Christine KellerIf you can’t go out of your house without polish on your toenails and fingernails, it’s okay. But, what you should know is that nail polish can turn your nails to yellow. The main cause of yellow nails varies from one person to another. It could be from using nail polish or for having a serious health problem.
Yellow Nails Can Be Due to the Nail Polish You’re Using
Your nail polish might be to be blame for your yellow nails. The darker the pigments of your nail polish can leave stains on your natural nails, particularly if you are not using a base coat. The good thing is that once you take a break from wearing polish, your nails would grow out, which may take the ugly yellow stain. You might need to put nail polish until the healthy and new nail growth is completed. Usually, fingernails would grow out in four to six months while toenails might take a year to grow. For the meantime, you may use the nail brighteners that work like a color correcting makeup.
Yellow Nails May Be Due to Smoking
Smoking has a lot of negative health effects and these include yellow nails. Since your fingertips are in close proximation to smoke and toxins in cigarette, they absorb them. A good way to make your nails healthy is by quitting smoking. If that isn’t enough in cards, some natural bleaching agents may help restore the luster of your fingernails.
Yellow Nails May Be Due to a Fungal Infection
It might be gross, but you have to know that fungal infections may creep into your fingernails, particularly if you visit a nail salon or spa with unsanitary conditions. The only sign of fungal infection is yellowing. The nail beds might also crumble, retract or thicken.
Using OTC topical treatments and rubbing it to your cuticles daily can help clear up the fungal infection. You might also try the natural remedies, which contain oregano or tea tree oil since both of them are natural antimicrobials. Take note that such treatments will not clear up what is yellow already, yet they’ll help the new nails as they grow in. If this growth is healthy and clear, the treatments are working and may be continued until the entire nail grows out.
If you do not see improvements within 2 weeks of regular us, it is wise to visit your physician to know what the real cause is. It can be yeast, bacteria or fungus, but it might also be something that you should take seriously. Only your doctor can help you treat it through providing you a prescription.
Yellow Nails May Be Due to a Serious Medical Health Issue
In some rare cases where infections or lifestyle habits are not the culprit, yellow nails might be an indicator of a serious condition including rheumatoid arthritis, lung disease, diabetes, psoriasis or thyroid disease. Your doctor can help you determine the real cause and would put you on the right treatment plan.
