Fingernails. That's right, they have a thread now.

[PhoeKun]

Oh, look. Phoe is starting another thread regarding hygiene and personal appearance. What a shocker. :smalltongue: (I miss the eye-rolling smiley. Why do I never save it when Ego brings it out?)

*ahem*

Anyway, as some of the more attentive GenCon attendees may have noticed, I've recently taken a stab at growing out my fingernails. New look and all that. This in and of itself is completely unimportant, but it's building into an anecdote, so bear with me, please. See, part of having long nails is that they look like crap if you don't do something to take care of them, and so in order to combat this problem I recently purchased a nail file.

Then, as I was using said file, I noticed something... unusual about portions of my nails. Namely: they were brown, soft, and falling off in flakes. :smalleek: After getting rid of the affected areas, my nails were lopsided and ugly looking, and so have been trimmed, but in the meantime, I am left to wonder just what the crap happened.

And so, I come before you to ask questions of those of you who perhaps have more experience in this area than I do: has this happened to anyone else? Is it common? Should I be concerned? And, most pertinently, how do I stop it from happening?

[Brickwall]

:smalleek:

See a dermatologist. ASAP. Or is there a fingernail specialist? Hell if I know in this day and age. :smallsigh:

[bosssmiley]

Weird nails mate. You might need more calcium in your diet, or possibly less time with your hands dipped in chemicals. :smallconfused:

Beyond that, I'll echo Bricky. If symptoms persist, consult your physician.

[Dawn]

Fingernails are just hardened skin, so dermatologist. You could pay for your surgery by sueing the nail file company! That's how America works!

[I'm da Rogue!]

Fingernails are just hardened skin

WHA???:smalleek: :smalleek:

[Sucrose]

Fingernails are just hardened skin,

Blasphemy! Fingernails are primarily composed of keratin, the same stuff that makes up a rhino's horn!

Edit: Anyway, I'll join the chorus on this one; I've never seen nails like that, and getting them looked at couldn't hurt (unless you can find your answers from Google, anyway).

[ocato]

I want to say that fingernails are dead cells so I wouldn't jump out of your mind immediately. Granted, I didn't double check that fact. Research first, freak out second, act third.

[Ego Slayer]

http://img219.imageshack.us/img219/3931/rolleyes0qd.gif

There ya go... This is the last time I'm posting it for you, m'kay? :smallamused:

Anywho... I dunno, that's weird. Getting them looked at wouldn't hurt.

[Midnight Son]

May I suggest, rather than your dermatologist, a local nail shop? Those girls(and guys, but mostly girls) know their stuff. Get yourself a manicure and ask them about it in the process.*

*This is not a good idea if you claim to be a manly man and have friends who are merciless.

[Lemur]

That certainly doesn't sound normal. How long exactly were they when that started to happen?

As for getting them looked at, if you've removed all the odd portions already, it might impede the doctor's ability to properly diagnose them. Letting them grow out again and then scheduling an appointment if it happens again might make more sense. A dermatologist would be the proper specialist to see, although nails certainly aren't made of the same thing as skin.

[tannish2]

check wikipedia, actually, i have no life, ill do it

eww... well i didnt read it thuroughly but it has pictures of people with various diseases if you search for brown nails (or was it fingernails) i dont remember, but wikipedia=help... so does a doctor

[Raiser Blade]

My mom had the same problem when she used a certain nail polish.
It pretty much destroyed parts of her nails.

Other than that i am nowhere near qualified to advise you on the care of fingernails.

[Serpentine]

I believe they are, indeed, dead cells (like your hair), but changes in your nails can indicate problems with your health elsewhere. Was it in lines or spots? If it was irregular spots, I'd presume that it couldn't be because of something going on elsewhere, but maybe a fungal infection or something. I think it'd still be worth talking to a GP about it, even if you can't actually show them the problem.

[Logic]

Well, I suppose I should have 3 of my toenails looked at then, they do the same thing.

[FdL]

http://img219.imageshack.us/img219/3931/rolleyes0qd.gif

There ya go... This is the last time I'm posting it for you, m'kay? :smallamused:


(Can I use it too?)

[Brickwall]

(Can I use it too?)

You can, but every time you do, somebody else gets fingernail cancer.

[FdL]

Heh! As if! http://img219.imageshack.us/img219/3931/rolleyes0qd.gif

[Semidi]

I have some pretty long fingernails. I don't paint them, though I've thought about it. It was pretty cool when they got their longest on my right hand and I kept my left short because of the guitar. Anyway...

Everyone's fingernails are different. I know someone who has tried to grow them out lots of times, but always fails because they're too thin. Mine are thicker, which allows me to keep them long, though they break occasionally. To increase your nails' lifespan, I'd consider painting or enameling.

Anyway, they crack bunches, so your best bet is a fingernail file. File off any jagged edges because they're just crack, and the whole thing is gone. Don't get any sharp ends on the tips, they're guaranteed to break in a day. Oh yes, car doors, bags, lids, edges of tables, and boxes are all your enemy, they cause 90% of breaks.

The brown stuff can either be fungus or just grime. Be sure to clean your nails twice a day or use an anti-fungal treatment. If it persists see a doctor.

Next: cuticles. They need to go.

After showers push them up with a tool or your opposite hand and remove them with the tool that looks like a set of wire cutters (or the tool that ends in a sharp V, I don’t care for this one, leaves things jagged). Doing this prevents hangnails (which suck).

I don’t visit the manicurist; they always think I want my nails gone not fixed up.

[Skippy]

Heh! As if! http://img219.imageshack.us/img219/3931/rolleyes0qd.gif

Gah!! My nails!! I think I've got cancer!!!

[Lucky]

Gah!! My nails!! I think I've got cancer!!!*Cuts off radikal's toes*
There, got it for you. :smallamused:

[Ego Slayer]

It was pretty cool when they got their longest on my right hand and I kept my left short because of the guitar.
Hahah, yes! My right hand is long, and the left is short, except for the thumb. Rawr.:smalltongue:

Yes, FdL, you can use that smilie too. Heh...

[Brickwall]

Hahah, yes! My right hand is long, and the left is short, except for the thumb. Rawr.:smalltongue:

Yes, FdL, you can use that smilie too. Heh...

Yey! We're exact fingernail buddies! :smallbiggrin:

Except I'll be cutting my left thumbnail because it bothers the heck outta me. But for now, fingernail buddies.

[Semidi]

Yey! We're exact fingernail buddies! :smallbiggrin:

Except I'll be cutting my left thumbnail because it bothers the heck outta me. But for now, fingernail buddies.

Should start a club...

Anywhoo,

I loved it when I told people why one hand is short, I'd say:
"It's because I play the guitar, and I fret with my left."
They'd say...
"Oh, you play classical, that's cool"
I'd say...
"Uh, no, I just like having long nails."

[Ego Slayer]

Yay, club!

There were a few people who were happy to see I was missing four long nails... suddenly I was 4/10ths less dangerous. :smallamused:

[Amotis]

Classical guitar nails actually requires an anal retentive amount of attention. They have to be just the right length. Which isn't really that long, btw. But mine grow waaaaay too fast and I have to care to them like every two days. It's annoying. :smallannoyed: I don't even eat a lot of fish or anything like that! What the heck!? Am I like Meg or something?

[Brickwall]

Yay, club!

There were a few people who were happy to see I was missing four long nails... suddenly I was 4/10ths less dangerous. :smallamused:

Or so they thought. Since you're a right-hander, it's not even close to 4/10ths. And that's supposing you only ever use nails.

[AtomicKitKat]

Classical guitar nails actually requires an anal retentive amount of attention. They have to be just the right length. Which isn't really that long, btw. But mine grow waaaaay too fast and I have to care to them like every two days. It's annoying. :smallannoyed: I don't even eat a lot of fish or anything like that! What the heck!? Am I like Meg or something?

How long is that? My nails get to nearly half a cm inside of a month, on average.

[Serpentine]

I keep my thumb and index nails long cuz they're useful, keep the next two on each hand short cuz I need something to chew, and grow the pinkie ones as long as I can stand cuz they're nifty and good for scratching ears.
<.<

[PhoeKun]

So... the general consensus here is that this could be representative of a fairly major health problem? Well... great. The internets don't seem to have any information on this specific thing either, so I guess I'll be going to the health center.

I should probably also get back on multi-vitamins. Vitamin deficiency may or may not be the problem, but they certainly can't hurt. Thanks to everyone who chimed in. Especially Semidi, who has provided me with more tips for nail care than I ever knew. Painting helps increase the lifespan of nails? I wonder what color would look good...

[Serpentine]

Probably not major. Major you'd probably know about another way (unless it's that poisoning that leaves bands on your nails :smallwink:). A vitamin deficiency is a possibility (though I think eating more fruit and veg would be a better idea than tablets...), I'm not sure what else... Don't worry too much, though, I'm sure it's nothing immediately worrisome ^_^

[PhoeKun]

It's difficult to find time to squeeze more fruit and vegetables in my diet; and the ones I do eat don't contain all the nutrients my diet is missing. Popping a little pill into my mouth once a day is a much easier solution, I think.

[AtomicKitKat]

Stupid question, but did you bother to clear any gunk out from under the nails before cutting/filing?:smallbiggrin:

[PhoeKun]

I don't think it's that stupid a question. But yes, I did clean them out before filing them. The idea was to make them look nice, after all...

[Hephaestus]

I bite my nails way to much. Anyone have any good tips for quitting doing that?

[Brickwall]

I bite my nails way to much. Anyone have any good tips for quitting doing that?

Have someone around you help you. I'm not good at breaking people's bad habits. But it's easier in person, I know.

[AtomicKitKat]

I bite my nails way to much. Anyone have any good tips for quitting doing that?

Touch icky stuff?:smallbiggrin:

In all seriousness, make them look nice, manicure, whatever, so that they are too pretty/nice/whatever to chew. At the very least, the chemical smell/taste might work as aversion therapy. I have no idea why I stopped biting mine. Maybe because around Secondary School I was trying to impress a girl by being less disgusting.:smalleek: Haven't really bitten them since except when there's a bit of loose skin(you know, those little spiky strips that seem to crop up on the sides for no reason, that cause bleeding if you don't tug them out sharply? I try to pinch/snatch them off sharply and only go to teeth if too short) and a nail clipper's not available.

[Em Blackleaf]

... It was pretty cool when they got their longest on my right hand and I kept my left short because of the guitar...


That's how my old guitar teacher has his nails.

[Emperor Demonking]

I bite my nails way to much. Anyone have any good tips for quitting doing that?

Make them taste revolting, worked for me.

[Ivellios]

This is kinda cool how so many people are coming forward and saying they keep their nails long on only thier right hand for the purpose of playing guitar. I've been taking classical guitar lessons from a local music professor for 13 years, but nobody else in my area plays classical guitar. It's nice to know that there are other people out there that play classical, and the art is being kept alive, so to speak.