If your FINGERNAILS could talk...!

If your fingernails could talk, it would certainly say -,
l know you are likely to give very little attention to your nails even if you treat yourself to regular manicures. After all, they are just there, so it's rare for most of us to worry too much about our nail health.

But, did you know that your nails can reveal clues to your overall health? Did you also know that your nails can be a pointer of underlying health concerns or just visible evidence that your diet is lacking obvious important vitamins and minerals?
Have you ever looked closely at brittle, chapped, blacklined, chipped, and yellow-colored nails and wondered why it looks that way? Well, it turns out it could be a sign of problems in the liver, lungs, and heart. Though, nails are only a small piece of the maze because these changes are rarely the first signs and many nail abnormalities are harmless as well. Healthy nails are considered to be smooth with no discoloration, change in texture, and without bumps according to Healthline. 

Here are some health conditions and secrets your nails might disclose to you.


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Yellow nails: Yellow nails are believed to be fairly the most common and are caused by one of two factors; Fungal infection or a reaction from a certain product you have used as nail polish. If the Fungal infections worsen, the nail bed may retract, the yellow color and nail may thicken, bend and crumble. The use of Tea tree oil or Vitamin E supplement can help tackle the infection. On rare occasions, it could be due to lung infections, Psoriasis, Diabetes, or Thyroid conditions. Additional symptoms might include inflamed skin around the cuticles, anxiety, fatigue, and excessive thirst.

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White spots nails: These are the scattered white dots on the nails that usually start appearing around middle school age according to Healthline. It signifies a zinc deficiency but can also be a result of ;

• An Allergic reaction
• Fungal infection or
• An injury to the nail.

What's more, it can indicate a liver problem such as hepatitis if it appears mostly white with darker rims leading to fatigue and weakness.

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Brittle nails: Brittle nails are medically called Onychoschizia, and are influenced by repeated wetting and drying of nails, Hypothyroidism, and Iron deficiency. It's very common among the women folks with varying symptoms such as fatigue, weight loss, and anxiety. Wear gloves when doing dishes and apply lotions that contain Lanolin for dryness.

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Peeling nails: There are some actions we take that can lead to peeling off nails such as soaking our nails too long in foamy water, using a nail as a tool, removal of acrylic nail polish with harsh dissolvers, etc. Peeling fingernails are mostly caused by an external factor or trauma to the nails, it becomes internal only when both toenails are involved resulting from an Iron deficiency with symptoms such as paleness, heart palpitations, and fatigue.


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Blackline nails: Just like Peeling nails, black lines are likely caused by external trauma to the nail such as accidentally slamming a door on your finger or hitting your nails hard against an object. Blacklines which can also appear brown or dark red are also called splinter hemorrhage and can occur multiple times but the black line is the result of blood vessel inflammation under your nail and should disappear over time as your nail grows. Possible cause of black line includes Psoriasis, Endocarditis and nail melanoma with inflamed skin, night sweats, nail bleeding, and heart murmur as symptoms.

  Medical News Today

Ridges nails: Ridges occur as vertical or horizontal waves on your fingernails. The Vertical ridges which are a result of Iron deficiency and Anemia run from the tip of the nail to the cuticle and are considered harmless as long as they are not accompanied by other symptoms such as a change in color or texture while the Horizontal ridges are also known as Beau's line run from side to side of your nail and can be a sign of more serious symptoms such as Kidney disease stemming in swelling of feet, excessive urine, mumps, thyroid disease, diabetes, weight loss, and anxiety.
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Half-moon nails: Those little round white curves at the base of the fingernail are called fingernail moons. What does it mean? It means nothing and could just be hidden under your skin. You are to seek medical help only if it turns red and causes dizziness, anxiety, weight loss, poor vision, unusual cravings, and fatigue as it can be a sign of lung disease and congestive heart failure. If you don't have it and it's not red, then it could just be an indication of;

• Anemia
• Malnutrition and 
• Depression

  Jacaranda FM

Soft or Weak nails: They are caused by over-exposure to moisture or chemicals making them break easily or bend before snapping off. Soft nails are often linked to a deficiency in B Vitamins, Calcium, Iron, and Fatty acids. Avoid detergents, cleaning fluids, nail treatments, and nail polish removers that appear to be too harsh around the nails, and visit your doctor if you experience fatigue and weakness.

 The woodruff institute 

If you are so concerned about the appearance of your nail, visit your doctor for medical assessments and advice.

 Ten (10 ) home remedies to help improve your nail conditions ;

1. Take Biotin: Either you take Biotin supplements or get them naturally from eating Cooked eggs, Sardines, Cauliflower, Nuts, and Mushrooms, Biotin is an important type of B vitamin that allows the body to turn food into energy. It is also highly recommended to help boost the strength of hair and nails according to Healthline.
2. Eat Banana: Eating more bananas will provide you with a high level of Zinc which increases the degree of Biotin in the body, thereby enhancing splitting or weakened nails.
3. Protein Intake: Adequate protein intake is needed to produce keratin which is responsible for keeping your nails strong and resilient according to Healthline. Protein can be found in animal foods like meat, poultry, fish, eggs, and dairy products as well as plant foods such as soy, legumes, beans, lentils, nuts, seeds, and whole grains.
4. Practice Grooming: Practice good grooming of your nails using soft nail files to prevent tearing and splitting of nails. When you file, do so in one direction using long swift but gentle strokes instead of the back and forth, see-saw motion which can cause nails to splinter.
5. Use Polish remover: Upgrade your nail polish remover. Go for acetone-free nail polish remover because they are gentler and can leave your nails perfectly clean, strong, and healthy. Those nail polish remover with a high concentration of acetone is extremely harsh on a fragile nail and can dry them out causing peeling, flaking, and splitting.
6. Use cuticle oil: Nail hardeners can be a hit or miss often making nails so hard that they end up completely breaking off. Cue keratin is the best strengthener around or you can use cuticle oil that has jojoba oil, tea tree oil, or Dali every day because it works by hydrating the nail cuticle and beds preparing your nails to grow longer, healthier, and stronger.
7. Nourish nail beds: You can nourish your nail beds by increasing your Vitamin B9 intake which repairs and multiplies the cells that make up nails, speeding up growth and overall health. Vitamin B9 otherwise known as Folic acid is responsible for healthy cell growth in skin tissues as well as hair and nails and has been shown to boost strength and prevent peeling. Beans and whole grains are rich in Folic acid but you can buy folic acid supplements over the counter in any drugstore.
8. Avoid toxic glue: Avoid those toxic glues and polishes on nails especially those that contain Toluene, Formaldehyde, and Dibutyl phthalate (DBP) according to Healthline as they tend to damage your nail bed and skin around the nail. Look for water-based formulations that display toxin-free with Vitamin E on the container.
9. Nail friendly diet: The best diet for all-round health including your nails is a nutritious rainbow diet that is rich in a variety of colorful fruits and vegetables, leafy greens, oily fish, nuts, seeds, Tomatoes, Avocados, eggs, lean meat, whole grains, and sweet potatoes. Reduce the consumption of alcohol and refined sugars, always keep hydrated, and add foods that encourage the growth of beneficial bacteria such as live yogurt, etc.
10. Beer and Milk: Beer? Yes, please!. Beer is rich in Silicon particularly wheat-based beer which is proven to strengthen your bones and in turn, your nails according to Insider. Milk is also a great source of Calcium and Vitamin D which helps to strengthen bones and teeth including your nails. Always remember to drink them moderately. Don't get drunk with beer.

The bottom line

Whether you realize it or not, nail health is a pretty strong indicator of your overall health and a bunch of nutrients in food can help your nails recover from dry and brittle to healthy and strong. Foods that can enhance your nails to grow fast, strong, and healthy include Whole grains, Oily fish, Leafy greens, Beans, Eggs, Fruits, Lean meat, and an adequate amount of carbohydrates. Incorporating these foods into your diet is the easiest and tastiest way to help your nails grow long and strong without supplements, treatments, and the use of chemicals. However, nails do need a little help getting healthier and stronger, that's where home remedies come in. Your nails will grow stronger, longer, healthier, and less prone to breakage only when you dedicate some quality time taking good care of them daily. 

Thanks for your time. Let's have your comments in the comment section.