Why are these nails damaged? They are are result of a yeast infection.
Yeast can complicate any nail issue, but is particularly bad in workers who have hands in water, as this person does (restaurant). This sort of issue also plagues hairdressers and many nurses. We will treated her with oral ketoconazole and she should recover completely…as long as she doesn’t wear false nails and protects her cuticles in the healing process.
What can you do to avoid yeast infections? Try not to wash your hands if you don’t need to and avoid putting them in water for long periods of time. If you have a job that requires you to be in water, put gloves on and try to avoid very hot water. We have products at our website that seal in moisture (www.LovelySkin.com/theraseal) as well as products to repair finger cracks (www.FixMySkin.com), but they won’t heal a yeast infection as that requires medications by mouth or applied to the skin.
I am often asked what I think about false nails and my answer is that they are no good for this sort of problem. They can hurt the nail significantly and allergic reactions to the acrylic can occur as well. Additionally, the act of putting the nail over your normal nail can seal in fungus and yeast and allow for more damage. Lastly, the instruments at the nail salon can be contaminated from your own nails or others.
Lastly, there are other infections that can complicate this, including staph or other bacteria. If your nails aren’t responding to home or over the counter remedies, it is time for you to go to your dermatologist!