“Your hands and feet never take a day off, so take care of them.”
When it comes to nail care, most of us are negligent and only do the bare minimum such as applying some hand cream or cuticle oil every now and then. Or skipping nail paint when the nails appear a little yellow. But trust us, you need to take care of your nails, too, even if they are strong (it doesn’t mean they’re healthy). When was the last time you actually paid attention to your nails, ignoring their desperate manicure needs? Look at your nails closely, they might be saying something about your health…
What Your Nails Say About Your Health
Our hair and nails both are made of a protein called keratin (yes, the same one you get a hair treatment of). Keratin needs biotin to improve its infrastructure–precisely why you need to include more biotin-rich foods and supplements in your diet. Unlike the keratin present in our hair, the keratin in our nails has more layers, which is why they’re so hard to touch. This also protects the nail bed. If you look at your nails closely, you might see signs that they are not healthy and, by extension, you are not healthy. These signs include:
Nails Breaking Frequently
Did you know that deficiency of iron and vitamins such as D and E can result in weakening and breaking of nails? Other factors that contribute to this nightmare include stress, a poor diet, overconsumption of alcohol, and even your monthly nail extension appointments.
Also read: Here’s What Stress Does To Your Skin, Hair & Nails
What can you do?
Increase the intake of food items such as eggs, leafy greens, nuts, beans, and biotin supplements (not without consulting a doctor).
Dark Streaks
If you spot a dark line running through your nail, then you need to take immediate action. The condition is known as melanonychia and can happen to anyone, irrespective of age or gender. It can happen due to a lot of reasons such as pregnancy, fungal infections, trauma, inflammatory disorders and can also be a sign of skin cancer. It may go away by itself or you may need to go under severe treatments that might require amputation of the infected finger.
What to do?
If you do notice a brown-black stripe on your nails, fix an appointment with your doctor immediately and get it checked.
Beau’s Lines
Have you ever noticed horizontal ridges in your nails and brushed it off thinking that you might have scratched your nails somewhere? Well, you couldn’t be more wrong… or right actually! Also known as Beau’s Lines, they are usually caused when you slam your nail against a hard object. They can also be interpreted as the indicators of serious concerns like vitamin deficiencies, malnutrition, diabetes, and even thyroid.
What to do?
Visit your trusted dermatologist right away and till you figure out what’s causing them, steer clear of nail appointments.
Better to be safe than sorry, am I right? If you feel like your nails need attention, do not cover it up with nail paint. Instead, fix an appointment with a dermatologist as they can suggest the best treatments.
Also Read: How to grow nail fast
Featured Image: Pexels