Key points
- Dirt and germs can live under your fingernails and contribute to the spread of some infections.
- One of the best ways to prevent nail infections is by keeping nails short and clean.
Overview
Appropriate hand hygiene includes diligently cleaning and trimming fingernails, which may have dirt and germs underneath them and can contribute to the spread of some infections, such as pinworms. Fingernails should be kept short, and the undersides should be cleaned frequently with soap and water. Because of their length, more dirt and bacteria can gather under long nails than short nails. This can contribute to the spread of germs.
Before clipping or grooming nails, all equipment (for example, nail clippers and files) should be properly cleaned. Sterilizing equipment before use is especially important when nail tools are shared among a number of people, as is common in commercial nail salons.
Infections of the fingernails or toenails often appear as swelling of the skin around the nails, pain around the nails, or thickening of the nail. In some cases, these infections may be serious and need to be treated by a physician.
Tips
To help prevent the spread of germs and nail infections:
- Keep nails short and trim them often.
- Scrub the underside of nails with soap and water (or a nail brush) every time you wash your hands.
- Clean any nail grooming tools before use.
- In commercial settings such as nail salons, sterilize nail grooming tools before use.
- Avoid biting or chewing nails.
- Avoid cutting cuticles, as they act as barriers to prevent infection.
- Never rip or bite a hangnail. Instead, clip it with a clean, sanitized nail trimmer.