It turns out, having strong, healthy nails isn’t just good news for your manicure – unpleasant nail symptoms could also indicate bigger health problems.
• Yellow nails: This can happen naturally with age. But it’s also sometimes due to nail lacquers or acrylic nails. If you often wear acrylic nails or paint your nails and are having this problem, try taking a break from the salon and give your nails a chance to recover. Another possible cause of yellow nails: smoking, which can stain nails and give them a yellowish hue.
• Dry, cracked, or brittle nails: This issue is a common one, and there are a few possible causes. Soft, brittle nails can occur from dryness on the nail plate. This could be from swimming, overuse of nail polish remover, frequent dish washing without gloves, or just from living in a low-humidity environment. Other possible causes include chemicals (such as cleaning products) or aging. Sometimes, hypothyroidism (a condition where the thyroid works too slowly) causes this side effect, too. To soothe cracked nails, try slathering them with a super-moisturizing lotion. Like your skin, nails are absorbent, and lotion can prevent them from drying out in the future. Choose a product that contains hydrochloric acid, glycerine or Shea butter. If that doesn’t help, you can also try taking biotin, an over-the-counter nutritional supplement that promotes healthy nail growth.
• Clubbing: Clubbing of the nails – when the ends of your fingers swell and the nail becomes curved and rounded – can sometimes be a sign of liver or kidney disease. If you’re experiencing this, speak to your doctor.
• White spots: Zinc deficiency may cause the development of white spots on the nails.
• Ridges: Ridges can appear in the nails either vertically or horizontally, vertical ridges indicate poor general health, poor nutrient absorption and may indicate a kidney disorder. Horizontal ridges can occur as a result of severe stress, either psychological or physical, such as from infection and/or disease.
A horizontal indentation in the nail can occur as a result of a heart attack, major illness, or surgery. If you have ridges running up and down the nail, there may be something wrong with your liver. This also occurs in people who have a tendency to arthritis and vitamin B deficiency.
Lizel Britz 072 243 7707
