healthy nails

The nail surface is smooth without abnormal discoloration/bulges, the nail bed returns to ruddy color within 1 second after being pressed, and there are no frequent hangnails/delamination problems. 90% of the "nail signals corresponding to internal diseases" you read online are exaggerations.

Two weeks ago, I held a free dermatology clinic in the community. During the morning consultation, nearly one-third of the people came in with their fingers raised: "Doctor, do you think my vertical lines are due to liver disease?" ”“My child has white spots on his nails. Is it calcium deficiency? ”“I only have a crescent moon on my thumb. Is it because I have insufficient energy and blood? ”I encounter similar problems almost every day. Today I will explain the points that everyone is most concerned about, and also take into account the judgment logic in different fields, so as to save everyone from pointing their fingers and wondering every day.

Take the crescent moon that everyone cares about the most. The general conclusion of Western dermatology is that the crescent moon is a newly grown nail plate that has not yet been completely keratinized. In some people, the nail matrix grows far back, or the deck growth rate is naturally slow. The crescent moon is not visible in the first place, and it has no necessary connection with health. I have seen many people who have no crescents on their hands. Their physical examination indicators are all normal every year, and they can run a half marathon without gasping for breath. However, many doctors in the Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Internal Medicine do take the change of the crescent moon as one of the reference indicators. For example, there were originally 8 crescent moons, but recently there were only 2 left, and there were also problems with cold sensitivity, fatigue, and long-term insomnia. If you haven't had a few teeth since you were a child, it will make you feel better and healthier if you eat it. There is no need to make up for it.

Let’s talk about the scary saying that “vertical lines = liver and kidney failure” is really just a rumor. Dermatologists all know that as long as they are flat, without darkening or uneven vertical lines, it is basically a normal physiological phenomenon, similar to wrinkles on the face, and the older they get, the more obvious they become. If you stay up late every day and drink coffee until you feel flustered, the vertical lines may become more conspicuous. At most, they are a small reminder from your body that "it's time to rest" and have nothing to do with liver and kidney problems. I also have several shallow vertical lines on my hands, and my annual physical examination shows that my liver and kidney functions are normal. If I stay up late too late, the lines will indeed become deeper. After two days of sleep, they fade away, so it’s not a big deal.

There are also small white spots on the nails. Eight out of ten people will think that they are calcium deficiency, but they are not. 90% of white spots are caused by minor trauma to the nail matrix. For example, a few weeks ago, you pinched your hand with a door closed or hit the root of your nail while moving something. You didn't take it seriously because of the pain at the time. When your nails slowly grow out, small white spots will appear. You don't need calcium supplements or medicine. Once they grow to the tip of your finger, they will be gone. Unless white spots appear repeatedly over a large area, accompanied by nail delamination and chipping, then you should check whether it is a fungal infection or trace element deficiency.

Of course, this does not mean that you don’t need to pay attention to the changes in your nails. For example, if you find that your nails suddenly become concave like a small spoon, or have a wide black line, or the nails are inexplicably black, you must go to the hospital quickly. The former is most likely to be iron deficiency anemia, and the latter must rule out the possibility of malignant transformation of onychomycosis. However, these situations are really rare, so don’t blindly judge ordinary vertical lines.

Let me talk about two bad habits that I have seen the most in clinical practice, and everyone should really pay attention to them. I treated a 22-year-old girl before. She had been having manicures for 10 consecutive months. Every time she removed her nails, she had to wear off a layer of the nail surface. When she finally came, the nail surface was so thin that it hurt when she touched it. She didn’t even dare to use force to tear off the express packaging bag. It took almost four months to return to normal. If you really like to do manicure, it is best to leave your nails for two weeks at intervals of 1-2 months. When removing the nails, try to use a gentle package. Don't let the manicurist rub the nail surface with a file, which will hurt the nail surface. There are also many people who like to tear off barbs, so don’t do it. I just admitted a patient last month, and he tore off a barb without taking it seriously. It eventually became infected with paronychia, and the whole finger swelled into a small carrot. A small incision was made to drain the pus. The pain lasted for almost a week before it healed. When you see a barb, just cut it off with nail clippers. Don’t tear it blindly.

I often use alcohol and disinfectant when doing experiments. The nail edges are particularly easy to dry out, so I carry a small tube of hand cream with me. Every time I wash my hands and apply it, I rub it in circles around my nails. The hangnails are really reduced. There is no need to buy expensive nail polish. Ordinary hand cream is enough. You really don’t need to look over and over at your nails every day. If there are any abnormal changes, it is much more reliable to go directly to the dermatology department than to search online for a long time to scare yourself.