Are your Nails Discolored?
Are they Splitting?
This can be due to nail infection or fungus.
Its time you pay attention to your nails. Nails are reflection of our body’s condition and may be indicators of existing lung, heart, kidney, liver or thyroid diseases in our body.
Common nail problems you might come across
- Deformity of the nail.
- Pus, skin redness or swelling around the nails.
- Nail thickness, discoloration or weak nails.
- Side of the nail growing into the flesh.
- Any fungal infection causing pigmentation or deformed toe nail.
These are some of the most common issues with nails which can be easily cured with your physicians’ advice and proper care.
Nail color and reason for it
| NAIL CONDITION | ILLNESS |
| Pale nails | Anemia, heart failure, mal nutrition, liver disease |
| White nails | Hepatitis |
| Yellow nails | Mostly fungal infection, but in worse conditions, may indicate thyroid disease, lung disease, diabetes, psoriasis |
| Blue half moons | Sign of poisoning |
| Rippled nails(reddish brown skin ) | Early psoriasis, arthritis |
| Split nails | Dry brittle nails, due to fungal infection |
| Dark line beneath the nail | Symptoms of melanoma or skin cancer |
| Gnawed nails(nail biting) | Can be more than a habit due to impulsive disorder |
| Half pink, half white | Kidney disease |
These colors might be indicative signs so it is always advisable to consult your dermatologist at the earliest to curb issues at its earliest stages.
Abnormal nail is pink strong, smooth and flexible.
7 nail conditions that should not be ignored
- Dry– Lack of moisture, white spots and powdery finish.
- Brittle– Inflexible and curved can shatter.
- Damaged– Cracked, thin, weak, lacks shine and does not grow.
- Peeling– Peeling due to some infection.
- Weak– Soft, weak and dull.
- Easily breaking– Thin splits up or breaks due to lack of support.
- Ridges– Not smooth and imperfect.
Drug Usage–Effect on nails
Drugs are medications that may cause changes in nail shape, nail texture and may cause pigmentation.
Higher the dosage, worse the damage. Older people and multiple drug consumers are mostly affected by this common symptoms being pain and difficulty in using them.
| Drugs that induce nail growth | Drugs that reduce nail growth |
| Flu conazole, itra conazole levodopa, oral contraceptives and retinoids | Cyclosporine, heparin, lithium methotrexate and retinoid |
Long time chemotherapy can also cause nail thinning.
A skin biopsy or nail scrapings or clippings are used to check for nail damages due to drugs.
Consequences of drug induced nail disease is that nails may become brittle, weak and may become discolored.
Of course the discontinuation of the drugs might help to bring the nails back to their normal mode but this might take months to happen.
How do you find if your nails are healthy?
- The nail and white tips are of the same length.
- Half-moon shaped white section at nail base.
- Nail plates are pinkish white color.
How to know if your nails are unhealthy?
- Vitamin deficiency can cause nail dryness, splitting and peeling.
Our body is definitely in need of Vitamins, Minerals. These ensure the enrichment of our brain, heart, lungs, liver and other vital organs of our body and also prevent fatigue, promotes better sleep, enhances your energy levels and relieves pain, stress and promotes healthier nails.
Vitamin as an essential ingredient
If you want your body to function normally you should definitely pay attention to the proportion of Vitamins in your diet.
The 13 important Vitamins that are essential for our body are: –
Vitamin A, C, D, E, K, B
B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B7, B9
The fat soluble Vitamins Are A, D, E and K.
Most valuable is Vitamin B12.
Benefits of consuming Vitamins
- Healthy Nails
- Perfect functioning of the immunity system
- Protects your system against age related deteriorations e.g. Night blindness
- Avoids cancerous issues.
- Frequent biting or applying nail polish might cause tiny white spots to appear.
- High fevers, hurt or stress can cause horizontal grooves.
- Biting cuticles can cause swollen or redness.
- Iron deficiency or anemia may make spoon shaped nails.
Somehow its always better to consult a dermatologist in case of any visible damages or any other issues.
10 easy ways to maintain your nails
- Now that you are familiar about how to identify healthy and unhealthy nails let’s examine the simple ways by which we can take care of our nails.
- Always make sure you wash your hands and see to that the nails are absolutely free from dirt. Avoid strong, harsh chemicals in this process.
- Make sure you do not use hard metals on your nails resulting in separation of the nail plate.
- Trimming your nails regularly to keep them quite short with rounded edges gives better strength to the nails.
- See to that you maintain your nail rooming kit clean to ensure hygiene.
- Always use a base coat between your polishes to provide better protection to your nails.
- Check whether your polish contains dibutyl, phthalate, formaldehyde and other toxic substances and avoid using them.
- Keep your nails well hydrated with either a nutrient rich oil or any moisturizer.
- Remember to wear your gloves when you do gardening or cleaning or any household work to keep dirt away.
- Add supplements and vitamins to your diet like beans, fishes and nuts to get stronger nails.
4 remedies to have good nails
- Soak your nails for at least 15 minutes in a solution of wheat germ oil and lemon. Pat dry and apply a moisturizer.
- For stronger nails try a nail soak with almond oil in warm water. Even coconut oil works best.
- Consume lots of fruits, leafy greens, beans, eggs, nuts and grains to help nails grow fast.
- A paraffin wax bath will help to improve nail strength. Avoid alcohol based products to the maximum.
However external remedies work best still it’s always the food that you eat that works best in your nail nourishment.
The best 8 foods that give you good nail health are: –
- Protein rich diet like Frog fuel power protein liquid protein, lean poultry, fish, beef, pork, blueberries, strawberries and bananas.
- Even veggies like sweet potatoes, carrots, tomatoes and bell peppers help a lot.
- Nuts and seeds like almonds and sunflower seeds contribute to the protein and magnesium content to your body.
- Make sure your diet includes vitamin b6, zinc and vitamin e for stronger healthier nails.
- Wheat based beer rich in silicon help to promote nail growth and healthier nail tips.
- Milk contains calcium and vitamin d which helps to make stronger nails.
- Eggs contain B12 vitamins A & E iron and biotin rich in vitamin B7 or vitamin H.
- Oats contain micronutrients like copper and zinc which contribute to healthier finger nails.
4 simple kitchen remedies for stronger nails
- Paint your nails with a nail polish into which 1 flake of garlic had been soaked for 5-10 days.
- Lemon juice acts as a good cleanser and gets rid of nail discoloration.
- Coconut oil helps to hydrate your nails and prevent fungal infections.
- Nail cuticles can be strengthened with a mask of honey and lemon.
After you have done all the required treatments and care to safeguard to strengthen your nails but cannot give up the habit of biting your nails it’s just easy to stop it by identifying the factors that initiate you to do it.
Hydration also plays a major role in your nail wellness. You must have come across the words
“Stay Hydrated”
What does that mean?
How much can be staying hydrated help you?
It’s usually advised that 6 to 8 glasses of water each day can keep you hydrated for the day.
Even fruits and other fluids can do this job to fill shortages of the dosages if any. E.g. milk, coffee, soda or fruits like water melon, tomatoes, lettuce etc.
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How does hydration help you?
- Promotes to overall health.
- Regulates body temperature.
- Eliminates waste
- Helps to maintain joint flexibility.
Indirectly promoting nail health.
How to find out if you are dehydrated?
- Slight dizziness
- Headache
- Sleepiness
- Dry mouth
- Urine darker in color
- Quantity of urine lessens or is nil.
What may cause dehydration?
- Diarrhea
- Sweating
- Vomiting
- Breathing
There are even people who say “I don’t like to drink water” might sound funny but hydration being an important element in your wellness. One should find alternative sources of fluids to keep yourself hydrated throughout the day.
Sometimes excessive thirst can be due to sleep apnea a condition when you tend to lose your sleep due to frequent night time urination or night sweats.
You might be surprised to know that hydration levels can either hinder or promote your sleeping routine.
Negative effects of dehydration on sleep
Your nasal passages can dry up and can result in snoring and may disturb your sleep.
Can cause nocturnal cramps so you are not able to continue sleeping This can spoil your days’ routine.
Right ways to get Hydrated
- Avoid too much of caffeine related fluids.
- Try consuming a bottle of water before you sleep.
- Spread your fluid intake throughout the day rather than trying to finish those 8 glasses in one stroke before you sleep.
Staying hydrated not only energizes your daily routine but also ensures you have healthier nails.
4 easy ways to stop nail biting
- The psychology behind biting nails can be boredom, loneliness, hunger or nervousness. Can be accompanied by skin picking or hair pulling.
- Nail biting habit is termed as onychophagia. A condition where the habit is not under the control of the individual. Still there are many simple ways to break this habit or at least reduce it.
- Keep your nails short to avoid grabbing by the teeth.
- Keep your nails well-groomed so that the very look of it makes you feel bad about biting it and making them look bad.
- Use stickers or gloves to cover your nails.
Find the reason for your nail biting habit and try finding other ways of avoiding it.
Now that you have understood the different nail problems and their remedies be it either through your physician or your kitchen remedy. Her is how you can add on extra glow to your healthy nails by grooming and beautifying them. You will be able to choose the best method to beautify your nails at the same time continue to look into the safety of your nails without losing the health of your nails.
You can visit a nail salon to avail nail services like French manicure, polishing and pedicure to maintain healthier nails and to make sure your nails remain unaffected and not damaged due to constant use of nail polishes and nail art.
You can choose from a whole range of manicures available for your hand nails according to your budget and condition of your nails.
Types of manicure
- Basic
- French
- Reverse French
- Paraffin
- Acrylic
- American
- Mirror
- Shellac
- Gel
- Vinylux
- Brazilian
Different types of pedicure for your toe nails
- Regular
- French
- Fish
- Spa
- Wine
- Athletic
- Hot stone and more…
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Adding beauty to your groomed nails can be through nail polishes with minimal alcoholic compositions.
Make sure you go for standard branded nail polishes which do not harm your nail cuticles. It is important to go for a good nail polish remover also to ensure perfect nail health.
Three basic criteria for a good nail polish
- Durability
- Lasting shine
- Quickly drying
Characteristics of a healthy nail polish
A healthy nail polish is one that is free from these 5 ingredients
- Formal dehyde
- Dibutyl phthalate
- Toluene
- Formal dehyde resin
- Camphor
It’s also important for nail polishes to be cruelty free and vegan.
Any nail polish you are looking for should definitely have these qualities in them.
- There should be no bubbles in them.
- They should be quick to dry, to avoid nail damages.
- Are nail polish not matter ones should be shining.
- To prevent nail cracking or chipping by enhancing its elasticity it should have plasticizers.
- Sun damage should be avoided with ultraviolet filters.
- It should be inflammable to avoid accidents and should be water resistant.
A quality nail polish keeps nail flexible and moisturized and prevents it from peeling off.
4 main nail polish colors and skin tone
| Nail polish color | Skin tone |
| Blush | Fair skin |
| Lavender | Lighter skin |
| Coral nail, pink orange | Medium tone |
| Misty colors | Deep skin |
Along with these tips and truths you have to maintain general hygiene with the use of a good hand wash which can get rid of all viruses and bacteria that might into your system through your nails and fingers.
| Nail condition | Health Indicator |
| Yellow nails | Fungal infection |
| Dark lines | Melanoma |
| Pale nails | Anemia, diabetes |
| Cracks | Psoriasis |
| Brittle nails | Thyroid problems |
| Blue nails | Lack of oxygen |
| White lines | Kidney disease |
| Curvatures | Iron deficiency |
| Dry cuticles | Dehydration |
Lunulas on each finger (crescent moon shaped)
| Finger | Noticeable | Barely Noticeable |
| Pinky | Symptom of hypertension. | Function of kidney, small intestine. |
| Ring | Reproductive or lymphatic systems. | Digestive tissue. |
| Middle | Brain and cardiac vascular system. | Hypertension and vascular condition. |
| Index finger | Issues with intestine, pancreas or ear, nose, throat. | |
| Thumb | Spleen and lungs functioning should not be bigger than ¼ of your nail. If yes then you have hypertension. | Very small for those who smoke. |
Are nail polishes safe for your nails?
Natural nail polishes are normally very safe. Looking out for these are quite simple based on the number of chemical they contain.
These are the most common chemicals in their manufacture
- Formal dehyde– might cause skin irritation and may affect your immune system.
- Toluene– might lead to headaches and dizziness.
- Camphor– nausea, dizziness or headaches.
- Formal dehyde resin– might cause dermatitis in patients.
Some nail polishes come with less chemicals contents. The lesser the better. They should be free from any additives or animal by products and should be vegan.
Try avoiding harsh chemical to prevent allergies or dermatitis problems and health risks. Along with these precautions in choosing your nail polishes take care to choose an acetone that does not dry out your nails. Also don’t use your nails for harsh jobs like opening a hard lid, heavier items and so on.
Are artificial nails unhealthy?
Though a good invention to those who have chipped unhealthy nails and those who do not prefer manicure frequently, can definitely go for acrylic or gel nails.
But there’s a constant fear of allergies and infections due to the polymer content you need to be always alert about being in close proximity with inflammable products.
The general suggestion would be to use them for occasions and remove them immediately so that they do not stay on your natural nails to create way for fungus or bacteria.
Frequent manicures might work out in cleaning up the area to avoid any infections.
Tips for those who love artificial nails
- Choose a gel nails instead of acrylic.
- Avoid cuticle trimming to enable protecting your skin against any infection.
- Choose a salon which uses LED instead of UV lights to avoid radiation.
- Try avoiding keeping your artificial nails for a very much sensitive to chemicals you can go for a mask to avoid inhaling nail dust or chemical vapors.
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Safe and simple tips for healthy nails
- Keep your body hydrated.
- Apply cuticles to your nails to nourish them.
- File your nails regularly and try to keep them a little short.
- Avoid nail polish remover with Acetone.
- Eat food rich in protein and calcium.
- Avoid too much water exposure which might make them weak.
- Try using nail hardeners.
- Opt for nontoxic nail polishes.
- Go for regular checkups to identify problems at their earliest and cure them.
However, a proper workout routine might really help you to have healthier nails.
We have created this content to the best of our knowledge but it can never ever replace your doctors’ advice. You are always welcome to suggest and share your opinion.
Nevertheless, this content can definably help you monitor your nails and indicate you to take your physicians best advice at the earliest, as
“Your Imagination Can Sometimes be your Limitation”, Take care.