In autumn and winter, many people suffer from hand barbs, a phenomenon similar to freshly cut and rapidly growing leeks, which can cause a lot of trouble. To solve this problem, it is important to understand the possible consequences of tearing off the barbs. Removing the barbs directly can not only lead to skin breakdown, but also the risk of infection, but not treating them can damage the image of our daily lives. Some people will start supplementing with vitamin ABCDE and buying a bunch of supplements to cope with this problem, but this does not always work. In fact, this approach may not be the crux of the problem.
How did the barbs come about?
In autumn and winter, many people develop barbs in the skin around their nails, a phenomenon that is closely related to impaired skin barrier function. From a medical point of view, the skin barrier mainly refers to the stratum corneum and the sebaceous film that covers it, which together form a physical barrier. Especially in the periungual fold area around the nail, the main role of the skin here is to envelop and protect the nail matrix to promote healthy nail growth. Due to the scarcity of hair follicles and sebaceous glands in the skin of periungual folds, the sebaceous membrane is already thin. When the temperature plummets, sebum production decreases, allowing the sebaceous membrane to disappear completely, making the exposed stratum corneum more susceptible to damage.
In addition, modern people generally maintain good hand hygiene, and frequent hand washing will destroy the connections between the cells of the stratum corneum, and at the same time lead to a large loss of intercellular lipids (including ceramides, cholesterol, free fatty acids, etc.). The result is a decrease in the elasticity of the stratum corneum and an increase in brittleness. Repeated stretching and rubbing can put pressure on the periungual folds during daily finger use, which can eventually lead to rupture of the stratum corneum and form barbs. This process is similar to the common phenomenon of lip splitting in autumn and winter, and is caused by a compromised skin barrier function.
How barbs should be handled
The popular belief is that barbs are associated with vitamin deficiencies in the body, and that vitamin supplementation by increasing the intake of fruits and vegetables can solve the problem. However, this perception is not entirely accurate.
Vitamin deficiencies can really affect skin health. For example, a deficiency of vitamin C may lead to difficulty healing wounds, a deficiency of B vitamins may cause chapped lips and seborrheic dermatitis, and a deficiency of vitamin A can cause hyperkeratosis of hair follicles. Despite this, there is no conclusive evidence that vitamin deficiency directly causes barbs.
In addition, while vitamin supplementation through food is safe, medication-based vitamin supplementation should be done with caution. With modern diets, most people are less likely to experience severe vitamin deficiencies. Importantly, excessive intake of certain vitamins, such as vitamins A and B6, can lead to health problems and even toxicity. Therefore, it is best to consult your doctor before considering a pure vitamin supplement.
As for the treatment of barbs, relying solely on vitamin supplementation may not help. Wrong handling, such as pulling, tearing, or biting by hand, can exacerbate the problem. The correct way to do this is to use scissors or nail clippers to carefully cut off the barbs. For safer and more efficient processing, the following steps can be taken:
Start by soaking your hands in warm water to soften your nails and surrounding skin.
Use alcohol-sterilized nail clippers and small scissors to disinfect the barbed area with iodine to prevent infection.
Use a sharp and clean tool to neatly cut off the barbs.
Apply hand cream or moisturizer immediately after handling the barbs or washing your hands, and it is recommended to choose products that contain ingredients such as urea, unsaturated fatty acids, cod liver oil, white petroleum jelly, etc.