What does nail health mean

Nails are indeed a "micro barometer" that can reflect part of the body's state, but they are never an "organ health comparison chart." Most ordinary people's nervous nail abnormalities are either innate differences or temporary changes caused by external stimuli. Only specific changes that persist and are accompanied by other physical discomforts may point to potential health problems.

It’s interesting to say that I have been working in a dermatology clinic for almost 5 years, and the most asked question is about the crescent moon. The academic community has actually had different research conclusions on the relationship between the crescent moon and health. Earlier, many opinions believed that the size and number of the crescent moon are directly linked to the metabolic level. Now, More clinical data shows that the number of crescents is first related to the natural position of the nail matrix - just like the height of everyone's hairline is different. The "growing roots" of the nails grow farther out, and the crescents are more exposed. Some people's nail matrix is hidden deep enough that the crescents cannot be seen on ten fingers, which is completely healthy. Of course, it cannot be said that the crescent moon is completely useless. If you have only had two crescent moons for several years, and suddenly they have grown to seven or eight in half a month, or the originally clear crescent moon has shrunk to almost invisible, and is also accompanied by palpitations, fear of heat/cold, or inexplicable weight gain or weight loss, then you need to check your thyroid function to see if there is any fluctuation in metabolism.

Last month, a girl who had just entered college came in with a sad face. She raised her hands and said that she had seen a short video saying that vertical lines on her fingernails were caused by a bad liver. She had vertical lines all over her hands recently. She was seriously ill. I leaned over and saw that it was an ordinary nail ridge. When I asked, I found out that she had done three manicures in a row for her graduation photos. Each time, the nail surface was polished very thin. In addition, she had been working on her paper until two or three o'clock every day, and the nail surface was not moisturized, so the vertical lines naturally became obvious. I asked her to stop doing manicures, apply a layer of hand cream on her nails every time after washing her hands, and stop staying up late. She came for a review last week and most of the vertical lines have faded. Of course, that doesn’t mean you don’t need to worry about all changes in your nails. I once had a 62-year-old man come to prescribe eczema medicine. I accidentally saw that his nails were as concave as a small spoon, with the edges turning upwards. After asking, I found out that he had been like this for more than half a year. Recently, he felt dizzy all the time and was out of breath after climbing two floors. I asked him to get a blood test. It turned out that he had moderate iron deficiency anemia. After taking iron supplements for more than three months, his nails had basically grown flat during the last follow-up visit.

There are also many people who panic when white spots grow on their nails. Old people always say that this is "worms in the belly." In fact, 90% of white spots are caused by minor trauma to the nail matrix. For example, pinching a finger when closing a door or hitting the root of a nail when moving something. If you don't pay attention at the time, the white spots will appear when the nail grows out. When it grows to the tip of the finger, it will disappear when you cut it off. There is no need to take anti-insect medicine. Unless you have a bunch of white spots repeatedly, are accompanied by frequent stomachaches, and are still losing weight after eating too much, then you need to check for parasites or trace element deficiencies.

To put it bluntly, nails are grown on our hands. We touch them here and there every day. The probability of being affected by external influences is much greater than that of internal organs. Don’t use the “nail comparison chart” on the Internet to check your own position one by one. If you really have persistent nail abnormalities and are accompanied by physical discomfort, it is more reliable to go to the hospital to see a doctor directly than to guess on your own. If it is just a few small vertical lines and two missing crescents, it will taste good and sleep well. There is no need to scare yourself.