Funny
looking nails.
Nails grow at an average
rate of 3 millimetres a month. Fingernails require 3 to
6 months to regrow completely. Toenails require 12 to
18 months. Actual growth rate is dependent upon age, season,
exercise level, and hereditary factors. Contrary to popular
belief, nails do not continue to grow after death; the
skin dehydrates and tightens, making the nails (and hair)
appear to grow.
This growth record can show the history of recent health
and physiological imbalances, and has been used as a diagnostic
tool since ancient times. Major illness will cause a deep
groove to form across the nails. Discoloration, thinning,
thickening, brittleness, splitting, grooves, Mees' lines,
small white spots, receded lunula, clubbing (convex),
flatness, spooning (concave) can indicate illness in other
areas of the body, nutrient deficiencies, drug reaction
or poisoning, or merely local injury. Nails can also become
thickened (onychogryphosis), loosened (onycholysis), infected
with fungus (onychomycosis) or degenerative (onychodystrophy);
for further information see nail diseases.
Nails can dry out, just like skin. They can also be infected:
toe infections, for instance, can be caused or exacerbated
by dirty socks, specific types of aggressive exercise,
tight footwear and walking unprotected in an unclean environment.
Manicures and pedicures are health and cosmetic procedures
to groom, trim, and paint the nails and manage callouses.
They require various tools such as cuticle scissors, nail
scissors, nail clippers, and nail files.
Nail tools used by different people may transmit infections.
Regarding nail tools such as files, "If they're used
on different people, these tools may spread nail fungi,
staph bacteria or viruses", warns Rick Lopes, a spokesperson
for the California Board of Barbering and Cosmetology.
In fact, over 100 bacterial skin infections in 2000 were
traced to footbaths in nail salons. To avoid this, new
improved contactless tools can be used, for example, gel
and cream cuticle removers instead of cuticle scissors... |
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