Home Remedy for Deep Skin Cracks Around Nails

Dry, cracked skin around the nails of the fingers and toes is a common problem. People are constantly using their hands and feet, and that area of the skin is usually drier than other parts of the body and takes a lot more punishment. While there are expensive creams that can be bought to alleviate the pain and the dry, cracked look of skin around the nails, there are a number of home remedies that can help as well.

Soaking Your Hands and Feet

According to the website MotherNature, soaking your hands and feet every night for 20 minutes will help alleviate dry, cracking skin around the nails. Many of these cracks are due to excessive drying of the hands and feet, and by soaking the skin cells in this area for this set amount of time, they will absorb water like little sponges and begin to grow back together, healing those cracks.

Petroleum Jelly

Using petroleum jelly will help to alleviate the cracks around the nails of your fingers and toes. The moisture in petroleum jelly will slowly absorb into your skin and not evaporate quickly like water might. For your feet, the MotherNature website recommends covering your toes in petroleum jelly, then putting on socks before you go to bed. This way the moisture from the jelly is trapped and really has no place to go but into your skin. Even if it is absorbed into the sock itself, the jelly will still be moisturizing the skin throughout the night. The best news is that petroleum jelly is stronger and cheaper then most high-end store-bought brands of lotion.

A Nail-Friendly Diet

Sometimes skin around the nails and on the cuticles is cracking because of the lack of nutrients it needs to remain healthy and strong. Nails and their surrounding skin need a regular dose of vitamins and minerals, and if these are not being included in your diet, your nails and the surrounding skin will show it. A steady diet of fruit, vegetables and whole grains is integral to having healthy nails, which in turn will produce healthy and strong skin around them, devoid of deep cracks.