If you are a polished nail junkie, you have probably fallen victim to the yellowing of your nails. It’s an unsightly thing to see your nails in misery.
Discolored nails may indicate an infection, but if you’re also making extra trips to the bathroom, constantly reaching for your water bottle, and feeling fatigued, a likely culprit could be diabetes. The condition can cause glucose to attach to collagen proteins in the nail, turning them from pink to yellow.
What to do: See your doctor to test for diabetes. If it’s positive, he can recommend a combination of lifestyle changes and medication to keep the disease under control.
Other, rare causes of discolored nails include the “yellow nail syndrome,” an inherited condition that results in slow-growing, yellowing, discolored nails and is associated with lymphedema (swelling of tissues due to the accumulation of fluid) and lung diseases. Nails may also appear lightened to a whitish-yellow color if there has been separation of the nail from the nail bed, termed onycholysis.
If it’s none of the above, below are some solutions that don’t require you to stop wearing polish altogether.
1. Steer clear of dark polish.
As if Black Cherry Chutney isn’t the prettiest dark red polish on the planet. I don’t know how I would live without it. Unfortunately, dark polish is usually the culprit for nail discoloration. Every now and then it wouldn’t hurt to do something more nude or light so that you can give your nails a bit of a break and some time to recuperate.
2. Always remember the base coat.
There are steps for polishing your nails properly for a reason, and as silly as it may sound the base coat is truly meant to protect your nails from things like yellowing. It’s important to never skip out on it, as it adds a protective layer between your nails and the polish. If you get an even more purposeful base coat it can have strengthening and other added benefits as well.
3. Buff away.
Try to carefully buff off the discolored layer of your nails. Be sure not to buff off to much, as it will compromise the strength of your nails, making them thin and weak.
4. Try hydrogen peroxide.
Take a toothbrush and vigorously brush an equal parts mixture of hydrogen peroxide and water on your nail beds. You can also try soaking your nails in the solution for about 10 minutes.
5. Prevent fungus with tea tree oil.
Nail polish isn’t always the culprit for the discoloration. In some cases there is a deeper issue. Nail fungus can cause your nails to change colors as well. If you think this might be the case, a good remedy is tea tree oil. Use a drop on each nail twice daily for a few weeks, and you should start to see a significant difference. If the yellowing persists, it’s a good idea to see your doctor.
Beauty and hair maven Naomi Mackenzie is a freelance writer and business consultant. Her passion is to continuously keep up with the ever evolving techniques and topics as it relates to skin and hair, while helping others to embrace their own definition of beauty in a healthy way. Her blog, KissTheChaos (www.KissTheChaos.com) shares both an educated and personal perspective, sought to spark ongoing discussion. Follow her on Instagram at @oOolala_laa and on Facebook.
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