How can I soften my toenails to make cutting easier?

Human hands are almost always in sight, so caring for them has become a daily habit of both women and men. The same cannot be said for the legs, which are hidden by boots or socks for most of the year. Nevertheless, regular haircuts and maintenance of the nail plate affect not only the beauty, but also the health of the toes. The difficulty is that at the bottom, the nails themselves are denser than those on the fingers, and it is not so easy to cut them off with ordinary nail scissors. In addition, in many people, especially with age, there is an increasing thickening of the nail plate. Even nippers do not take such a dense layer the first time, and in order to make even the simplest pedicure, you will have to soften them in a bath or with the help of special tools.

Hard and stiff nails give a person great inconvenience. In addition to the fact that it is impossible to calmly cut them off, they often change color, darken and grow into the skin. With such nails it is impossible to choose comfortable shoes, calmly take off your shoes at a party, and besides, often with a change in the nail plate comes not just discomfort, but real pain. There may be several reasons for this.

• Shoes are out of size. Very often, in pursuit of beauty or economy, men and women buy shoes and boots that are not suitable for the length and thickness of their feet. With prolonged wear of such shoes, constant and strong pressure is exerted on the tips of the fingers and nails.This leads to deformation of both the plates themselves and the entire foot, which is very harmful to the human skeleton. Experts always recommend purchasing such shoes in which the foot will feel free.

• Improper cutting and processing. To prevent the nail from hardening and growing into the sides of the finger, it is necessary to properly cut and file it. Do not round the edge or trim it too short. The edge should be flat and about 0.5-1 mm long.
• Lack of hygiene. There are many sweat glands on the soles of the feet that work around the clock. Especially often feet sweat in shoes made of artificial materials or synthetic socks. To avoid health problems, you need to regularly wash them and treat them with a pumice stone.
• Injuries. Very often, the nail is bent and compacted as a result of being injured. In this case, you need to consult a doctor and get his recommendations on how to eliminate the consequences of such an injury and correct correction of the nail plate.

• Diseases. If the nails suddenly become thick, growths or yellow plaque appear on them, this can signal problems inside the human body. These can be strong endocrine changes, problems with the cardiovascular system, vitamin deficiency. Often liver or kidney problems can lead to these results. And the most common disease is a common fungus.
• Heredity. Very often, nails grow rough and grow in those people whose parents or grandparents suffered from the same problem. One of the main recommendations for such men and women is especially careful care and proper pruning. If the nail has already grown into the soft tissue strongly enough, all that remains is to turn to a good surgeon who can remove the edge of the nail or even remove the entire nail plate.
• Age-related changes. Unfortunately, after 40-45 years, the entire human body undergoes significant changes. This affects both internal and external organs. Very often, thickening of the nails in women occurs during menopause. This does not work in a natural way, so you will have to deal with this situation by various means.

Coarse nails need to be cared for, but even minimal treatment takes a lot of effort. Before you start trimming and filing your nails, you need to soften them. This can be done in several ways.

The easiest but most effective way is to quickly steam your foot in hot water. Together with the skin, the nail plate is also saturated with hot water, due to which it will become softer and more pliable. The procedure will require 10-15 minutes of free time and water of such a temperature that the skin can withstand. You can soak your feet in this way in an ordinary bowl of hot water, or you can add various components to the liquid that enhance the effect. Essential oils of tea tree, lavender or rosemary can be used as such additives. To do this, it is enough to add 10-15 drops of oil to the basin and, in addition to softening the desired areas, you can get a good aromatherapy session in your own bedroom.

Instead of adding oils, you can prepare a decoction with various medicinal plants. Chamomile will relieve inflammation, celandine will help in the fight against warts, and oak bark will relieve excessive sweating of the feet. To prepare the broth, you will need 5-10 tablespoons of a dry plant and 1.5 liters of boiling water. After the boiling water has cooled to an acceptable temperature, you need to lower your feet into the basin for 15-20 minutes or until the liquid has completely cooled down.

One of the most convenient compresses is a gauze bandage with a piece of peeled aloe leaf. It must be applied to the problem area, covered with plastic wrap and wrapped with a bandage or gauze. Aloe is left on the foot all night, and in the morning the nail can be easily cut off with ordinary scissors. In addition to aloe, a small piece of kombucha or a cotton pad dipped in a 9% acetic acid solution can also help. It is important to remember that vinegar can burn the skin, so it is not recommended to leave such a compress on the leg for more than 3 hours.

Ointments and creams, which can be bought at any pharmacy, are capable of helping to trim hardened nails. They do not require a prescription from your doctor, and the pharmacist will be able to advise you on several options. The main thing that needs to be done with such treatment is to follow the instructions included in the package of the drug.

The oldest, but not lost popularity to this day, medicine for treating the nail plate is Vishnevsky's ordinary ointment. For a stronger effect, it is not enough just to spread it on the nail, it is best to apply it on a piece of bandage or a cotton pad and make a compress overnight.

Modern drugs act much faster and are able to soften even the hardest nail in a time from a few minutes to a couple of hours. These are drugs called Scholl, Nogtevit or Uroderm. In addition, ichthyol or salicylic ointments can also help in solving the problem.

Separately, it is worth talking about the softening of the nail with a fungal disease. The first signs of a fungus are a yellow tint, flaking and a wavy shape of the nail. Over time, this nail begins to crumble and infect the adjacent fingers. As soon as the first signs of infection appear, treatment must be started. You can contact a specialist for this or purchase antifungal drugs yourself. It is impossible to cut sore nails without pretreatment with drugs. This can contribute to cracks, abscesses, and infection.

You can find many antifungal drugs in the pharmacy. The Kanespor set and Exoderil ointment received the best reviews. In addition, 5% salicylic ointment and a special varnish "Lotseril" can help in the fight against the fungus.

Sometimes it happens that there is no way to go to a pharmacy or a store, and the nails need to be softened for a haircut. In this case, you can use some recipes of traditional medicine and make a special foot bath or prepare a special ointment.

For such a bath, you only need 3 ingredients:

• 2 liters of water;
• 2 teaspoons of laundry soap, grated on a fine grater;
• 6 teaspoons of baking soda.

The water is brought to a boil and cooled to an acceptable temperature. Soap shavings and soda are poured into it, thoroughly stirred and dissolved. You need to keep your legs in such a bath for 15-20 minutes, then wipe dry with a towel and start cutting.

A two-hour compress with vinegar will cut a toenail even for a very elderly person. To do this, it is enough to moisten a cotton pad with it and apply it to the damaged area. A cling film is wound on top and a sock is put on. After a pedicure, it is imperative to lubricate the area of ​​the skin with a nourishing cream to which cotton wool soaked in vinegar was applied. This is necessary so that the skin does not dry out and does not cause burns or peeling.

If there is only an hour in stock, and a hot water bath does not help, then you can use a simple recipe for a softening ointment made from natural ingredients:

• honey;
• vegetable oil (olive oil is best, but sunflower oil is also possible);
• lemon juice;
• sour cream.

All products are taken in equal parts, mixed thoroughly and applied to the nails. There is no need to wrap them in foil, but you can do this to enhance the effect. After 30 minutes, the ointment is washed off and the nails are clipped without much effort. It is possible to prepare such an effective home remedy in advance, but even in the refrigerator, it only lasts a couple of days.

Treatment of the nail plate can be time-consuming and costly. It is best to avoid this problem rather than fix it. To keep your nails healthy and well-groomed, it is enough to follow a few rules.

• Regular hygiene procedures and care. It is necessary to wash the feet daily, and the nail plate must be trimmed at least once every 1-2 weeks (depending on the growth rate). After water procedures, thoroughly dry or wipe the skin, especially the space between the fingers. Do not cut your nails too short, file them around the circumference and ignore the first signs of fungus or ingrown toenails. If possible, once every 2-3 months, do a pedicure in a proven salon.

• Purchase and wear shoes of the correct size. Walk carefully in open shoes and try to avoid injuries to your toes. If possible, buy shoes made from natural materials, in which the foot sweats less.
• Always wear shoes in public places. On the beach, pool or sauna, you should wear light flip flops or disposable slippers so that your foot does not touch the dirty floor or wet sand.

Subject to these rules, even age-related changes will not lead the appearance and health of the nail plate to a depressing state. On healthy nails, I want to apply beautiful varnishes and wear open shoes, because others will be able to appreciate their beauty.

For information on how to soften toenails at home, see the next video.