How to quickly soften your toenails?

2024 Author: Arianna Cook | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-01-12 17:55

Find out what home remedies you can use to soften your toenails. Correct and regular care of the nail plates on the feet helps not only maintain their beauty, but also their health. In the body of each person, certain age-related changes occur, which leave an imprint on the work of internal organs and systems, as well as the appearance and structure of hair, skin and nails.

The toenails have a denser structure than the hands and with age the nail plate becomes thicker and denser. Such changes can provoke the emergence of certain difficulties with the implementation of hygiene procedures on the toenails. As a result, a problem such as ingrown nails develops. But using simple techniques will help soften your nails and make them easier to cut.

Why are my toenails coarse?

The problem of coarsening of the nail plates is often encountered by people of mature age. In addition, in order to carry out simple hygiene procedures, you must first soften your nails.

Such concomitant factors as:

1. Lack of vitamins and nutrients in the body.
2. Improper and unbalanced nutrition.
3. Psoriasis of the nails.
4. Getting an injury that leads to a change in the structure of the nails and the direction of their growth.
5. Poor or inadequate foot hygiene. If the nail plates receive irregular care, their growth is impaired.
6. Wearing uncomfortable and tight shoes, which puts the toes in the wrong and unusual position, as a result, blood circulation is impaired. The nail plates receive insufficient nutrition, which in turn provokes their thickening and deformation.
7. The presence of a hereditary factor. In this case, a more thorough and careful care of the nail plates is required.
8. If the problem persists, there is a chance of a fungal infection. In this case, you need to be examined by a specialist and start immediate treatment.
9. The onset of hardening of the nail plates can be the result of the presence of certain diseases of the internal organs, which include pathologies of the cardiovascular system, endocrine disruptions and diseases associated with the work and state of the liver.

It is the correct and timely care of the nails of the feet that is an excellent prevention of various lesions of the nail plates. However, it is not always possible to avoid the onset of hardening of the nails, which is why it will be useful for everyone to know what methods and means can be used to soften the problem nail.

Folk remedies for softening toenails at home

At home, you can quickly soften your toenails on your own and prepare them for subsequent trimming. The most effective and popular remedies include medical compresses and baths, with the addition of various components.

Healing baths

The great popularity of using special baths for softening thick and rough nails is due to the fact that these are one of the most effective and simple procedures. In addition, while taking such a bath, you can relax and relieve the stress accumulated during the day.

Soda bath (just highlight here)

1. It is necessary to prepare the basin in advance and fill it with hot water (2 liters).
2. Soda (2 tsp) and pre-ground laundry soap are added to the water. The components are taken in a 1: 3 ratio.
3. You need to place your feet in the prepared solution and wait about 20 minutes.
4. After the specified time has elapsed, the skin of the legs is wiped dry and the procedure for cutting nails can be started.
5. Instead of laundry soap, you can use a mixture of ammonia (2 tsp) and liquid soap (2 tsp).

Essential oil bath

1. Lavender oil (5 drops), rosemary oil (5 drops), tea tree oil (5 drops) are added to hot water.
2. The duration of the procedure is about 15 minutes.

Chamomile bath

1. You will need to take dry chamomile grass (3 tablespoons) and pour boiling water (1 liter).
2. The broth is left for an hour to brew well.
3. Next, a hot foot bath is made and a ready-made broth is added.
4. The duration of the procedure is 15 minutes.

Bath with milkweed

1. Take 3 bushes of a fresh plant, which are filled with boiling water (500 ml).
2. The composition is left to infuse for half an hour.
3. The finished solution is mixed with hot water.
4. The duration of the procedure is 15 minutes.

Special compresses

It is also a popular and effective way to combat hardened nails. If there are no concomitant pathologies (for example, an ingrown nail or fungal infection), the following therapeutic compresses should be used:

1. Take raw potatoes (1 pc.) And chop on a grater. Honey (1 tsp) and fresh lemon juice (3-4 drops) are added. All components are mixed, and the resulting gruel is applied to the nail plate, on top of the compress is fixed with wax paper and a gauze bandage (you can use an adhesive plaster).
2. In equal quantities, such components are taken - honey, sour cream, olive oil, fresh lemon juice. All ingredients are thoroughly mixed, and the resulting composition is applied to the hardened nail. Rinse off the product no earlier than half an hour after application.
3. In equal quantities, softened butter and aloe leaves are taken, which are pre-crushed to obtain a gruel. The components are mixed, the resulting mixture is applied to the problem nail, covered with wax paper and the compress is fixed with a bandage or adhesive plaster.

Compresses are recommended to be done in the evening, before going to bed, since most formulations should be left for at least 10 hours, otherwise it will simply not be possible to achieve a positive result.

How to quickly soften nails in older people?

Age-related changes occurring throughout the body do not in the best way affect the condition of the nails. That is why the nails begin to change their color, become thick and rough. In this case, it will not be enough to use only baths, so it is best to opt for more effective methods.

Uses of aloe leaves

1. An aloe leaf is taken, thorns are removed.
2. The leaf is cut lengthwise.
3. Apply half of the sheet to the hardened nail.
4. Aloe is fixed with an adhesive plaster.
5. The compress is left overnight, and in the morning you can start hygiene procedures.

Pumpkin use

1. A slice of pumpkin is taken.
2. The peel is removed.
3. The pumpkin is cut into small slices and applied to the hardened nail.
4. It is fixed with a bandage or adhesive plaster.
5. The compress is left overnight.

Using table vinegar

In this case, you need to take 9% table vinegar, apple cider vinegar is also suitable. Correct use of this product can quickly soften hardened nails:

1. Take a cotton pad and moisten it in vinegar.
2. Applied to the problem nail.
3. The compress is fixed with an adhesive plaster or a sterile bandage.
4. Remove the compress after 10 hours.

How to soften an ingrown toenail

Recently, more and more people are faced with the problem of an ingrown nail, which can be the result of coarsening and deformation of the nail plate. In this case, to soften the nail, you can use the following tools:

1. Vishnevsky's ointment is one of the most effective remedies. A small amount of ointment is applied to a bandage, which is fixed on the problem nail. As soon as the nail plate becomes softer, it must be carefully bent and all excess fragments removed.
2. Baths with the addition of essential oils will help to significantly improve the condition of the nails. You must first prepare a container into which hot water is poured (2 liters), then lavender essential oil (3 drops), rosemary oil (3 drops), ylang-ylang oil (3 drops) are introduced. The feet are placed in the solution. After 20 minutes, the hardened nail plate softens.
3. You can use the following compress - butter and aloe leaves are taken in equal quantities, previously crushed to a mushy state.
4. Combines vegetable oil (1 tbsp. L.) And grated lemon zest (1 tsp. L.). The resulting composition is applied to the nail, which must first be steamed. A layer of waxed paper is applied on top, and the compress is fixed with an adhesive plaster.

For an ingrown toenail problem, the above remedies can help alleviate the condition, but it is important to remember that this is not a simple cosmetic defect. In the most severe cases, surgery will be required.

Nail fungus: how to soften your nail

As a result of damage to the nail plate, a violation of its structure occurs. The nail begins to exfoliate, the thickness of the plate increases significantly, the edge of the nail becomes uneven, the color may change. In this case, an integrated and correct approach is required. First of all, the regrown parts of the nail damaged by the fungus should be removed, antifungal treatment is also important. Only a doctor, after confirming the diagnosis, can prescribe the correct and effective treatment. And the following procedures will help soften the hardened nail and carry out the necessary hygiene procedures.

Using glycerin, vinegar essence and iodine

1. First, a special mixture is prepared - vinegar essence, glycerin, iodine are taken in equal quantities.
2. Take 1 part of the resulting mixture and 2 parts of boiled water.
3. Using a cotton swab, the composition is applied to the damaged area of the nail plate.
4. Apply the product very carefully, trying not to touch the healthy nail.
5. A cotton swab is placed on top, and the compress is fixed with an adhesive plaster.
6. The compress is left overnight, and in the morning the nail becomes softer and easier to trim.

Kombucha to soften toenails

This remedy helps to make the nail plate softer, and the severe itching that accompanies a fungal infection is also relieved. You need to adhere to the following scheme:

1. First, a kombucha is prepared, which you can buy at a pharmacy or make yourself.
2. The fungus is divided into thin plates, the thickness of which should not exceed 4 mm.
3. The plate is trimmed so that the remainder completely covers the nail affected by the fungus.
4. Part of the mushroom is fixed with an adhesive plaster.
5. The plaster is wrapped in a layer of polyethylene, a warm sock is put on top.
6. The compress is left overnight, and in the morning you can carry out hygiene procedures.

Butter and beeswax ointment

To make such a drug, it is necessary to prepare equal amounts of beeswax, ghee, grated onion, aloe leaves, grated into a homogeneous gruel and finely chopped garlic clove.

1. All components are mixed until the composition acquires a uniform consistency.
2. The mixture is put on low heat.
3. As soon as the mass begins to boil, it is boiled for no more than 2 minutes.
4. The composition is removed from the stove and left to cool down for a while.
5. The remaining mass is applied to the damaged nail.
6. The ointment is fixed with a cabbage leaf, which must first be split, since cabbage juice should be released.
7. From above, the compress is fixed with a bandage, then a woolen sock is put on.
8. After 5-6 hours, the compress is removed.

Pharmacy products for softening the nail plate

Traditional medicine will not always help soften a hardened nail, so you can use certain pharmaceutical preparations as an alternative:

1. Nogtivitis - the product contains urea, beeswax and tea tree oil. The drug has a softening and antiseptic effect.
2. Uroderm - the composition of the ointment contains urea, which has a mild effect on the keratinized cells of the nail plate. Apply the product in a thin layer twice a day to problem areas.
3. Fluconazole - the active ingredient of the product is salicylic acid, zinc oxide and potassium iodide. The tool helps to quickly soften the hardened nail plate and removes the causes that caused its thickening.

All of the above methods and techniques are aimed at eliminating the problem of hard and thick nails, to alleviate the condition. But it is imperative to get rid of the reason that provoked this trouble, otherwise all efforts will bring only a temporary effect.

How to soften your nails at home, see the following video: