White spots on nails are not caused by calcium deficiency! The nails that really need to be worried are like this...

We give so much meaning to our nails!

"My nails are turning white! Am I lacking calcium?"
"Vertical stripes on the nails are said to indicate heart problems?"
"The half-moon on my nail is so big, I must be very healthy!"

First of all, my friends, nails are not medical findings.

If there is something wrong with the body, it is usually that part that will feel noticeably uncomfortable, rather than just some circles appearing on the nails.

Now, please hold your phone in one hand and put the other hand in front of your eyes, read the article and observe your nails. We will focus on answering your questions about nails.

Crescent = health status?

no.

The "root" of the nail is called the nail matrix, which grows inside the flesh. The nail matrix constantly produces new nails, pushing from the root to the top.

The new nails are soft and white, and the center grows faster than the sides, so a white half moon - a "crescent" - is formed at the base of the nail.

After a period of time, the white and soft new nails will turn into transparent and hard old nails.

You can't see the half-moon on some nails. It may be that the "roots" are buried deep and the half-moon is hidden in the flesh; or the nails are naturally slow to grow, and the new nails have not had time to form a half-moon before they have become transparent mature nails.

I had a physical examination not long ago and everything was normal, but the author who only has a crescent on one hand

But if the lunula suddenly changes from large to disappear, or changes from none to many large lunulae, there may be a problem with the thyroid gland.

White spots on nails = calcium deficiency?

No. Also, white spots on the nails do not mean that there are roundworms in the stomach or indigestion.

Most of the white spots on the nails are related to the "roots" of the nails.

If the "root" of the nail is injured, the new nail created at this time may have a white spot.

Don't worry, when the white spots grow out of the fingertips, just cut them off (or you don't have to cut them).

Hangnails = vitamin deficiency?

Hangnails are not part of the nails, but since they are close, we will mention them together.

The answer is still: No.

Vitamins are important for skin health, but skin problems cannot all be attributed to vitamin deficiency.

The main reason for hangnails is excessive washing of hands and excessive friction, which leads to local skin dryness and subsequent stratum corneum peeling.

Remember to wear gloves when working and use hand cream after washing your hands, that's it.

Why are there lines/dents on the nails?

Vertical lines on your nails are usually nothing to worry about, as they are usually caused by a slowdown in cell renewal.[1] Generally speaking, the older you get, the more likely you are to have vertical lines on your nails.

But if there is a horizontal depression, the reason is more complicated.

It may be that the nails have been traumatized before (often only one or two nails have horizontal lines);

It may be a symptom of diabetes, peripheral vascular disease, zinc deficiency, etc. (horizontal lines appear on multiple nails or even all nails) [3].

Horizontal depressions on the nails, also known as “Beau’s lines” | References [2]

The whole nail is changing color?

Turn yellow?

Most of the time it's caused by smoking too much, using too much nail polish, or coming into contact with too many irritants. If you stay away from these factors, it will be fine after a while.

If the nails start to turn white or yellow from the edges, it may also be onychomycosis (onychomycosis).

There is a rare disease called "yellow nail syndrome", in which the patient's entire nails are yellow. It is usually related to problems with the respiratory or lymphatic system.

(Believe me, if you really have this disease, you will not have the energy to worry about your nails turning yellow)

Turn black?

Most of the time, the fingers have been hit or squeezed, and the bruises appear black;

A small part of it may be melanin deposition or onychomycosis;

Very rarely it is melanoma.

Turn blue?

Mostly hand-washed jeans that have faded;

It may also be due to insufficient oxygen in the blood, the same reason why lips turn blue when lack of oxygen.

What is the best way to cut nails?

The shorter the better.

If you cut it too short, the skin around the nail will grow higher than the nail, and the nail will grow into the flesh. And if you cut it too short, it will easily cut the flesh, right?

The most appropriate approach is this:

The white part of the nail tip should be kept for about 1 mm;

It is best to leave the nails longer on both sides and make the top of the nails roughly square to prevent the nails from growing into the flesh. This is especially true for toenails that are squeezed by shoes.

Leave a little space on both sides of the nails | Base image: informedhealth.org

Does manicure have an impact on nail health?

have!

When doing manicure, the nails are polished. When making long false nails, more polishing is required, which will make the nails thinner.

Manicurists often scrape off some of the cuticle at the base of your nails, which makes the base of the nail more susceptible to infection.

When removing your manicure, the ingredients in the nail remover may also damage your nails.

Studies have found that the average thickness of nails before manicure is 0.59 mm, and the thickness after nail removal is only 0.30 mm.

Apart from anything else, thin nails are prone to brittleness and cracking, which is completely contrary to the original intention of pursuing beauty! (And the uglier you look at damaged nails, the more you want to cover them up with a manicure)

Finally, here is a table to help you quickly memorize the knowledge points. It is strongly recommended to save the picture below.

References

[1]https://www.healthline.com/health/ridges-in-fingernails#vertical-ridges

[2]Jandial A, Mishra K, Prakash G, Malhotra P. Beau's lines. BMJ Case Rep. 2018 Mar 28;2018:bcr2018224978. doi: 10.1136/bcr-2018-224978. PMID: 29593008; PMCID: PMC5878284.

[3]https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/symptoms/22906-beaus-lines

[4] Chen, AF, Chimento, SM, Hu, S., Sanchez, M., Zaiac, M., & Tosti, A. (2012). Nail damage from gel polish manicure. Journal of cosmetic dermatology, 11(1), 27-29.

[5]https://cnx.org/contents/5IfcT4PA@4/Images-of-Memorable-Cases-Case-154

Author: Li Xiaokui

Editor: luna, Li Xiaoqiu

Guokr (ID: Guokr42)

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