Fingernails: What You Can Read On Them
Provided that you don’t hide your fingernails under nail polish, then you can learn a lot about your health from them.
Provided you don’t hide your fingernails under artificial nails or nail polish, then you can learn a lot about your health – or that of the other person. Be curious what your nails can reveal!
Our fingernails
Our fingernails are made of keratin. Keratin is a protein-containing substance from which horn is formed. The horn of a cow, the claws of a cat, the feathers of birds, the scales of reptiles, the spines of hedgehogs and our nails are all made from the same building block: keratin.
To build up keratin, the body needs protein, which is the main building block, and vitamin B7, which is also called vitamin H or simply “biotin”.
A balanced diet therefore promotes good growth of skin, hair and nails. There is a lot of biotin in whole grain products, legumes such as soybeans or lentils, nuts, egg yolks, yeast, liver and rice.
Nails grow 0.5 to 1.2 mm per week. Each nail has a different speed. Perhaps you have already noticed: the nail of the middle finger is the fastest!
Changed fingernails
We can notice changes in our nails every now and then. They develop grooves or stains, bulge, become brittle or discolored. Here we show you a selection of phenomena that can occur on fingernails.
White spots
White spots or streaks in the nails do not indicate a mineral deficiency. It’s an idea that persists in people’s minds. Dermatologists know that such white spots come from injuries to the nail bed.
They are caused by blows, bruises or other injuries, for example when caring for nails, in the household or when doing crafts. If, for example, the cuticle is pushed back with an object that is too sharp or pointed during incorrect nail care, this can lead to white spots in the nail.
Brittle / cracked fingernails
If the fingernails are splintered and brittle and there is no fungal disease, this indicates that the person has a lot of water contact with their hands , because water leaches the nail substance.
The person may have a job where their hands often get wet, from cleaning, washing, or other frequent water exposure. Regular nail care after contact with water can prevent this. Nail polish removers also dry out nails extremely!
Transverse grooves
If the grooves in the nail appear transversely, i.e. parallel to the root, this can indicate two different things. If such a growth disturbance can only be seen on one nail, the nail bed has been disturbed by a major injury or surgery.
If the phenomenon occurs on all nails at the same time, the underlying disease is serious. This could be a heart attack, poisoning or a high fever. The tricky thing: Since the transverse groove has to develop and grow, this symptom is only visible after a few weeks.
Longitudinal grooves
If the fingernails have grooves along their length, this does not mean that there is a mineral deficiency, but that the nail root is only working irregularly.
In older people this can be a consequence of age, but it can also occur in younger people. You can’t change that, it’s a freak of nature and the nail root. You should only pay attention if individual, very wide grooves form. This can indicate a tumor.
White nails
If fingernails were otherwise rosy and suddenly grow back whitish and opaque – and on all nails at the same time, then this is a serious sign of liver disease. Off to the doctor!
Pale, translucent nails
If the nails are pale, shimmering almost transparently and not beautifully richly rosy, this can indicate a circulatory disorder in the fingers, from which smokers and diabetics in particular suffer. If the person is neither smoker nor diabetic, iron deficiency can also be behind it. Only a doctor can determine this with a blood test.
Arched nails
If a person’s nails look a bit like watch glasses and are bulged, it means that the body is chronically insufficiently oxygenated. Behind this is a serious heart disease!
Inwardly curved nails
If the nails curve inward and each finger resembles a small spoon, then iron deficiency is the cause. This often occurs due to malnutrition or malnutrition and must be treated with medication.
Yellowish crumb nails
If the nail is discolored yellow, thickens and breaks into a crumbly shell, then nail fungus is present. It usually only occurs on one nail and can be treated without any problems.
