{"id":4158,"date":"2013-10-08T13:23:45","date_gmt":"2013-10-08T20:23:45","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.nailcarehq.com\/?p=4158"},"modified":"2017-08-30T12:37:35","modified_gmt":"2017-08-30T19:37:35","slug":"callus-callous-treatment","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nailcareheadquarters.com\/callus-callous-treatment\/","title":{"rendered":"ASK ANA: Callus or Callous Treatment?"},"content":{"rendered":"
CALLUS CALLOUS TREATMENT<\/span><\/h6>\n

\"ASK<\/a><\/h2>\n

\u00a0Callus Treatment<\/h2>\n

Callus or Callous\u2014no matter how you spell it, calluses can be a nuisance.<\/p>\n

But in this article, I’ll explain why they are a necessary nuisance and how to care for calluses.<\/p>\n

ASK ANA<\/h2>\n

“Ana, I don’t know if you have addressed this issue before so here goes: I use your nail and cuticle oil everyday, all of my nails look great except one, my middle finger on my right hand. I think it is because I use my stylus when typing on my iPad\u2122. I hate the crusty look and feel of this finger. I have used clippers to the point of making it bleed. What should I do?” ~Ruth Ann\u00a0<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

ANSWER<\/h2>\n

I actually learned something while researching this article\u2014the importance of triangular writing utensils.<\/p>\n

Huh? Read on… it will make sense in a minute.<\/p>\n

All through my high school and college years, I had this thick skin on the side of my right middle finger as well and never really understood why.<\/p>\n

Since I haven’t written a term paper in over 20 years, I haven’t had the problem. I spend more hours typing and only write on the occasional post-it note.<\/p>\n

\"www.NailCareHQ.com<\/a>

Pressure of writing implement on the middle finger causes a callus<\/p><\/div>\n

Now, with the last two years of nail structure education under my belt, the answer is ridiculously obvious to me.<\/p>\n

Don’t Rub Me Wrong<\/h2>\n

This thick skin is the first major callus that all of us develop when we start to use a pencil. In high school and college, we can spend hours writing.<\/p>\n

The body’s protective response to any motion that is rubbing our skin is to create a callus.<\/p>\n

Also, pencils and a lot of ball point pens are a hexagon shape which creates a sharp, angled pressure point against the skin.<\/p>\n

Spur Me On\"www.NailCareHQ.com<\/a><\/h2>\n

You may have also noticed that you have a bump on your bone near this callused skin, that is not on your other hand.<\/p>\n

Years of writing irritation caused your body to lay down extra bone to protect your finger in this area as well. This is a bone spur. You can see this really clearly in my photo to the right.<\/p>\n

According to WebMD, a bone spur (osteophyte) is a bony growth formed on normal bone. Most people think of something sharp when they think of a “spur,” but a bone spur is just extra bone. It’s usually smooth, but it can cause wear and tear or pain if it presses or rubs on other bones or soft tissues such as ligaments, tendons, or nerves in the body. Common places for bone spurs include the spine, shoulders, hands, hips, knees, and feet.<\/p>\n

A bone spur forms as the body tries to repair itself by building extra bone. It typically forms in response to pressure, rubbing, or stress that continues over a long period of time. [Source: WebMD.com<\/a>]<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Since this bone spur doesn’t create a lot of pain, it’s not a medical issue, but I’ve noticed that it can be very tender. Especially when I’m at a 2-day conference taking notes without a life-saving callus! It hurts to write.<\/p>\n

Matrix Damage<\/h2>\n

Depending on where you hold your pencil, it may sit on your matrix (right behind the cuticle line).<\/p>\n

If you notice that the side of that fingernail is weaker, or has a tendency to peel, it’s because the\u00a0continuous pencil pressure has damaged the growing nail cells.<\/p>\n

Cut And Regret\"Image<\/a><\/h2>\n

Since calluses are a protective, thickened build up of skin cells, they get hard and dry out.<\/p>\n

It’s tempting to want to cut or file that skin down. Don’t do it.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The body’s response is to protect the skin from damage. Cutting the callus will simply trigger the body to build the callus thicker. It becomes a vicious cycle and often times a painful one.<\/p>\n

Instead, keep the callused skin moisturized with regular application of a\u00a0high quality, jojoba based nail and cuticle oil<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Solutions\"www.NailCareHQ.com<\/a><\/h2>\n