Nail Health Tips

90% of the small white spots and light vertical lines on the nails are not signs of "liver failure", "kidney deficiency" or "calcium and zinc deficiency". Most of them are local abnormalities caused by external bumps, local friction or inadequate perinail care. There is no need to rush to buy a bunch of health supplements. It is more reliable to check your daily habits first.

I had two little white spots on my left index finger after I had my manicure removed a while ago. My mother saw a short video saying that I was lacking in calcium, so she forced me to take two bottles of Calcium. In the third week of eating, the white spots followed the nails and grew to the fingertips. They were gone when I cut them off. When I went to the hospital to talk to a dermatologist friend, I found out that this thing’s scientific name is "punctate leukonychia", which is now mainstream. The clinical view is that it is basically caused by minor damage to the nail matrix - for example, if you bite your nails, pick at the tape with your nails when unpacking a package, rub it too hard when removing your manicure, or even hit your nail on the door handle when opening the door, these "small marks" may be left, which will usually be metabolized by your nails in about two months. Of course, there are different opinions: some studies in the nutritional field mentioned that if there are multiple white spots on ten nails at the same time, and the nails are easy to split, and the hair is yellow and easy to break, you can also check the serum zinc and blood calcium to rule out the problem of insufficient nutritional intake. However, if there are only one or two, it is really not a waste to supplement.

Apart from white spots, the vertical lines on nails are what everyone asks about the most. A while ago, my best friend saw several light brown vertical lines on her nails. She ordered more than 300 imported liver protection tablets on the spot. After eating for three months, she didn’t complain about the vertical lines. She even had acid reflux in her stomach. She went to the dermatology doctor to see her. Asked her if she had not stopped doing phototherapy manicure for more than half a year, she nodded. The doctor said that the nail surface was thinned and the veins underneath were visible. After two months of manicure treatment, the vertical lines had indeed faded by more than half. Regarding the judgment of vertical lines, the standards in different fields are indeed different: Modern dermatology generally believes that the appearance of uniform light vertical lines on the nails after the age of 30 is basically physiological aging, which is the same as the growth of wrinkles on the skin, so don't worry about it. ； However, traditional Chinese medicine theory also associates the sudden increase in vertical lines with staying up late, consuming liver yin, and insufficiency of qi and blood. If it is also accompanied by frequent fatigue, insomnia, and a sallow complexion, there is nothing wrong with adjusting your work and rest and eating some food that replenishes qi and blood. However, you do not need to think that you are seriously ill when you see vertical lines.

Oh, by the way, there are also the hangnails that everyone often tears off. I have a lot of say. I ripped off a hangnail last month and didn't take it seriously. The next day, my finger swelled into small carrots. I went to the hospital to change the dressing and the pain made me gasp. The doctor said that many people who came to the clinic to see paronychia were caused by tearing out the barb. Don’t believe that hangnails are a sign of vitamin deficiency. Most of the time, it’s because you wash your hands too frequently and don’t like to apply hand cream to the periungual area, resulting in dry and raised skin. If you really have frequent hangnails, rotten corners of your mouth, and recurring seborrheic dermatitis on your scalp, then it’s not too late to consider supplementing with some B vitamins.

Of course, this does not mean that you should not be concerned about all nail abnormalities. If a black vertical line suddenly grows, the width exceeds 3mm, the border is blurred, and it even has a tendency to become wider recently, then don’t hesitate to go to the dermatology department for investigation to rule out the risk of onychomycosis or melanoma. This is something you really cannot be careless about. There are also those nails that suddenly become thick, yellow, gray, and have pitted nails. Don't just believe in the "7-day cure for onychomycosis" folk remedies on the Internet. My second uncle used folk remedies to soak his hands before, and the nail bed was burned and ulcerated before he went to the hospital. In the end, it was found that it was not onychomycosis at all, but psoriasis. The treatment method was completely different, and using medication randomly would only delay things.

I also love to do manicures myself, and after going through many pitfalls in the past two years, I have gained some experience: Before doing it, you must ask the manicurist not to polish the nail surface too hard, apply primer, and do not pick hard when removing the nails. Use a nail remover pack for 15 minutes before gently pushing on, and let the nails rest for half a month after doing it twice in a row at most. I saw a little girl doing manicures for a year in a row. Her nails were so thin that they could be bent and hurt when touched.

Damn, to put it bluntly, nails are originally appendages of the skin. Just like if your hair is frizzy, it is not necessarily due to something missing. It is most likely because you dyed and permed it too frequently. You really don’t need to go to Baidu to check if there is a small problem. After checking it, you want to write a suicide note. Adjust your living habits and observe it for two months. If it doesn’t feel right, call a dermatologist. It costs more than ten dollars, which is more reliable than anything else.