Discolored Nails? Try These to Put Your Best Foot Forward

If your nails are discolored then try these home remedies that are proven to be quite effective

Highlights:

Having healthy nails is a basic part of grooming
The discoloration is becoming quite common among the population
Some effective ways of getting rid of the discoloration of the nails include using baking soda, hydrogen peroxide, tea tree oil, and lemon

These days, due to the rise in the trend of social media usage, most of us have become quite conscious of our looks and appearance and are keen on putting our best foot forward at all times.

Often, we indeed feel embarrassed to let our nails peep out of our shoes, and the main reason behind it is the discoloration of our nails that is not only pulling our confidence down but also not letting us enjoy the fashion that we just keep eyeing.

Now we do everything to keep our skin healthy; we scrub and moisturize and make sure that everything is kept in perfect health, but what about our nails?

They are unkempt, broken, or worse, discolored!

Harmful Effects of Nail Polish
The innocuous looking nail polish can produce serious health hazards ranging from allergies to skin cancer. The ‘toxic trio’ must be looked out for.

‘Be it dinner parties, corporate events, or even just a stroll in the mall, we must be well groomed, and no doubt, healthy nails remain one of the most basic parts of grooming. Here are some effective ways to get rid of the discoloration of your nails’

What Causes Nails to Turn Yellow or Discolored?

Discolored nails are an indication of an underlying illness and can also serve as an alarming guide to what could be the cause of it. For instance, yellow nails can indicate the possibility of diabetes and thyroid disease.Sometimes bacteria and fungi can also cause discoloration ().

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Home-Remedies to Fix the Color of your Nails

Although it can look disastrous, it’s fairly simple to fix. We have a few quick and effective remedies to brighten up your nails and make them look healthy again.

Baking Soda

It sounds like we are going to bake, but this key baking ingredient can serve as a great fix for your discolored nails.

How to Apply?

Mix one teaspoon of baking soda with the juice of a lemon, and apply this to your nails. After a minute, rinse it all off.

Hydrogen Peroxide

This is quite a popular and powerful agent often used for bleaching. It’s a miracle worker on yellow nails.

How to Apply

Make sure you use 3% hydrogen peroxide. You can either apply a small amount directly on your nails or mix one tablespoon of it with 2.5 tablespoons of baking soda in a small bowl made of plastic. Apply this paste to your nails, leave it on for 2–3 minutes, and rinse off with warm water. Repeat once a day every six to eight weeks.

Tea Tree Oil

Not all discolorations are due to nail polish woes. Bacteria and fungus could be behind this ruckus on your nails.

How to Apply

Applying a small amount of tea tree oil, about a drop, to your nail beds. After a couple of minutes, rinse it out using warm water. You can do this twice a day for a few weeks.

Lemons

Ever heard of ‘When life gives you lemons, chuck it right back?’ Well, that is the plan. If you’ve got discolored nails, then throw some lemon juice right at them because lemons are a wonderful remedy for yellow nails.

How to Apply

You can either rub your nails with sliced lemon or with a cotton ball soaked in lemon juice. Let this sit on your nails for anywhere between 10 and 30 minutes, then rinse off.

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Things to Add to your Nail Care Routine

Make sure you follow these basic nail care practices to keep your nails healthy:

Let Your Nails Breathe

Nail polish can surely be fun and add that extra touch of color to your life, but remember that your nails need that breathing space. As per evidence, it can also be noted that dark nail polishes can discolor a tad bit more than light ones. So, make sure you rotate between those dark and light shades and also give yourself a few days breather between applications ().

Don’t Skip the Base Coat

It might sound boring and seem like a lot of work, but if you don’t apply that base coat before actually using nail polish, then you are taking away that extra layer of protection that would eventually lead to discoloration.

Use a Nail Buffer

You can try to gently buff away the top layer of your nails with the nail buffer. But make sure not to go overboard, you don’t want to weaken your nails.

References:

The Diagnosis and Treatment of Nail Disorders - (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27545710/)
Evaluation of structural damage and pH of nail plates of hands after applying different methods of decorating - (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30246242/)

Source-Medindia

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