Term | Definition |
onychosis | any disease, disorder or condition of the nail |
If a disease is present: | no service can be performed; the client must be referred to a physician |
If a disorder is present: | nail services may be done with care; the client may want to consult a physician for help and information |
If a condition is present: | nail services can be performed, and the condition should improve with correct techniques, products or improved nutrition |
Etiology | cause of disease, disorder or condition |
systemic | throughout the system; causes are internal |
six signs of infection | pain, swelling, redness, local fever, throbbing and pus |
Onychomycosis or tinea Unguium or Unguis | ringworm of the nail |
Onychomycosis or tinea Unguium or Unguis | Causes: fungus, disease related |
Onychomycosis or tinea Unguium or Unguis | nail becomes thick and discolors from black to brown or beige to white; can develop white scaly patches with yellow streaks under nail plate; deformed nail may fall off; must be diagnosed and treated by physician. |
Tinea pedis | "athlete's foot" or ringworm of the feet |
Tinea pedis | Cause: Fungus, disease related; thrives in dark moist places |
Tinea pedis | itching and peeling of the skin on the feet; blisters containing colorless fluid form in groups orsingly on sores and between toes, leaving sore or itchy skin on one or both feet: must be diagnosed and treated by physician |
paronychia or felon | inflammation of skin around the nail |
paronychia or felon | Cause: bacterial infection of tissue surrounding the nail; infected hangnail; prolonged exposure to water |
paronychia or felon | red, swollen, sore, warm to touch, can loose nail; diagnosed and treated by physician |
onychoptosis | shedding or falling off of nails |
onychoptosis | Cause: disease or injury |
onychoptosis | nail will regrow if causing disease is cured; must be treated by a physician |
Onychia | Inflammation of nail matrix |
Onychia | Cause: bacterial infection |
Onychia | pus, redness, swollen and tender, nail may stop growing, plate may detach;diagnosed and treated by physician |
Onychatrophia | atrophy or wasting away of nail |
Onychatrophia | Cause: injury or systemic disease |
Onychatrophia | nail shrink in size and may separate from nail bed; refer to physician |
Onlycholysis | loosening or separation of the nail |
Onlycholysis | Cause: internal disorder; infection or drug treatment;systemic, disease related |
Onlycholysis | loosening of nail plate starting at free edge and progressing to the lunula; nail doesn't come off but stays attached at root area; must be diagnosed and treated by physicain |
Blue Nails | appear bluish in color |
blue nails | Cause: systemic problems of the heart, poor circulation, injury |
blue nails | blue color in skin under nails; manicure with caution, refer to physician |
eggshell nails | very thin, soft nails |
eggshell nails | Cause: hereditary or nervous condition |
eggshell nails | thin almost see-through, transparent; regular application of top coat, nail strengtheners or artificial nails, good nutrition |
corrugations | horizontal wavy ridges across the nail |
corrugations | injury, systemic conditions, uneven growth |
corrugations | lightly buff to level the nail surface; apply a base coat or ridge filler |
kolionychia | spoon nails, nails with a concave shape |
kolionychia | cause: systemic or long-term illness or nerve disturbance |
kolionychia | file carefully; apply no pressure to nail plate; use polish to harden and protect nails |
furrows | indented vertical lines down the nail plate |
furrows | cause: injury to matrix, nutrition, injury or illness, exposure to harsh chemicals, pushing too hard with pusher during nail service |
furrows | lightly buff; apply base coat or ridge filler |
onychogryposis | claw nails; increased curvature of nail |
onychogryposis | cause: systemic |
onychogryposis | increased thickness and curving of nail; may occur with age or injury; refer signs of infection to physician |
onychocryptosis | ingrown nails |
onychocryptosis | cause: environmental or poor nail trimming practices; shoes too tight |
onychocryptosis | trim nails across to prevent; if infection present refer to physician; only physician can remove nail |
onychauxis | hypertrophy; a thickening of the nail plate or abnormal outgrowth of the nail |
onychauxis | Cause: injury to nail or systemic |
onychauxis | can be lightly buffed; likely to disappear |
agnails | hangnails, split cuticles; loose skin partially separated from the cuticle |
agnails | Cause: overly dry cuticles; environmental |
agnails | skin breaks from corners of nails can be trimmed with cuticle nippers; moisturize; avoid massaging area; use cuticle oil daily |
bruised nails | show dark purplish discoloration under the nail |
bruised nails | Cause: trauma to nail; environmental |
bruised nails | bruised area will grow out with normal nail growth |
Leuconychia | white spots appearing on the nail |
Leuconychia | Cause: injury to the nail; systemic, nutritional |
Leuconychia | small separation from nail bed, grows out with nail |
pterygium | the living skin that becomes attached to the nail plate either at the eponychium or the hyponychium |
pterygium | Cause: severe injury to the eponychium or hyponychium |
pterygium | living skin attached to nail plate; can disrupt normal nail growth; no service on affected nails |
onychophagy | bitten nails |
onychophagy | cause: nervous habit, stress related |
onychophagy | perform weekly nail service; if biting stops, nails will regrow |
onychorrhexis | split or brittle nail |
onychorrhexis | cause: injury, improper filing, harsh chemicals |
onychorrhexis | file with emery board carefully; soften nails well before trimming; hot oil manicure; wear gloves when hands are in chemicals |
discoloration | can indicate serious problem in the the nail bed or nail plate and should be referred to physician |