Your body always gives you signals about your physical condition. Skin, hair, and nails can say a lot about an individual’s well-being. Irritated skin, thinning hair, and brittle nails are external factors that indicate internal imbalance and dysfunction.
All three – SKIN, HAIR and NAILS are linked together and share a common constituent called ‘Keratinocytes’. Keratinocytes produce and store keratin, which is a protein that makes these organs tough. While everyone has dealt with acne, dandruff, and brittle nails at some point in their lives, some may require treatment and medications from a dermatologist.
The most common skin, hair, and nail problems include:
- Breakouts on face, back, chest, upper arms
- Under Eye Dark circles
- Dry Skin
- Itchy Rashes
- Hair loss
- Flaky scalp
- Brittle nails
- Infections in or around nails
How can one prevent and treat skin, hair, and nail problems?
A healthy diet can do wonders and help improve skin, hair, and nail health. These problems can be managed by making dietary changes like:
- Eating a balanced diet with a variety of colours and textures (radish, beetroot, broccoli, carrots, babycorn, etc.)
- Including protein (nuts, millets, milk products, lean meat, beans, or eggs) and iron (pulses, legumes, or quinoa) in the diet
- Limiting alcohol and sugar consumption
- Drinking adequate water
- Avoiding cigarettes or other tobacco products
- Relaxing and de-stressing
- Getting enough sleep
It is important to note that while diet and nutritional deficiencies play a crucial role, other factors like genetics, general health, lack of sleep, and age factor play an equally crucial role too.
Consumption of a low-calorie or low-carbohydrate diet can cause these problems. You can add foods like brown bread, oats, bananas, berries, avocado, nuts, etc. in the diet.
Foods recommended for healthy skin, hair, and nail:
1) Healthy Fats:
- Unsaturated fats (Olive, peanut, canola oils, nuts, seeds, soybean, etc.)
- Omega-3 (Salmon, oysters, chia and hemp seeds, edamame, kidney beans, etc.)
- Plant-based fats (Tofu, soy milk, mayonnaise, cocoa powder, etc.)
2) Protein:
- Nuts and grains
- Millets like Jowar and Bajra
- Sprouts
- Milk Products
- Poultry
- Seafood
3) Iron:
- Green leafy vegetables
- Cereals
4) Vitamin E:
- Nuts
- Seeds
- Seafood
What are some at-home treatments for skin, hair, and nail problems?
- For Skin: Use sunscreens, moisturisers, cleansers, retinol, etc.
- For Hair: Regular washing with shampoo, conditioning with coconut oil, eating healthy, etc.
- For Nails: Massage with paraben-free nail oil, moisturise nails with olive or coconut oil, soak in cucumber juice extract, etc.
Oral biotin supplements ensure that the body performs functions that aid in hair, skin, and nail health at optimal levels. Similarly keratin supplements ensure protein intake to support your health.
Consult a Dermatologist before trying any at-home remedies.
Here are some examples of conditions / diseases that affect skin, hair, and nails.
- Eczema
- Psoriasis
- Onycholysis
- Nail fungal infections
- Ringworm
- Multiple sclerosis
- Arthritis
- Anemia
- Diabetes
- Liver disease
- Kidney disease
How can a dermatologist help you with skin, hair, and nail problems?
A dermatologist specialises in diagnosing and treating problems related to the skin, hair, and nails. With their expertise, they can guide you through what medical testing and precautions need to be taken in order to treat the problem.
Your skin, hair, and nails can be affected by a range of factors. But the good news is that they can be managed, treated, and prevented with treatments recommended by a healthcare professional like a dermatologist.
If you have concerns regarding skin, hair, or nails, book an appointment at AllCure Super Speciality Hospital.