The child's fingernails are peeling

Anyone can face the problem of split nails. Moreover, men and women, elderly people and even young children are equally susceptible to this disease. But unlike adults, who can solve this problem on their own and take care of themselves, children need additional attention and a quick solution to the difficulty that has arisen. After all, a child’s toenails are peeling due to a violation of internal processes, and are a sign of certain health problems. Of course, most often parents do not even suspect the causes of nail separation and do not know why. But the main task in this situation is not to panic, but to find out the cause of the disease and take appropriate measures.

Causes of split nails in children

It’s quite easy to understand why your baby’s fingernails or toenails are peeling. It is necessary to analyze past events and remember what happened in the last few days or weeks. For example, the child was sick or accidentally injured, the eating pattern may have changed, or the baby had sudden mood swings, or the mental state has changed. All these seemingly ordinary things can cause peeling fingernails.

Mechanical injuries and damage to fingertips. This reason is considered the most common in children, because children very often injure their hands, fingers and, consequently, nails. In some cases, a light blow is enough to begin the process of delamination of the nail plate. As a rule, when a nail is hit or bruised, it darkens, peels off and falls off, but in some cases it simply begins to peel off. In this situation, there is no need to do anything drastic; you should just wait until the nail grows back and is replaced by a new one.
Tight shoes. No matter how much parents love their child, it is very difficult to choose shoes for the baby. But tight and uncomfortable shoes can cause nail splitting and lead to deformation of the nail plate. That is why you need to choose children's shoes very carefully, using the advice of experts.
Deficiency of vitamins in the body. Children's fingernails may peel due to a lack of vitamins and valuable microelements necessary for the body. To understand which vitamins your baby is lacking, you need to see your doctor and get tested. After receiving the results, the pediatrician will prescribe the necessary vitamins.

It should be noted that most vitamin preparations can cause allergies in a child. That is why it is best to review your baby’s daily diet and add foods containing high amounts of calcium and iron to his children’s menu. For example, sweet curd desserts, milk, nuts, fresh vegetables and fruits.

Fungal infections. Fungal infections are a rare occurrence in children, however, at the first signs of this unpleasant infectious disease, you should contact a dermatologist or mycologist. Only a specialist can prescribe the correct course of treatment for a child and tell him why this is happening and what to do.
Mental disorders. Oddly enough, internal experiences and periodic stressful situations in a baby can also cause peeling nails. After all, children in such situations suck their fingers or bite their nails, which leads to changes and separation of the nail surface.
Cosmetic procedures. Sometimes even ordinary cosmetic procedures can cause fingernails to peel. To avoid this, you need to trim the nails correctly, making the tip slightly rounded, and file the corners so as to carefully remove the hangnails.

You should know that for children's cosmetic procedures it is best to use special manicure scissors and a children's file with a fine abrasive surface.

Presence of white spots. If white oblong spots appear on a child’s nails, this is the first signal of a lack of a substance such as zinc in the body. And a deficiency of this microelement leads to splitting and weakening of nails.
Lack of binders. Another reason for the delamination of the nail plate in a baby is the lack of binders that are found in jelly-like foods. Therefore, please your child with sweet marmalade, colorful jelly or fluffy marshmallows.

Possible reasons

It is not so difficult to understand the reasons for the layering of nails in a baby. To begin with, it’s worth remembering what happened to the child in the last couple of days, how he felt, where he was hit, what he ate and what regime he followed. It is all such banal and everyday factors that determine the lamination of a baby’s marigolds. Therefore, before panicking, parents should first remember the possible causes of peeling nails.

Mechanical injuries. Children get injured , and sometimes it’s their little fingers that get hit the hardest. Even if a child slightly touches his finger, this is quite enough for it to begin to flake. Very often, with mechanical injuries, the nail begins to change its color: first blue, then purple and perhaps even black. If one of these shades is noticeable on the nail, then most likely it is because of this that the child’s nails began to peel.
Lack of vitamins. If the nails peel off only on top, then most likely the baby’s body will lack some vitamins or minerals, for example, iron or calcium. Defining vitamin deficiency is quite simple; if it is present, peeling marigolds will have a yellowish tint and small white spots.
Fungus. Small nails can peel off due to a fungal infection. If this is the case, then you should immediately go to a pediatrician who will prescribe the correct treatment. Only a doctor can cure the fungus, so you should never self-medicate, as this can be dangerous for the child’s health.
Mental disorders. If a baby bites his nails very often or his fingers are always in his mouth due to strong emotional experiences, then most likely the flaking is caused by just such factors.
Other factors. In addition to the reasons that have already been described above, a child’s nails can peel due to problems with metabolism, lack of iron in the blood, or even diseases of the adrenal glands. Such diseases can be recognized not only by the layering of the nails, but also by a number of other factors.

As soon as the cause of peeling nails has been established, it is worth starting to treat them. First of all, it is worth getting rid of the causes of lamination. Sometimes good old folk methods will help you cope with this.

Methods for treating peeling nails

Treatment of peeling nails in children on the toes or hands should begin immediately after you determine the cause of the disease. Moreover, based on the cause of the delamination, you can independently select treatment for the baby, but in more serious cases, it is best to leave everything to a specialist who will prescribe a course of treatment and observe external changes in the damaged nails.

If the reason is a lack of nutrients necessary for the body, you can introduce multivitamin complexes into your daily diet. In this case, why not review the child’s menu and diversify it with foods fortified with calcium and iron. For example, offer your baby dairy products, dried apricots and raisins, almonds or nuts, and also increase the amount of grains and fresh vegetables.
You should not scold or punish your child for the bad habit of constantly biting his nails. This problem lies in the baby’s internal discomfort, constant worry and fear. In this case, you need to reconsider your attitude towards the child or seek the help of a child psychologist. But if the baby feels great, is active and cheerful, you should simply lubricate your fingertips with a special bitter varnish. Twice is enough for the baby to forget this bad habit forever.
If the problem is a fungal infection, you need to use medications in the form of ointments, tablets, varnishes and patches. Moreover, not only the baby, but also the entire family must undergo the course of treatment. For this purpose, it is also worth treating all children's toys, clothes and bedding with hot water.

It should be noted that absolutely any antifungal drug is prescribed only by a specialist. You should not experiment on your child’s health by purchasing medications that are not particularly effective.

If the baby has anemia, which is the reason for the separation of the fingernails or toenails, it is necessary to be with the child in the fresh air more often. If a child loves oxygen cocktails, it is recommended to drink them several times a day, as well as introduce iron-containing desserts or special preparations in this area into the diet.

Treatment

What to do at home if a child’s nails are peeling? Of course, the first thing worth saying is that it is best to see a doctor, who will most likely prescribe a general blood test and prescribe treatment. But if parents still want to try to rid their baby’s nails of flaking, then there are a couple of effective ways that will help them with this.

Before you start fighting peeling marigolds using folk methods, you should know exactly the cause of this disease.

If the cause is vitamin deficiency, then it is worth reviewing the child’s diet. It is advisable to add healthy food rich in vitamins and minerals to it. First of all, the food a child eats should contain as much iron and calcium as possible. For example, it is worth offering your child dairy products, dried apricots or raisins, nuts and various fresh vegetables;
If your nails are peeling due to the fact that your baby constantly keeps his fingers in his mouth , under no circumstances try to scold him for this. Excessive stress will definitely not help get rid of the flaking. It is better to pay attention to how the child behaves; it is likely that fingers in the mouth are a sign of internal discomfort. Therefore, it is worth analyzing your attitude towards your baby and trying to create favorable conditions for his mental health;
If the nails are peeling due to anemia, then it is worth changing the child’s daily routine. First of all, you need to walk more with him in the fresh air, but also consult a doctor who will prescribe medications containing iron;
If the peeling of nails is caused by a fungus , then in any case you will have to take special medications. But for the greatest effect, it is also possible to take medicinal baths that will help cope with a fungal infection.

Unconventional methods of treating peeling nails in children

As a rule, all non-traditional methods of treatment should be used with the permission of the attending physician and, for greater effectiveness, combined with conventional medications.

The most common method of alternative treatment is warm baths with the addition of medicinal ingredients such as sea salt, iodine or lemon juice. And don’t think that your baby won’t like such procedures; on the contrary, the child will be delighted to once again play with colored warm water.
In addition to baths, why not try lubricating your baby’s damaged nail plates with lemon juice or treating the surface with an iodine solution. After all, these natural remedies contain substances that not only fight delamination, but also help with fungal diseases.
Of course, the baby will be against medicinal compresses, but rubbing currant juice, lemon or olive oil with added iodine into the fingertips is quite possible. This procedure is best done before bedtime for ten days and repeat the course of treatment after a month.
Essential oils of tea tree, fir and eucalyptus should be taken with caution as medicinal raw materials for the treatment of peeling nails. After all, essential resins cause allergies and are not always well tolerated.

How to identify hidden diseases of a baby by peeling nails

Almost everyone knows that you can recognize a particular disease by your nails. Therefore, if you notice that only one nail of a child is peeling, you should think about why and what disease this is associated with.

The surface peels off on the child’s thumb - this indicates an unstable mental state.
If your baby's index finger is constantly peeling, this indicates frequent colds.
A dissection on the middle finger indicates a metabolic problem and difficulties associated with intestinal function.
The ring finger is responsible for kidney function.
But the little finger can diagnose heart problems.

By noticing the first signs of nail separation and taking all the necessary measures, you can not only quickly cure your baby, but also identify more serious problems that are easier and more successful to treat in the early stages. In addition, some treatment methods will help strengthen the body, restore immunity and enrich it with useful vitamins and microelements.