Nail State Of Health: What Does The Appearance Of The Nail Say About Its Health?
Nail State Of Health: The appearance of nails is not just an aesthetic issue. The structure, shape and color they take are actually important indicators of the body’s health.
Healthy nails are characterized by a smooth surface, a pink color and good resistance. A change in appearance should never be underestimated, because it can be a sign of some disorder (such as for example trauma or skin disorders – psoriasis, mycosis – or cardiovascular disorders) or the signal that harmful habits are being adopted (such as aggressive manicure, the application of poor quality nail polish or lack of precaution when carrying out household chores).
Nail State Of Health, Nails may change in texture, shape and color. Below are the main conditions in which nails can occur and a possible explanation.
Nail State Of Health
1. Brittle Nails
Brittle nails are typically thin, soft, and dull and tend to break and chip easily. The cause may lie in a deficiency of vitamins (A, B6, E) or mineral salts (iron, selenium, copper, zinc). Minerals and vitamins – as well as amino acids, fats and water – are components of the nails and their deficiency can affect the consistency of the nails.
Brittle nails can depend on incorrect eating habits, debilitating pathologies or long drug treatments, but also on aggressive or too frequent manicures and excessive contact with water, detergents or chemical products.
Nail State Of Health
2. Yellow Nails
Yellow nails may be due to the use of poor quality nail polish or their application directly on the nails (especially if they are very intensely colored), without using a protective colorless base.
At their origin, there may also be disorders such as respiratory system diseases (pleurisy, chronic sinusitis, bronchitis). In this case the toenails also turn yellow.
Nail State Of Health
3. Blue-purple Nails
If all the nails take on a color that tends towards blue-purple, they can indicate the presence of cardiovascular problems. In fact, if blood circulation does not occur correctly, the tissues are not well oxygenated and take on a blue color, which is clearly visible in the nails.
Nail State Of Health
4. White Specks On The Nails
The white spots are air bubbles present between the nail plates. They are due to microtraumas to the nail matrix, i.e. the tissue responsible for producing the nail plate. White spots can be a sign of a skin condition, such as psoriasis and atopic dermatitis, especially if they appear on all (or almost all) of the nails.
Nail State Of Health
5. Dark Spots On The Nails
The presence of small dark spots on the nails is due to hemorrhages under the plate, often following trauma. This type of spot tends to regress spontaneously and in a short time. If this does not happen, it could be a benign mole or a melanoma, and it is best to consult your dermatologist.
Nail State Of Health
6. Vertical Lines On The Nails
The presence of vertical and parallel lines on the surface of the nails, with variable depth, may be linked to the natural aging process or to the presence of chronic eczema.
Nail State Of Health
7. Indentations On The Nails
The appearance of horizontal grooves on the nails – called Beau’s lines – may be due to trauma. If the depressions are present on all the nails they can signal anemia, as happens in acute hemorrhages.
Nail State Of Health
8. White And Brown Nails
The presence of white and brown areas on the nail can indicate the presence of a fungus (this is called onychomycosis). To prevent the infection from spreading to other nails, it is best to intervene promptly by consulting your dermatologist. Antifungal creams or lotions and oral antifungal administration may be necessary.
Nail State Of Health
9. White And Pink Nails
White nails with a pink stripe at the end can be a sign of liver cirrhosis.
Nail State Of Health
10. Spoon Nails
Koilonychia, or when the nails appear hollow in the center in the shape of a spoon, can signal an iron deficiency and therefore anemia. Spoon nails can also be due to thyroid problems or result from professional trauma.
Nail State Of Health
11. Watch Glass Nails
Also called digital clubbing, this anomaly involves all the nails which are convex, just like a watch glass, and cover the tips of the fingertips. It can occur in cases of respiratory, liver and intestinal diseases and in those who abuse alcohol or are heavy smokers.
Nail State Of Health
12. Thimble Nails
Thimble nails have small dome-shaped depressions on the surface. It is a typical anomaly of skin pathologies, such as psoriasis, alopecia areata and contact allergy.
Nail State Of Health
13. Cave Nails
In this case, the nail tends to grow upwards with consequent thickening of its end, due to the formation of an underlying cavity (called a cave) which fills with horny material. This anomaly may be linked to thyroid dysfunction or psoriasis; if it affects the toenails, however, the cause may lie in shoes that are too tight which give rise to continuous trauma.
Nail State Of Health
14. Wavy Nails
The presence of small ridges on the surface of the nails may be due to overly aggressive manicures, which tend to damage the nail matrix.
Nail State Of Health
15. Thick Nails
If the nail thickens to the point that it resembles a claw, it is called onyryphosis. This anomaly is linked to the aging of the vascular compartment of the nails and is in fact generally characteristic of elderly people. However, it can also result from wearing shoes with too narrow toes.
Nail State Of Health
16. Detachment Of Nails
The detachment of one or more nail plates can result from drug intoxication or from the presence of Raynaud’s syndrome, a disease in which there is a temporary interruption of the blood supply to the fingers.
Nail State Of Health
17. Nail Pain
If you feel pain when pressing a nail, there may be a glomus, a vascular formation in the nail bed. You need to consult your dermatologist to remove it.
Nail State Of Health
18. Ingrown Toenails
The nail becomes ingrown when the lateral part of the nail penetrates the dermis and does not slide forward. This generates a series of very painful infections and the formation of reactive nodules. Ingrown toenails are often due to the shape of the foot, but obesity and the use of rigid shoes can favor their appearance. This disorder must be treated promptly.
Also Read:
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How To Fix A Broken Nail At Home: The Best 5 Steps That Actually Work
