What Your Nails Reveal About Your Health

May 8, 2021

3 min read

Your fingernails (and toenails) can give you clues on what's going on with your overall health. Your nails are an extremely good reflection of your health. A lot of things could occur in your nails that could indicate skin or systemic issues.

What Your Nails Say About your Health

Healthy nails have a consistent color and they're smooth. Anything else impacting the appearance or growth of your fingernails or toenails might indicate an irregularity. Nail irregularities, in most situations, aren't serious and can be treated easily. However, in other situations, they could indicate you have a medical condition that requires attention.

You'll want to pay close attention to anything around or on either your fingernails or toenails that appear different suddenly. You'll want to address anything that doesn't look normal. Your best bet is to make an appointment with your physician if you notice anything out of the ordinary.

Below are some conditions that could be causing symptoms in your nails. Keep in mind, it's essential you see a doctor for a proper diagnosis.

1. Pale Nails

Extremely pale nails could sometimes indicate a serious illness like:

Liver disease
Anemia
Malnutrition
Congestive heart failure

2. Psoriasis

This common skin problem is typically marked by red, scaly patches, however, it can also affect your fingernails and toenails. Around 50% of individuals with psoriasis might have nail psoriasis, according to The Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis Alliance.

If you're experiencing yellow-red discoloration on your nails, typically referred to as a "salmon patch" or "oil drop", you'll want to speak with your dermatologist. Some symptoms that could indicate psoriasis are:

Beau's lines: These are lines running side-to-side across your nail.
Indentations: Pits or nicks on your nail plate (the hard part of your nail covering your fingertips).
White areas: Distinct white spots on your nails known as leukonychia. (These are not the cloudy white spots you sometimes see on your nails which are no cause for concern).
Nail loosening/skin thickening: Skin thickening under your nail, which could dislodge your nail from your nail bed (onycholysis). This typically begins at the tip, working its way toward your cuticle.
Redness: The typically pale areas near your cuticle turn red. This could be due to congested capillaries, another potential sign of psoriasis.
Black lines: These run from tip to cuticle and can be tiny clots referred to as dilated and burst capillaries or splinter hemorrhages.

3. Yellowing Nails

A fungal infection is the most common cause of yellowing nails. As the fungal infection becomes worse, your nail bed might retract and your nails might thicken and crumble. Yellow nails could indicate a more severe condition, in rare cases, like severe thyroid disease, diabetes or lung disease.

4. Rippled Nails

Your fingernail's surface should be smooth. If you notice pitting or ripples developing this might be an early indication of inflammatory arthritis, eczema, or psoriasis. Vertical ridges and nail changes could also be due to iron deficiency anemia. Your nails become spoon-shaped or concave. Deficiencies in zinc, calcium or vitamin A could also cause ridges in fingernails.

5. Clubbing Nails

Clubbing occurs when your nails become rounded and your fingertips swell in size. It's a slow process and could take years before you really notice it. Nail clubbing is in some cases the result of low blood oxygen and can be a sign of numerous forms of lung disease. It can also be linked with cardiovascular disease, inflammatory bowel disease, AIDS, or liver disease.

Recent Nail Trends

Recent advances in onychomycosis therapies and its management. Topical therapies can treat onychomycosis effectively, especially when individuals follow the treatment instructions precisely. Owing to the nail's structural nature, research focuses on improving the drug delivery transungual to where fungus lies in the nail bed.
Treatment of fungal nails has been greatly improved through recent advances. In 1999, the FDA approved Penlac Nail Lacquer (a liquid form of ciclopirox) as the first topical medicine intended specifically for fungal nails. You apply this prescription medicine daily, similar to nail polish and it takes 48 weeks before it starts working.

Tips for Better Nail Health

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