What are the standards for nail health?

At present, there is no unified quantitative standard for clinical judgment of nail health. It is mainly based on a comprehensive judgment based on color, texture, and the status of attached tissues. There is no rigid requirement such as "you must have 8 months to be healthy" posted online.

The first patient I received at the dermatology clinic last week came in in a panic holding up her nails, saying that the vertical lines on her hands must be due to liver problems. After the consultation, I found out that she had been working on a project for more than half a month, and she didn't even have time to remove her manicure. She was very nervous when she saw vertical lines after removing her nails. I gave her a full examination and found nothing. She went back to sleep regularly for a week, and when she came back for a follow-up visit, most of the vertical lines had faded.

Speaking of which, we have to mention the issue of the crescent moon that everyone is most concerned about. There are indeed different opinions in the academic circles regarding the relationship between the crescent moon and health. One school believes that the size of the crescent moon is only related to the location of the nail matrix and personal metabolism speed. It is an innate individual difference and has no reference value at all.； Another school of thought believes that short-term changes in crescents can be used as an auxiliary reference for metabolic diseases. For example, in patients with hyperthyroidism, the metabolism suddenly becomes faster, and the crescents may become more numerous and larger in a short period of time. The opposite is true for hypothyroidism, so there is no need to compare the number of crescents with others. As long as the number of crescents does not fluctuate too much compared with your own normal state, there is no need to panic. I once met a young man who has been working out all year round. Only two of his thumbs had crescents. His physical examination indicators were much better than those of ordinary people. It was simply because the nail matrix was naturally located at the back and the crescents could not be exposed.

After talking about the points that people tend to worry about, let’s talk about the actual judgment dimension. Normal nails feel smooth and tough, roughly like a translucent hard shell of moderate thickness. They don’t need to be deliberately long and are not easy to split. If you don’t polish your nails often, but they break in layers, it is most likely that the cuticles of the nails are damaged. , either because of frequent manicures and polishing, or long-term exposure to irritating things such as detergents and disinfectants without wearing gloves. Previously, a lady who ran a small restaurant came to see me. She washed dishes and wiped tables every day without wearing gloves. Her nails were so thin that they could be rolled up lightly. She did not touch irritating things for more than half a year before she returned to normal.

The color is more intuitive. Healthy nails are a uniform light pink. Press the nail cap with your hand and it will quickly turn back to pink after releasing it, indicating that the peripheral circulation is in good condition. If the entire nail turns gray, yellow and slowly becomes thicker, it is most likely an onychomycosis caused by a fungal infection. You should take medicine as soon as possible to avoid infecting other nails.； If a black line suddenly appears on your nail, and it becomes wider, deeper, or even painful in a short period of time, you should be alert to the possibility of melanoma and seek medical attention quickly for a more secure diagnosis.

Oh, by the way, some people see white spots on their nails and think that they are deficient in zinc and calcium and need to take supplements. In fact, most of them are just small marks left by accidentally bumping into the nail matrix. They will disappear when the nails slowly grow out, so there is no need to mess around. To put it bluntly, nails are like mini health reminder boards attached to your fingers. Occasionally, there are small lines and spots, which are like a little dust on the board. They disappear after blowing. If there is abnormal deformation, discoloration, or pain, don’t just rely on the symptoms online. See a dermatologist directly, which is more reliable than anything else.