!’ Earlier this year (februari) Lee Redmond became world news after a car crash which resulted in the loss of her Guinness World Record longest fingernails. This week Guinness World Records announced that due to the popularity of Lee Redmond’s Guinness World Record, her (former) ‘fingernail life-work’ will be honoured in the 2010 ‘The Book of the Decade’! But the best part of the Guinness report is that six months after the car accident mrs. Redmond is doing just fine! In an interview with Guinness World Records she described: “Losing my fingernails has been the most dramatic thing that’s happened in my life. I think it was my grandson that said, ‘Grandma, they are like your baby; you’ve taken care of them for 30 years and lost them in a second’.” “The thing that bothered me with losing the fingernails was that it becomes your identity and I felt like I’d lost part of that. Yet I would always say when people would make comments about my fingernails, you know there’s more to me than my fingernails.” The 68-year-old Lee Redmond, of Salt Lake City, Utah, admitted that it had become much easier to get around since she was robbed of her record-breaking assets. By the way… last month a British research reveals that a humidity of 55% is perfect for growing strong, lengthy fingernails. Interestingly, the average relative humidity in Lee Redmond’s residence – Salt Lake City – is reported to be: ’67% in the morning, 43% in the afternoon’: which results in an average of 55% – an exact copy of the percentage reported by British researchers! Coincidence? (Discover more of the details below!) SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER READING: • The full story about Lee Redmond’s world record fingernails! • How to grow long, strong fingernails & avoid brittle nails! • Fingernail quality depends on humidity & climate! Lee Redmond’s (female) world record fingernails some time before the car crash – 8.65m long [28-ft 4-in]: Lee Redmond six months after losing her world record fingernails in a car crash:

Beyonce’s Minx Fingernails – a new ‘blingtastic’ trend in fashion!

Did you notice Beyonce’s cyborg arm in her video clip ‘Single Ladies’? Well, her ‘blingtastic’ fingernails are ‘Minx Nails’ – which could become the hottest creation to grace the world of fingernails in quite a long time! A few facts about Minx Nails: • Minx Nail were introduced at january 11, 2008 by Minx; • You can get ‘Minxed’ at 67+ salons and Spas around the world; • A Minx Nail design may cost up to anywhere between $55 and $80. What is a ‘Minx’? Minx Inc. describes a ‘Minx’ as follows: “In our definition, a Minx is a sexy, confident, naughty but fun individual who lives every day like it is a big, ripe juicy apple ready to be bitten. We’ve channeled this cool factor into Minx, a new and glamorous way that lets women (and men!) extend fashion to their very fingertips.” Minx is for those who love to stand out from the crowd. So it’s not really surprizing that many other celebrities (including: Rhianna, Victoria Beckham, Leighton Meester, Heidi Klum, Megan Fox, Liv Tyl) have joind Beyonce with the use of Minx Fingernails – which is now a.k.a. ‘the celebrity manicure’. READ MORE: • Japanese nail art! • The basics of nail art designs • Famous hands: the hand of celebrities • Minx: a latest trend in fashion • More fingernail art More examples of Minx Nails:

10 Tips for growing beautiful fingernails!

If you’re female long fingernails enhance your appeal! People recognize long fingernails as a sign of beauty and vitality and many feel that long finger nails are sexy as well. But most important is that your fingernails should be kept hygenically wisely. So, before you start any experiment with your fingernails, you should know what might not be best for your nails’ health. Polished fingernails might help your looks, but actually the process will make the nails become thinner and fragile. In short: when it comes to the health of your finger nails, you should always try to take deep care!!

Msn lifestyle recommends only 4 tools that benefit the health of your fingernails: the nail brush, a nail file, a moisturiser, and strengthening products. - Tip 1 - “Be careful when trimming or filing them. When your nails get damaged, you’ll have to wait for months before you can re-grow regular nails again. A nail drill can file your nails faster than the typical nail file but they can also damage your cuticles.” - Tip 2 - “Make sure you are checking the length of your nails. As much as you want to look like those sexy nail care models, you also don’t want your nails to break or crack.” - Tip 3 - “Clean them regularly. Often this can be accomplished by washing your hands. After doing any work that involves dirt getting under your nails, be sure to clean them as soon possible by using a nail brush dipped into soap and water and gently scrubbing under and on top of your nails.” - Tip 4 - “Avoid nail biting by rubbing something bad tasting on them to help prevent you from biting, like mustard or nail polish.” - Tip 5 - “The most important mineral for your nails is Silicon. A good herbal combination for you nails is horsetail, rosemary, hyssop, aloe vera(juice), ginkgo biloba and kelp. Other nutrients that are important for healthy nails are Zinc, vitamin E, C and calcium/magnesium with vitamin D.” - Tip 6 - “Drink lots of water. This will keep your hands, cuticles, and fingernails hydrated. Fingernails absorb water 100 time faster than skin, so they lose water just as fast.” - Tip 7 - “Let your nails breathe. If you wear nail polish a lot, it doesn’t allow for your nails to breathe. So for a few days a week, get rid of the nail polish.” - Tip 8 - “Find a good moisturizer for your nails. This goes along with keeping your nails hydrated. Not only does it work on your cuticles, but your nails too.” - Tip 9 - “Stop cutting your nails. When you use a fingernail clipper, it causes tiny fracture in your nails that make your fingernails more prone to chipping and peeling. Instead, file your nails down. Filing once a week should keep them down nicely. Of course if your nail tears, cutting it down until there’s no tear is needed.” - Tip 10 - “Cut your nails while they are wet if you must cut them. This will make breakage and damage less of a problem.” SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER READING: • Popular nail products! • The medical cause of brittle fingernails • Find the cause of your nail disorder in 3 steps!