Nail Problems

This is a very common complaint, as three out of five women say their nails are too soft or dry, or are liable to split or break. This horn like substance that grows from the ends of our hands and feet is often a reflection of our general state of health, and the slightest illness has an almost immediate impact on the condition of our nails.

Nails grow approximately one millimetre per week, faster in summer than in winter, more rapidly during the day than overnight. and more quickly in children than in adults. Much to women's chagrin, they also grow faster in men, who pay no attention to them. It takes six months to replace a fingernail, and one year for a completely new toenail.

Important advice

• Make sure you keep your hands and fingers scrupulously clean with soap and a nail brush
• Keeping your nails trimmed will prevent the development of bacteria underneath them that could spread, and damage them
• Wear gloves to protect your hands from repeated contact with harsh cleaning or household repair products

Oligotherapy

Silica and zinc

These trace elements are usually found in the diet, which should be varied and of high quality. In cases of deficiency, they can be given as medicinal supplements.

Keratin

This protein, essential for the building of hair and nails, is synthesized by the body from cysteine. Zinc is not only essential for this synthesizing process to take place, it also helps protect cysteine. Silica reinforces all these chemical processes.

Zinc and silica treatment: these are available in various brands and forms, such as Organic Minerals (Colloidals) which contains 70+ trace minerals:
- Available in 946ml bottles
- Take 1-3 caps just before breakfast and/or evening meal
- Children 1 teaspoon daily for each 20lbs of body weight

Or Maximol (Ionized colloidals):

- Available in 500ml bottles
- Take 1/2 capful once or twice daily on an empty stomach

Health food for the nails

Brewer's yeast

Origin: A living substance specially prepared as a supplement, from a minute fungus that serves as a ferment in the preparation of beer. It is not the same as baker's yeast, and is better tolerated by the digestive system.

Composition and Properties: Yeast is packed with B vitamins, minerals (such as chromium, phosphorus, potassium, and selenium) and essential amino acids. It reinforces the immune system, helps fight infections, and restores the balance of intestinal flora. It boosts the health of the skin, nails, and hair.

Method of use: it is obtainable from health food shops and pharmacies in the form of tablets, capsules, and flakes for sprinkling on food.

Sulphurated amino acids

These improve the quality of the nail and encourage its growth.

• You can find cysteine as one of the ingredients in several commercially prepared remedies, by taking, for example, Solgar@ L-Cysteine, which contains 500mg of cysteine i:
  - Available in bottles of 30 vegicaps
  - Take 1 vegicap daily with a little juice or water between meals

Homeopathy

Antimonium crudum and Graphites - Four 5c tablets of one or both of these remedies to be sucked slowly twice a day for several weeks

Antimonium crudum

- Chemical origin: black sulphide of antimony
- The homeopathic remedy for thickened, hard, cracked nails
- A specific indication: the nail is broken along its length

Graphites

-Mineral origin: the black lead used in pencils
- One of the homeopathic remedies for brittle or misshapen nails
- Two specific indications: the skin is dry and thick

• You could try Lehning@ Silica Complex 11, whose ingredients include Antimoum crudum 3x and Arsenicum album 5x:
  - Sold in 30ml bottles of oral solution
  - Twenty drops to be taken in a little water, three times a day
• These treatments should be used in combination with a constitutional remedy, to be chosen after consultation with a professional homeopath. Some likely choices are Natrum muriaticum, silica, or Thuja

Herbal remedies

Alfalfa and Horsetail are both effective for replacing lost minerals.

Possibel Prescription: Obtain from your herbalist a 30ml bottle of mother tincture of alfalfa, and an equal quantity of mother tincture of horsetail. Take 25 drops of the alfalfa solution in the morning in a little water, and 25 drops of the horsetail solution in the evening. This treatment should be continued for several weeks.

Alfalfal/horsetail

Alfalfa, a very common plant in temperate regions, is known to be rich in minerals and to have a marked revitalizing effect. When combined with horsetail, which contains high levels of silica, the two treatments complement one another very well.

• You can obtain horsetail from your herbalist, as a whole fresh-plant suspension (this formulation's cold stabilization process restores the full natural therapeutic effect of the plant). Take half a teaspoonful in a little water twice a day. This is not to be taken by children under 15 years of age

Borage oil is very beneficial for the skin, hair, and nails.

- You can buy this remedy in capsule form from your herbalist. Take two capsules per day for several weeks

Topical application: one capsule opened up and applied directly to the nails may reinforce the oral treatment

• You could also try 'Health from the Sun' EFA Derma-Skin Formula, which contains borage and flaxseed oils beneficial to the skin, as well as vitamins A, C, D, E, zinc and extracts of burdock root and yellowdock:
  - Available in containers of 60 capsules
  - Take 2 capsules once daily .