I’m super impressed with your knowledge of the condition (assuming you haven’t had a doctor diagnose a similar problem in the past before).
Honestly don’t think I can ever recall having a patient come in saying, “doctor, how can I treat my onycholysis?” It’s always more along the lines of “help! my nails look funny…”
Dr Colin’s advise is accurate – dermatologists are the experts with skin and nails. So in this case, going to him, or any other dermatologist would be the best way to get the right diagnosis and treatment.
Treatment really depends on the cause. Don’t worry – they can all be treated.
For now, you can prevent worsening of your nails by doing the following:
- Avoid trauma to the affected nails – cutting them short helps
- Avoid exposure to contact irritants eg. nail polish remover or detergents
- Wear rubber gloves for wet work. Nails expand when they are wet, and then shrink while drying, a cycle that can make them brittle over time
How long will it take before my nails revert to their original states?
This is the real bug bear for patients…nails grow really slowly, so they often complain that they aren’t seeing any improvement with treatment.
Rest assured however that once started on the right treatment, they will go back to their original state.
Cheers
