The skin that lies directly against the nail and covers the non-visible part of the nail is called nail fold. This is also called nail wall, nail fold or, in technical terms, perionychium or paronychium. The nail fold protects the regrown nail plate until it is really firm and visible. If this cuticle is torn, painful inflammation in the area of the nail can occur. There are different causes for this but there is also a treatment and prevention by the right nail care.
Causes
There are a number of causes that can lead to cuticle tearing. Cracks in the cuticle are not only a cosmetic problem. The cracked cuticle can sometimes be very unpleasant to painful.
In addition, cracks in the cuticle make it easier for germs and dirt to enter and thus represent a risk factor for the development of an inflammation. Perionychophagia is the chewing of the skin surrounding the nail. A distinction is also made between perionychophagia and perionychomania.
Perionychomania is the nibbling of the cuticle, which is not completely bitten through. Both forms of chewing are not independent clinical pictures, but must be regarded much more as symptoms. They are mostly an expression of stress, inner restlessness, mental illness and are to be regarded as self-harming, autoaggressive or self-soothing behaviour for the person affected.
Perionychophagia is usually accompanied by nail biting (onychophagia). The constant chewing of the cuticle causes it to become chapped, brittle to sometimes bloody and sore. This promotes the development of concomitant diseases such as warts, chronic nail bed irritation, inflammation and nail growth disorders.
Proper nail care is more important than many people think. The cosmetic advantages are rather in the background. Incorrect or missing nail care can lead to the symptom of torn cuticles and their inflammation.
This is the most common cause of a torn cuticle. If the cuticle is not regularly cared for, it will grow firmly to the nail and will be pulled along with its growth and will start to tear. Also, improper nail care such as cutting back the cuticle promotes inflammation and cracking.
Ideally, and for prevention explained in more detail later, the cuticle should be pushed back slightly with the blunt tip of a nail file at the transition of the skin to the nail after a shower, for example, and thus be loosened from the nail. Further care tips can be found further down on this page. Cracked cuticles can occur due to vitamin deficiency.
Especially vitamin B or vitamin D deficiency, but also an insufficient supply and activation of calcium and iron, can lead to cracked cuticles. The deficiency symptoms often result from malnutrition. Since most of the vitamins of the B family – except vitamin B12 – cannot be stored by our body, they have to be taken in daily through food.
A vitamin B deficiency can develop due to vegetarian or vegan nutrition, for example. In the vitamin B group, a distinction is made between different vitamins, all of which are essential for energy metabolism. Also the cells of the cuticle depend on sufficient vitamin B.
The vitamins of the B family influence each other, work together and complement each other. However, there are typical tasks of the individual vitamins of this group. In particular, vitamin B 7 plays an important role in (nail) skin functions and nail diseases.
Vitamin B 7 is also known as biotin. Among other things, it supports the physiological cell growth of the cuticle cells. Diets, regular alcohol consumption and pregnancy can lead to a deficiency, which can result in cracked cuticles.
But also vitamin B 2 plays an important role with regard to an intact cuticle. For example, it supports the formation and growth of cuticle tissue. Chronic inflammation, genetic factors, high alcohol consumption, cancer diseases and gastrointestinal tract disorders can cause a vitamin B2 deficiency.
But also growth phases can temporarily lead to cracked cuticles – due to an increased need for vitamin B2. Vitamin B 5 also plays a role in the regeneration of injured, cracked cuticles. Alcohol and coffee consumption, as well as diets, can promote a lack of vitamin B 5.
Often a vitamin B deficiency remains undetected. If this manifests itself, it is often unspecific.Energy loss, fatigue, susceptibility to infections, reduced physical and mental resilience, reduced cognitive performance, concentration problems and weakness can be the result. If these complaints occur separately or in combination with cracked cuticles, one should look for the possible cause.
If a vitamin B deficiency persists over a longer period of time, irreversible late effects can be the consequence. However, if the deficiency is discovered early enough, it can be compensated. However, it is not always so easy to detect a vitamin B deficiency.
The reason for this is that the symptoms do not always show up clearly. In addition, normal values are sometimes measured in the blood – even if a deficiency already exists, for example in the cells of the cuticle. It is also possible that although sufficient vitamins are absorbed, a deficiency may occur due to a disruption in their utilization.
Furthermore, the intake of certain drugs and stress can cause a vitamin deficiency and thus cracked cuticles. For example, certain antibiotics can bind calcium. This means that the calcium no longer reaches the parts of the body where it is needed.
This can lead, among other things, to cracked cuticles. Vitamin D is also needed to activate calcium. The vitamin D is again dependent on vitamin K. If the cracked cuticle should have developed due to a vitamin deficiency, it is therefore usually not sufficient to focus and substitute only one vitamin.
To remedy a vitamin deficiency appropriately, it is important to have the values measured by a doctor. In some cases, a change in diet and lifestyle can help the body to regain sufficient nutrients. In other cases an individual dietary supplementation is required.
In order for the measures to be successful, a medical consultation is recommended. and Vegan nutrition in children – harmful or harmless? The cuticle can also be cracked and brittle in the context of other diseases or deficiencies.
Patients with psoriasis, for example, sometimes show changes in their nails and cuticles. A fungal infection of the nail can also damage the surrounding cuticle. The result is a brittle, cracked skin.
People with malnutrition (anorexia, bulimia, etc.) also often suffer from brittle nails and cracked cuticles. Apart from caring for the skin, it is very important to fight the causes.
Patients with psoriasis have usually been involved in various therapeutic approaches (medication, psychotherapy, etc.) for a long time. A fungal infection of the nails is causally treated with antimycotics. The therapy of people with an eating disorder consists, among other things, of psychotherapeutic approaches to normalize eating behavior.
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