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It might not look like it, but nails are actually vital for most of the everyday tasks we do. Not directly as in the nails themselves being used in those tasks, but nails perform the vital function of protecting our fingers and protecting the soft flesh underneath the nail.

Any injury to the nail like the nail being cracked or the nail ripping out can significantly impair your ability to do anything with that hand. Think about it – eating, drinking, bathing, and writing – a painful injury or condition of the nail can impair all of these activities which actively involve our hands.

Luckily, most nail injuries and ailments can be fixed and treated by your clinic for dermatology in Alliance. Dermatologists, contrary to popular belief, don’t deal with just skin related issues and problems but also tackle and treat hair and nail related problems.

Thus, if you notice any of the mentioned nail problems mentioned below then immediately book an appointment with your clinic for dermatology in Alliance and get it looked at. With timely intervention and treatment, you can reasonably recover from most nail issues and problems.

1.  Ingrown Nail

This is one of the most common nail conditions which impacts people. It mostly occurs in the nails of the feet, particularly the toe. It is also one of the most painful and debilitating.

It can cause acute and sharp pain whenever you attempt to walk and, at worst, actively put you off from walking while the problem is still present. So we are talking about it but haven’t explained what it is.

Ingrown nails, as the name says, are nails which grow in the wrong direction of the nail bed or plate. This can mean the nail grows down into the sides of the toe or it begins to grow back into the nail bed. This usually happens due to wearing tight and ill-fitting shows which bunch and squish the toes together thus causing pressure on them. It can also happen due to improper nail cutting and getting an extensive and unnecessarily deep pedicure and cuticle treatments. Though it can be very painful, it is easily treatable by your clinic for dermatology in Alliance. They will use local anesthesia and extract the nail from the toe. The healing process, however, is painful and takes time since your nail plate is exposed and it takes time for the nail to regrow.

That is why it is essential that as soon as you feel pain or pressure in your toe you go as soon as you can to your clinic for dermatology in Alliance. If caught in time, the problem can still be treated with medication and changing footwear.

2.  Dark Nail Streaks

If you spot the development of dark streaks across your nails down the length of the nail then an immediate visit is required to your clinic for dermatology in Alliance. The urgency for this seemingly cosmetic condition is because it can actually be a sign of and precursor to one of the most serious forms of skin cancer, Melanoma.

Your clinic for dermatology in Alliance will be equipped with the tools and tests to determine the diagnosis and start treatment as soon as possible. If not caught in time or ignored, it can become much more difficult to cure and treat.

3.  Nail Lifting

If you notice portions of your nail lifting and detaching from the nail plate then they will begin to discolor and become white. This is due to that portion of the nail dying and not connected anymore to the nail plate underneath. The reasons for this might be many from fungus and infection to unnecessarily deep manicures or attempts to clean underneath the nail with sharp objects which might dig into the nail plate.

You might be thinking of letting the nail grow out naturally and cut it off but you are not sure if it is not due to some other underlying reason. A visit to your clinic for dermatology in Alliance thus won’t hurt anyone and your dermatologist will probably be able to give you better tips to take care of the nail or cut it away precisely.

4.  Nail Injury

If you strike your nail hard against an object or if your toes face consistent pressure from tight fitting shoes, this can cause a number of problems and conditions.

You could find internal rupturing of blood vessels and congealing of blood under the nail which will form a solid black mass. This will be the congealed blood which couldn’t escape anywhere. What this tends to do is cause the skin on top of the congealed mass to eventually die until the mass of solid blood breaks out to the surface. This mass is connected to both the nail and the nail plate though so trying to excavate it is often a painful process. Going to your clinic for dermatology in Alliance can clear this problem quickly and without hassle with a power wash which will cut and wash away the blood mass.

5.  Nail Abscess

One of the other conditions which can arise from striking the nail at an object or undue pressure is the formation of an abscess at the base of the nail plate.

An abscess is a collection of pus from an infection or inflammation. An abscess of the toe, if left untreated, will not only cause great pain and make walking difficult but by the time it finds a natural route to drain itself, it may have consumed a lot of the part of the nail plate. This can cause disfiguration and deterioration which may take a long time to properly heal. Your clinic for dermatology in Alliance can lance and drain this abscess thus ensuring your nail does not get eaten in the process.

Conclusion

Our nails can be impacted by a lot of conditions and problems. Many of them are often painful considering the nature of the sensitive flesh under the nail plate.  So if you are looking for a clinic for dermatology in Alliance then contact Compassion Dermatology today. Our specialists provide a variety of treatments and services for various nail related problems and conditions of the hands and feet.

You can call us on 817-380-5911 to book an appointment today.