Nail Health What Does It Say About You?

Your eyes may be the windows to your soul, but your nails provide insights into your health as a whole. Nails serve as a window into how your body is doing and even minor changes in color or texture could indicate potential health concerns.

Healthy nails typically exhibit pinkish tones with white half moon shapes at their bases; however, many factors may alter this appearance and it’s important to know how to spot warning signs in your own nails. Read this post on how to spot these warnings signs.

Color

Your nails might say something about who you are as an extrovert: If they feature bright hues like orange and yellow, your nails could indicate you as someone who thrives socially and gets energy from being around others; yet also possess strong leadership abilities with an adventurous streak.

Pink nail polish indicates an empathetic and caring personality while remaining elegant in any situation. You love meeting new people and listening carefully. Additionally, you make great friends as well as can be fierce and decisive when necessary.

Healthwise, healthy nails should be clear or white with a gentle curve reaching towards your cuticle. Any changes in color warrant medical evaluation as they could indicate fungal infections or yellow nail syndrome – in extreme cases they could even indicate cancer such as squamous cell or melanoma.

Shape

Your almond-shaped nails suggest that you are trustworthy and dedicated, treating others with integrity and kindness. With your sensitive nature and imaginative flair, you enjoy using your creativity to aid those around you. Additionally, romantic emotions may surface, yet you remain loyal and supportive towards those in your circle.

But while many nail changes may be harmless, others could signal more serious health concerns. A white band across your nail bed and cuticle, known as lunula, could indicate anemia or heart disease according to Linder; dark streaks or spots, like melanomas, might indicate skin cancer; any color or texture change should prompt consultation with healthcare providers immediately.

Texture

While some changes to nails may be harmless–due to aging or medication side effects–others could indicate larger health concerns. A vertical dark streak under your nail could be indicative of subungual melanoma, an aggressive skin cancer which spreads rapidly and could prove fatal.

However, if your nails become soft and crumbly, this could be an indicator of iron deficiency or thyroid disorders. Furthermore, any cracks or pitted nails could indicate psoriasis or another skin condition.

Koilonychia–characterized by small dents in the surface of your nails–can be an early indicator of kidney or liver disease such as cirrhosis. Leukonychia may also signal malnutrition or an GI disorder.

Growth

Nails may change over time due to disease, internal processes of the body as it ages, nutritional deficiencies or external influences such as chemical exposure or repeated wetting and drying of hands. Any significant changes should be assessed by your healthcare provider in order to ascertain if they are normal or indicate potential health concerns.

Your nails may be brittle or easily break due to an imbalance between wetting and drying the nails (onychomycosis) or taking vitamins A, C, or biotin; also it could be related to hypothyroidism (which slows metabolism while decreasing sweat production) leading to dry brittle nails.

Yellow nails may indicate any number of problems, from nail polish stains to more serious conditions like rheumatoid arthritis, respiratory or thyroid conditions and diabetes. Dark lines on nails that appear to grow up through their nail bed may be an early indicator of melanoma – an potentially life-threatening skin cancer.