Nail Health Tips

The nail surface is smooth, has natural luster, and is evenly light pink in color. The nail surface will return to ruddy color in 1-2 seconds after pressing and releasing. This is considered a healthy state. There is no need to be overly anxious about the occasional shallow vertical lines and small number of small crescents.

Let’s talk about the little crescent moon that most people struggle with. Many people regard it as a “qi and blood comparison table” and wish they could count how many they have on their hands every day to meet the standard. There are indeed differences in opinions on this point in different fields: Traditional Chinese medicine theory believes that the number and fullness of crescent moons are related to the circulation of Qi and blood. The sudden decrease in crescent moons in a short period of time may be related to insufficient Qi and blood caused by staying up late and being tired. ； The view of modern dermatology is that the lunula is a new nail that has not yet been completely keratinized. It is related to the location of the nail matrix and the nail growth rate. Some people's nail matrix grows far back and cannot see a few crescents. As long as your crescents do not suddenly become more or less in one or two months, or the edges become blurred, there is no problem at all. I once had a best friend who saved up her annual leave to apply for a tertiary dermatology appointment because she only had two crescents on her hands because she was afraid that she would get seriously ill. However, the doctor took one look at her and asked her to go back to sleep more, saying that she had nothing wrong with her except for her nails. She wasted 50 yuan in registration fees.

When it comes to dry nails, I guess many girls who love doing manicures can relate to it. People always say that doing manicures hurts the nails, but in fact, it can’t be beaten to death with a stick. I know a manicurist who has been doing manicures for 7 years. He said that as long as he uses qualified nail polish glue and leaves a window of 1-2 weeks for the nails to breathe after each manicure treatment. When removing the nails, do not pick hard and use a nail remover pack for enough time before pushing gently. There will be basically no irreversible damage to the nails. I’m afraid of people who don’t have their nails done for a year or two in a row, or who have too much cuticles worn off when they go to a small workshop to remove their nails. I once met a little girl who had her nails done for half a year without stopping. When the nails were finally removed, the nails were so soft that they could be bent to 90 degrees, and it stung when they touched hot water. It took more than three months for her nails to return to normal. There are also many people who get panicked when they find a lot of vertical lines on their nails after getting their nails done. In fact, it is most likely that the cuticle on the nail surface has been worn away, which will basically disappear after half a month. It is not a sign of "liver failure", so don't scare yourself.

Of course, that doesn’t mean you don’t need to pay attention to all changes in your nails. Some signals are indeed giving us early warning. For example, many people are afraid of the black line on the nail. Don’t think it is melanoma when you see it. More than 90% of the black line on the nail is a nevus. To put it bluntly, it is a mole on the nail. As long as it does not suddenly widen (more than 3mm) in a short period of time (more than 3mm), the boundary becomes blurred, and even the skin around the nail becomes dark, there is no need for special treatment. Regular observation is enough. I really don’t worry about going to the dermatology department and having a dermoscopy to get the results in a few seconds. Some people's nails will be sunken like a small spoon. My aunt's nails also grew during the first half of the year. She went to check for iron deficiency anemia. After taking iron supplements for two months, the newly grown nails became flat. There is also the common saying that yellowing and thickening of nails is not necessarily onychomycosis. People who smoke all year round will have their nails yellowed by smoke stains, and people with diabetes may also have thickening of their nails. If you really want to diagnose onychomycosis, you must go for a fungal microscopy. Do not buy random medicines on your own. Spending money on the wrong symptoms may also irritate the nail surface.

Daily nail care is really not that fancy. I have been maintaining my nails for more than a year, and my biggest feeling is just don’t be mean. Don't pick out hangnails. Last month, I picked a hangnail on my hand. It swelled for three days and I struggled to twist the mineral water bottle. Finally, I applied iodophor for three days before it went away. There is also a lot of controversy over whether or not to trim the epithelium of the nails: most manicurists will recommend trimming the excess dead skin to make the resulting manicure neater. As long as the tools are disinfected in place and the skin is not cut, there will be no problem. ； However, most dermatologists do not recommend cutting. They say that the nail epithelium is a natural barrier that protects the matrix of the nail. If it is cut, it is easy to contract paronychia. You can choose according to your own needs. If you really want to cut, you must find a regular store with well-sterilized tools.

To put it bluntly, nails are mini barometers of our bodies. Most of the small changes are the feedback of recent work, rest and diet. If you stay up late, you may have more vertical lines, and if you are lacking in nutrients, they may break easily. You don’t need to read the popular science to get it right and scare yourself. I'm really not sure. It costs more than ten yuan to get a dermatology account, which is much better than searching online for a long time to scare yourself, right?