Yellow nails: why it happens and how to fix it with grandma’s advice

It happens to have yellow nails (hands and feet), but what are the causes? Let’s find out together and also see which are the most effective remedies.

Sometimes it happens, for example after removing the nail polish, to find yellow and damaged nails . The cause is often the enamel itself, but not always: their color is actually a warning for our state of health, and can often also be an alarm bell for pathologies or problems, which our body manifests in this way.

Smoking and other factors can also cause yellowing of the nails, which is technically called Xantonichia, or the chromatic alteration of the nails. Let’s see what are all the main causes and which are the best remedies to find white, shiny and healthy nails, both for yellow toenails and for the hands.

Yellow nails: the most common causes

This problem can be caused by behavioral or pathological disorders. What changes? In the first case it is mostly about wrong habits or problems related to our lifestyle, while the pathological causes are often linked to more serious disorders. Let’s be clear .

Behavioral causes

– Products and cosmetics: Usually, nails turn yellow after using non-excellent quality nail polishes , or of a very dark color, without first using a protective base. Frequent use of solvents or poor quality cosmetics can also make them yellow and dull.

– Smoking: Another cause can be the nicotine contained in cigarettes, which causes yellow not only the nails, but also the fingertips with which you usually hold the cigarette.

– Nutrition : At the root of the problem, however, there may also be health and nutrition problems, such as deficiencies in vitamins and minerals,

Pathological causes

It is different, however, if at the base of this problem there is a disease or a pathology that can be serious. If the problem persists, therefore, we advise you to contact your doctor to investigate and go to the root of the problem. But what are the most likely diseases that cause our nails to yellow?

– Liver or gallbladder problems.

– Respiratory infections such as bronchitis or sinusitis

– Mycosis and infections : yellowing can also be caused by fungal infections . In the latter case, the nails are also thickened and painful.

– Diabetes .

– HIV and AIDS .

– Yellow nail syndrome : This very rare nail disease leads to the growth of nails, which thicken, grow slower and become dull and cuticle-free. This problem can also lead to nail loss ( onycholysis ).

Yellow nails: natural remedies

The question now arises: how to whiten nails and solve this problem? Obviously, as we have told you, the first thing to do is to understand the cause, and in case it is a pathology, we advise you to follow his advice.

However, if the causes were behavioral, the first thing to do in case of yellowed nails is, of course, to identify the reasons for the problem.

If the cause is the nail polish avoid using it for a couple of weeks and before reapplying it use a protective transparent base. To make them white again, rub a lemon wedge on your nails during the weeks off, or dip your fingers in a mix of lemon juice and olive oil .

Another very effective natural remedy is baking soda . Mix 3 teaspoons with one of hydrogen peroxide, massage the mixture into your nails for a few minutes and then rinse with water.

In general, then here is a list of useful tips to improve the health of our nails:

– Don’t smoke .

-Care our nails by cutting them, cleaning them and applying moisturizers on our hands.

– Always use quality products.

– Take care of nutrition and stress .