Our nails and Health

Our nails are made of a protein called Keratin.  Keratin protects our nails from damage by making them strong and resilient.  It aids in the formation of skin, hair, and the nail’s outer layer (epidermis).  Keratin is a strong structural fibrous protein also known as an Alpha-keratin or scleroprotein making it resilient to diluted acids, alkalines, solvents or waters.  Your body has many chemicals in it, and none of them affect keratin.  As a result, many people think that keratin treatments are good for their skin, nails, and hair.

Look at your nails closely.  Do they appear to be robust and healthy?  Or do you see any ridges, dents, or regions that are an odd hue or shape?  Through proper care, many undesirable conditions can be avoided.  Others might show an underlying condition that needs attention.

There are numerous options for getting healthy looking nails.  As an aside people also select options such as powder dip polish, gel polish, and classic polish.

However, nails need oxygen.  At the Chelsea clinic we recommend that we go polish-free in order to allow them to better fight infection and preventing them from becoming too dry.  It is also better for the varnishes to grow out before our next application.  The market now offers many vegan and breathable polish variations which is great news.

Side Effects of Gel Nail Polish

Did you know that having gel polish frequently has side effects such as:

• exposure to UV light
• Removal process of gel polish can be destructive to nails. Removal involves soaking in acetone, and aggressive buffing, scraping, and peeling of polish, which can injure the nail plate.
• Long-term use of gel polish can cause them to become very brittle and dry.

What happens to our nails as we age?

The nails change with aging, growing more slowly, and becoming dull and brittle.  The color may change from translucent to yellowed and opaque.  Nails, especially toenails, may become hard and thick and ingrown toenails may be more common.  The tips of the fingernails may fragment.

Your nails give you a picture of your overall health.  A medical issue, inadequate nutrition, or too much stress may all have symptoms that include changes in their color or an interruption in their growth.  If you’re concerned about recent changes to your nails, talk to your podiatrist.

Are you suffering from any condition?  At The Chelsea Clinic, we can help.  One of our podiatrist can assist and then recommend what treatments are best to get you back on track. Podiatrist South Kensington

Schedule an appointment here or you may call us at +44 (0) 207 101 4000. 

We hope you have a feetastic day!

-The Chelsea Clinic and Team

Learn more about some of the common nail conditions