Why are there burrs on my fingers? How to remove them quickly and painlessly? How to prevent further appearance?
A burr is the very little thing that can ruin both your mood and your appearance, and with special bad luck, even your well-being. Therefore, the methods of painless and reliable disposal of dry skin patches on the fingers are always relevant for everyone, because every person comes across this nuisance from time to time.
What are burrs?
Photo of burrs on a finger
Surely you yourself have repeatedly observed burrs on your fingers and toes and you know that this is what they call the cracked and exfoliated skin of the rollers on the sides of the nail bed. It looks so not aesthetically pleasing that even the most expensive manicure does not save the situation, and besides, it causes constant discomfort. It is worth the brazenly protruding skin to catch on clothes or hair, and painful sensations are provided.
Despite the seeming harmlessness, in some cases an annoying little thing can turn into a source of serious problems, of which the smallest will be inflammation at the site of a miniature wound. It happens that a neglected burr becomes a real gateway to the bloodstream for harmful microorganisms: staphylococcus, streptococcus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and some others.
Of course, the habit of keeping your hands clean and familiarity with antibacterial soaps greatly reduces the likelihood of infection. But healthy skin is much more reliable protection for your hands, so it is better to get rid of burrs right away. But first it is worth finding out why burrs appear.
Our hands are full of enemies: external circumstances, internal factors. To be honest, even we ourselves often do everything to harm them: we work around the house without gloves, make snowballs with our bare hands, we are too lazy to grab the file in time, bite our nails with excitement … There are plenty of reasons why there are burrs on our fingers and toes.
Internal:
- dehydration of the body;
- lack of vitamins and minerals in the diet, especially A, E and B;
- some diseases of the digestive tract;
- problems with the functioning of the liver and kidneys;
- diabetes.
External:
- violation of the technology of edged manicure;
- the use of low-quality materials for nail extension;
- the habit of nibbling at the burrs on your fingers instead of gently removing them;
- regular contact of unprotected skin with household chemicals;
- refusal of gloves during the cold season;
- neglect of moisturizing cream.
If none of the external reasons are suitable for your situation, and burrs persistently continue to appear, it makes sense to visit a doctor and undergo an examination. There is a chance that the unattractive appearance of the skin on your fingers will be an SOS signal for your body, which is struggling with some ailment. Having found out why burrs appear, you will be able to catch an ailment at the initial stage and put in order not only your hands, but also your health.
How to remove burrs in the salon?
As practice shows, the most common reason for the appearance of burrs is improper care. It is logical that the easiest way to deal with it is by entrusting your fingers to professionals.
What services will be offered to you in the beauty salon in the first place:
- Spa manicure or pedicure … Before removing burrs on the legs and arms, hands and feet are steamed in a bath with herbal decoction and other useful additives.
- Peeling to get rid of roughness on the skin surface … Special products containing scrubbing particles or mild fruit acids remove old dead cells, opening air for the young, and trigger the processes of skin regeneration and renewal.
- Removal of regrown cuticles … More often it is carried out by edged or unedged (more often hardware) method. Which type of nail care is better depends on the preferences of the client and the master, but it is believed that in advanced cases it is better to give preference to edged. But those who intend to continue to regularly do their own hands, will eventually be able to go to unedged.
- Massage of hands and feet with nourishing oils … This procedure, firstly, softens and moisturizes the skin well, and secondly, improves blood flow and, as a result, cell nutrition.
- Paraffin therapy … Hands cleaned, disinfected and lubricated with a special lotion are dipped into a bath with melted paraffin. From a high, but safe for the body temperature of 35-40 °, the pores open, nutrients and moisture penetrate as deeply as possible, and the hands acquire a more well-groomed and healthy look. Depending on the brand of lotion, it may contain vitamins A and E, plant extracts, fatty oils - coconut, palm, argan.
A good master will not only eliminate the problem itself, but will also be able to suggest what the causes of burrs may be, therefore, when looking for a beauty salon, do not focus on a low price. First of all, look for a professional in your field according to the reviews of friends, the recommendations of other users on the Internet and the availability of documents that guarantee his qualifications. However, remember: even the best manicurist is not a dermatologist or a therapist. Do you suspect that the cause is rooted in health problems? Do not be too lazy to look in and see a doctor.
How to get rid of burrs at home?
Suppose that a cracked skin is a single nuisance for you, there is no reason to suspect diabetes or kidney failure, and a visit to the salon is not planned in the near future. At the same time, the burr hurts, clings to tights and threatens to turn into full-fledged inflammation. How to deal with it at home without harming yourself?
Filing
Let us warn you right away that this method is only good for miniature burrs that barely rise above the surface of the finger. If you decide to do the same with a large piece of skin, you are almost guaranteed to get inflammation and a very noticeable wound.
Procedure:
- Wipe your finger with a cotton swab dipped in Miramistin or another disinfectant.
- Let it dry.
- Take a buff file with an abrasiveness of 240-280 grit.
- Remove the burr with gentle, gentle strokes along the cuticle.
- Lubricate your finger with moisturizer or emollient oil.
Note! If you have a home manicure machine at home, you can file the burrs with a cutter with white, yellow, red or blue markings. For especially rough skin and cuticles on the legs, a green cutter is occasionally used, but you should be careful with it because of the increased rigidity.
Circumcision
It is better to cut off a large burr, after making sure that your manicure accessories are sharply sharpened. Dull blades only additionally injure the skin.
Procedure:
- For 5-6 minutes, hold your hands in a bath with warm, but not hot water to soften the cuticles.
- Get your hands wet and lubricate your fingers and the blades of scissors or tweezers with disinfectant.
- Cut off the burr carefully. Ideally, this needs to be done in one precise movement: if it is possible to cut off the dry skin in only 2-3 steps, it is highly likely that the cuticle will quickly form again from an uneven cut. It is also important to remove the skin without fanaticism. If you get rid of it too zealously, up to the appearance of blood droplets, the body will begin to defend itself, diligently building up the epithelium in the damaged area, and you will get thick, coarse skin and a new "burst" of burrs.
- Move the softened cuticle away from the nail bed.
- Lubricate your hands with moisturizer or oil.
Note! In addition to scissors, tweezers and nail files, another equally popular tool for burrs - a trimmer with a split tip, which is very convenient for removing cuticles, will serve you well. One thing is bad: it takes experience and a steady hand to be comfortable with this instrument, otherwise you could hurt yourself.
Using a remover
Deburring with a remover is generally not practiced. It makes sense to use this tool when dry "breaks" on the side bolsters are just beginning to appear, but have not yet had time to form properly. Otherwise, you risk giving yourself a few unpleasant and very painful minutes, and turning a small skin defect into a corroded abscess, because the basis of the remover is fruit acid.
Procedure:
- Read the instructions for the purchased product.
- Wash and pat dry your hands with a towel.
- Cover the cuticle with a liquid or gel rimuver, being careful not to get it on the nail plate.
- Wait for the time indicated in the instructions.
- Peel off the softened skin with a wooden stick.
- Wash your hands well.
- Use hand cream or oil.
Note! Instead of expensive cuticle care products during manicure, the burrs can be treated with pharmacy retinol in the form of oil or cream. If, in addition to leaving, healing is also required, apply a little Levomekol, Baneocin or Tetracycline to the wounds. Just do not forget to familiarize yourself with the contraindications in advance!
Cosmetical tools
The modern cosmetic industry almost every year offers women (and men too) dozens of different novelties for nail care. If the problem with pieces of raised skin on the fingers has not acquired epochal proportions, it makes sense to try to solve it without a file, nippers and acid.
To get rid of burrs using cosmetics, regularly rub medicated oils, creams and waxes into the cuticle and nail plate. The following funds are highly effective:
- Cuticle repair wax for quick healing of burrs. El Corazon's tiny little thing resembling a tube of colorless lipstick contains natural wax, castor oil, shea butter, peach and jojoba butter, rosehip and mint extracts. Manufactured in Russia. A tube weighing 5 g will cost 80 rubles.
- Belweder wax Panthenol Forte … A small plastic jar contains Panthenol for better healing, castor bean seed oils (the same castor oil), shea, sesame and jojoba, natural wax, aloe extract, vitamin E, lavender fragrance. Manufactured in France. You will have to pay about 200 rubles for 6 g of funds.
- Patrisa Nail Fluid Cream … It has a light airy texture thanks to thermal water, qualitatively moisturizes the skin with sweet almond oil, nourishes with extracts of aloe vera, edelweiss and bearberry, saturates with vitamins A and E, rejuvenates with collagen and placenta extract, moisturizes with glycerin. This whole cocktail costs 95 rubles for 5 g. It is produced in Germany.
- CND Oil, Solar Oil … Basically, it is simply a blend of nutritious sweet almond, rice bran and jojoba oils, flavored with vitamin C, but without chemical additives. The skin is softened, moisturized, nourished, the cuticle can be easily corrected, and the burrs disappear over time. The oil is produced in the USA. It costs 250 rubles for 8 ml.
- Ooops! Hand Cream from burrs and pimples … It boasts Panthenol, peach and oat oil, chamomile extract, vitamin A and glycerin. Heals, moisturizes, softens, prevents the appearance of burrs, cares for the skin. Manufactured in Russia. It costs 115 rubles for 50 ml.
Of course, neither wax nor cream with large pieces of exfoliated "skin" on the fingers alone will cope, since it is impossible to remove burrs by rubbing alone. But if you make it a rule to daily anoint your hand skin with one of these remedies, over time you will notice that it becomes more and more soft, and cracks and painful "thorns" on the nail rolls gradually disappear into oblivion. In addition, wax will make nails strong and shiny, and at the same time wean you from pulling them into your mouth, if you have not already got rid of this childish habit.
Masks and baths
It is advisable to combine the use of cosmetics with home methods of hand care. Like the cream, they will not remove the already hatched burr, but:
- soften it, making circumcision easier;
- soften and moisturize the skin, preventing further cracks;
- feed her with useful substances, which will also reduce the number of "nicks" on the cuticle in the future.
To get rid of burrs on your fingers using folk remedies, make hand baths a couple of times a week from a glass of warm water with the addition of:
- 5-6 drops of lavender, orange, bergamot, tea tree or rosemary essential oil;
- 1 tbsp. l. sea salt;
- 200 ml of warm infusion of chamomile, calendula, oak bark, sage, plantain.
Note! Instead of water, it is recommended to dip your fingertips into warmed olive oil from time to time, and blot them with a paper towel after 5-10 minutes. But it is better not to use baking soda baths: they disrupt the PH-balance of the skin.
Weekly, and preferably 2-3 times a week, apply masks to the fingers around the nail from:
- aloe juice;
- garlic passed through a press (use lemon against the smell);
- avocado pulp;
- yogurt;
- honey.
Alternatively: grease the skin and nails with a layer of greasy cream, sit alone for a quarter of an hour, and then rub the cream over the entire surface of your hands. The simplest mask is ready. And if, at the same time, you also lower the tips of the fingers treated with cream into paraffin melted with a microwave or water bath, the benefit will be 100%.
Note! Salt baths and garlic masks are best avoided if there are visible lesions on the skin.
Burr prevention measures
No matter how easy it is to remove a burr, knowing the right technologies, it is much more pleasant not to do it at all. Is it possible to fix the problem of cracked skin once and for all? We will not give a full guarantee, but you are quite capable of minimizing the risk of burrs.
Top 8 simple rules for well-groomed hands:
- Wear rubber gloves during household chores and warm woolen gloves outdoors in winter.
- When doing laundry and washing dishes, try to reduce the time your hands are in the water: excess moisture also leads to burrs.
- Replace the usual soap with baby or special care cosmetic.
- Apply moisturizer to your hands twice a day and give a short finger massage.
- Take time to do your nails regularly. But at the same time, try not to abuse its edged variety and build-up, especially since recently the nail-fashion has been leaning towards the natural European and Japanese version.
- Drink at least 1.5-2 liters of water per day if you do not have kidney problems.
- Eat right. Your diet should contain dairy products, herbs, fruits, vegetables, liver, egg yolks, fish, nuts.
- Monitor your health. It is the key to everything, including the beauty of the hands.
Note! It will be useful to drink a course of vitamins, but it is better to choose it together with a doctor who will tell you exactly what you need.
The more carefully you begin to carry out the listed preventive measures, the less often you will be bothered by the question of how to remove burrs on your fingers. Moreover, over time, you will simply forget about it.
How to remove burrs - watch the video:
Although many tend to underestimate the problem of burrs, considering them to be just a minor cosmetic defect, you should not leave chapped skin unattended. And not only because it is not aesthetically pleasing. Take action immediately, then the beauty and health of your hands will remain with you for a long time.
