Nail Health – What Does It Say About You?

As with your hair and skin, nails can provide insight into your overall health. While certain changes to the nails are entirely normal due to everyday activities or environmental influences, others could signal health concerns that require attention.

Nails are made up of keratin protein, the same one responsible for creating hair and skin. Any changes in your nail condition could indicate nutritional deficiencies, chronic disease or internal imbalance.

Color

Your nail color is more than a pretty hue – it can also reveal important insights into your health. There is much folk wisdom surrounding nails as an indicator of one’s wellness; for example, leukonychia white spots (called leukonychia ) on the nails may indicate calcium deficiency. Most changes to nail colors are harmless and don’t indicate any diseases.

Wearing bolder hues such as neon, cyan and yellow may indicate that you possess plenty of energy and thrive off social interactions; that you are open-minded with lots of ideas that come quickly to you; that you are spontaneous yet young at heart.

However, pale and yellow nails could be an indicator of anemia or liver disease; while bluish looking nails could signal low oxygen due to poor circulation or respiratory problems. Furthermore, swelling nails with vertical black stripes might also indicate subungal melanoma (a serious type of skin cancer).

Shape

Most of us don’t give much thought to our fingernails beyond trimming and polishing them; but our nails can tell a powerful tale about our health and well-being. Some nail changes may simply reflect daily activities while others could signal more serious medical conditions.

If your nails have turned white with the exception of their lunulas, this may indicate leukonychia; an issue which can result from trauma to the nail bed or infection or disease in liver, lungs, kidneys or heart organs and which leads to white spots or streaks on nail plates as well as ripples or pitting in these parts of the body.

Healthy nails should typically be smooth, firm and pink in appearance. Any change to their color, shape or texture that occurs alongside pain, swelling, tenderness or an unpleasant odor could be indicative of an underlying medical condition requiring professional medical advice for diagnosis. Consult your primary healthcare provider immediately.

Texture

Many don’t think of their nails as health indicators, but in reality they play an important role. Fingernails do more than scratch an itch or untangle knots – any changes to color, shape or texture of your nails could indicate injury, illness or cancerous growths.

Leukonychia or “silver nails“, for instance, could indicate iron deficiency anemia. Additionally, deep horizontal ridges on the nail bed known as Beau’s lines could be an indicator of kidney disease, congestive heart failure or diabetes.

Maintaining healthy nails can help identify potential nutritional deficiencies early and address them before it’s too late. To do this, refrain from picking or biting them and moisturize regularly with moisturizer. Also don’t neglect your cuticles: they form a thin protective barrier on the base of each nail that helps ward off bacteria and fungus growth.

Strength

Nails provide doctors with a unique window into the body and are an effective means for identifying a wide variety of illnesses, from skin conditions and autoimmune diseases to kidney and liver issues. “Their unique qualities provide us with insight into what’s going on within,” notes Dr. Coates.

Strong and healthy nails are constructed of keratin, the same protein found in hair and skin. Keratin protects the ends of fingers and toes by gripping objects, turning pages of books, picking threads up from thread racks or collecting items at trade fairs – as well as looking great!

Nails may become weak and dry over time due to overuse (using your nails to open packages, scrape hard surfaces or pick at old nail polish) or health conditions like psoriasis which causes itchy patches on the skin that often impact nails. Bleaching agents in nail polish and acetone-based remover can also damage them; eating foods rich in biotin (a B vitamin) such as berries, whole grains and lean proteins is another great way to keep nails strong and flexible; alternatively consult your physician about taking biotin supplements.