Healthy nail care for your child.

When we think of good hygiene habits for children, bathing, brushing teeth and washing hands before meal comes to mind but healthy nail care for your children is often ignored. It is essential to take care of children’s nails because keeping nails clean and healthy is a basic and important part of children’s hygiene. Children are curious and they want to touch everything they see. As a result, dirt is trapped underneath their fingernails, and this can lead to transmission of disease-causing bacteria that will result in fungus and sickness. Trimming your child’s nails should be a regular part of his/her grooming. If the nails are not trimmed, there is more risk of your child breaking nails, which can be very painful for children. Children also tend to pick-up habit of nail biting, which can be prevented if nails are kept shortly trimmed. Keeping children nails short also prevent them from scratching their own face or eyes.

 Following tips will show you how to take care of your child’s nails.

  • Parents should trim a child’s nails until the child reaches 8 or 9 years of age.
  • If your child bites or chews nails keep a soft toothbrush to clean the gunk accumulated under your child’s nail tips.
  • Good time to trim nails is after a bath, when their nails are soft and easier to trim.
  • Toddler’s fingers are very small compared to nails that grow very quickly. You may have to trim them twice a week.
  • Use small nail clipper to trim nails.
  • Cut fingernails straight and round a little at the corners, it will keep the nails strong.
  • Don’t round the corners for toenails, or there are chances of getting an ingrown nail.
  • Nails need moisturizing, apply lotion after they wash hands and after giving them a bath.
  • For a girl child, don’t allow them to use nail-polish until the age of 10, nail-polish and nail-polish remover are hard on nails.
  • Shoes that your children wear should have room for toes. Cramped toes are painful and can lead to ingrown toenails.
  • Don’t repeat the same socks another day. Dirty socks can lead to toenail infections.

Baby nail cares is majorly easy but if, you are struggling or scared to trim the nails of your child get the advice from a good pediatrician. Teach good personal hygiene habits to your child that will continue throughout his/her life.