What Your Nails Say About Your Health

“You are what you eat” suggests what you ingest reflects the way you look and feel on the outside. This saying can be applicable when it comes to our weight, the way our skin and hair look and feel, and even to your nails. In fact, your nails can tell you a lot about your health -sometimes more than the “obvious” physical factors that we often turn to when assessing our wellbeing. Nails can inform you of malnutrition, infection and even serious disease.

The nails are made up of layers of keratin, a protein also found in our skin and hair. There are 6 separate components that comprise nails, including: the nail plate (the hard protective coating that is most visible), nail folds (the skin around the nail plate), the nail bed (the skin underneath the nail plate), the lunula (the whitish crescent moon at the bottom of the nail), the cuticle (the tissue overlapping the nail plate) and the matrix (an area under the cuticle where the nail grows from). Typically, fingernails grow 2 – 3 millimeters every month and toenails grow 1 millimeter, although growth is faster in the summer months, as well as on your dominant hand. (!)

There are several signs of ill-health your nails may try to alert you to:

1. Discoloration:
White – may suggest liver disease
Whitish nail beds – (along with thin, concaves) could be signs of anemia (iron-deficiency)
½ White, ½ Pink – suggests kidney issues
Red – may signal heart problems
Yellow – lung disease (if also associated with think, slow-growing nails that may detach from the bed and/or "clubbing," a painless increase in tissue around the ends of the fingers); may also be a sign of other respiratory issues
Yellowish with a slight blush at the base – this may be a sign of diabetes
Irregular red lines (blood vessels) – if found around the nail base may be signs of lupus
Dark lines – if found underneath the nail may suggest melanoma

2. Pitting: Tiny dents in the nails, along with splitting and peeling are common in psoriasis and inflammatory arthritis

3. Dry, brittle nails that crack easily: This could be a suggest thyroid disease

4. Spoon nails (koilonychia): Soft nails that look scooped out, with the depression usually large enough to hold a drop of liquid, may be a sign of iron deficiency or anemia

While none of these signs guarantee that you have a certain health condition, it may be useful to investigate these areas. Making healthy changes to your diet to combat such isses is always a welcomed choice and will not only insure that your nails look in tip-top shape, but that your overall wellbeing right where it's best.


Thanks to Jessica Kole