Why Is the Skin Around Your Nails Peeling?

Allergic Reactions

Various types of allergens can cause serious skin reaction. Exposure to nail polish, use of too much soapy water, being allergic to nickel and latex or irritation caused by solvents and detergents can all cause peeling fingernails.

Treatments: It is best to stay away from all the potential allergens for a period of 3 to 4 weeks and see if anything improves.

Bad Habit

A nervous habit can be the source of the ill condition of your cuticles and nails. Picking or biting at cuticles and nails can cause damage to them and might even result in a skin infection. Damaged or wounded skin might also be caused if the hangnails are ripped off instead of being clipped gently at the bottom using a sterile tool.

Treatments: An easy solution for this problem is to stop picking or biting at the cuticles or nails. It may take you many days to get rid of bad habits, please be patient.

Lack of Minerals

People believe that vitamin or calcium deficiency might be the reason for the peeling skin around nails. Actually, the deficiency of these minerals only causes dryness of skin directly, which is most likely to flake and then peel off in the end.

Treatments: It is important to ensure the intake of a balanced diet that offers you the right amount of dietary fiber, healthy fats, carbohydrates, minerals, vitamins and protein.

Skin Diseases

Skin peeling around nails can be caused by skin diseases too. Psoriasis, eczema and dyshidrosis are among the common diseases which can cause this problem.

• Eczema: An inflammation of the skin which results in dry and itchy skin. It is also known as atopic dermatitis.

• Psoriasis: A common skin disease which targets the life cycle of the skin cells. Patients of psoriasis suffer from rapid buildup of cells on the surface of their skin, leading to the formation of red patches and thick silvery scales.

• Dyshidrosis: Dyshidrosis, also known as pympholyx or dyshidrotic, is a rare skin problem in which fluid filled blisters of small size on the sides of the fingers and palms of the hand, which can also lead to skin peeling around nails.

Treatments: For sufferers of any skin disease, it is important to consult a doctor immediately. The doctor will assess the condition, diagnose the disease and then provide treatment for it.

Infection

A low level chronic infection which is usually caused by moisture of yeast can lead to the peeling of skin around the cuticle.

Treatments: For this condition, you will have to take antibiotic. The symptoms and signs of the infection would improve after 3 days of treatment. If the infection worsens instead of getting better and a fever develops, it is important to call your doctor immediately.

Warm Water

Rinse your hands in warm water for at least 10 minutes or so each day. It will make the skin supple and the dry skin to fall off.

Note: Add lemon juice and honey to the warm water before rinsing your hands. Once your hands are rinsed, dry your hands and apply vitamin E oil, olive oil or a good moisturizer on them to maintain the level of moisture.

Cucumber

Cut thick slices of a fresh cucumber and gently rub them on the affected part of your skin so that the juice gets absorbed into the skin. Wash the skin where you had been applying the grated cucumber with lukewarm water and repeat this exercise daily.

Note: You can also applying grated cucumber over the part of the skin that is causing you trouble, half an hour daily.

Aloe Vera

Make use of pure Aloe Vera gel which has both soothing and cooling properties. Take out the succulent gel from the leaf of an Aloe Vera plant. Rub this gel over the affected part of the skin multiple times in a day.

Note: Drinking two tablespoons of Aloe Vera juice on a daily basis is also a great way of preventing peeling of skin around nails.

Honey

Apply a small amount of pure honey on the affected area of the skin and keep it there for about 10 to 20 minutes before washing it off with lukewarm water.

Note: You can also add honey into olive oil and make a mixture. Apply this mixture on the skin on a daily basis to keep the skin supple and soft. Or use a mixture of sandalwood, rosewater and honey. Apply it on the affected area and leave it there for 20 minutes and then rinse it off with lukewarm water and soap.

Olive Oil

Heat a half cup of extra virgin olive oil in the microwave. Add a few drops of lavender essential oil into the olive oil. And then rinse your fingers for about 10 minutes in the warm oil. In the end, gently wash your hands with lukewarm water and apply a moisturizer after drying the hands.