NAIL CARE AS A MASSAGE THERAPIST

21 Aug
2014

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As a massage therapist your hands are your main tools which makes the health and appearance of your nails essential.

Nails are a specialised form of skin which protect your sensitive fingers and toes and they provide important clues to your overall health. They help you pick up small things, scratch itches and hold onto or manipulate objects.

Basic tips to care for your nails include:

Keep them clean and dry. This helps prevent infection.

Shape them straight across rather than to a point. Pointed nails are weaker and can break more easily.

Do not bite or pick them. Bitten nails are more easily infected.

Broken, discoloured, or misshapen nails can indicate nutritional deficiencies, infections, or skin conditions. Good nail care keeps your hands and feet looking nice and is part of a general program of good health habits and is certainly a must for Massage Therapist’s as their hands are their main tool.

You can also abuse your nails by biting, peeling and picking at them.

Nail Problems

Because they're right out there on the ends of our hands and feet, nails are subject to a lot of abuse. Some of the abuse, like biting, is self-inflicted. But everyone has experienced broken or ripped nails from catching them on or in something, or cracking and splitting from overexposure to water and chemicals. Minor nail problems usually heal as the nail grows out and require little treatment other than perhaps protecting the finger or toe if it is especially sensitive. In addition to allergic reactions to nail cosmetics and chemicals, there are a few other common problems that can occur with nails. 

Abuse: biting, picking and peeling

When you bite your nails, you are interfering with their ability to protect your sensitive fingers.  This can be a significant hindrance if you are a Massage Therapist and also be unappealing for the client.

Fungal infections

Biting your nails invites infection. Your nails can become infected because the surface is either broken or removed.

As Massage Therapists are working in direct contact with the client’s skin it is essential that their hands and nails are clean and free of any possible infection.

Colour changes:

Nails may sometimes change in colour as a result of an injury, some medications, nutritional imbalances, or skin conditions. If the colour of your nails has changed dramatically, it is a good idea to check with your doctor.