Are your nails smooth and evenly colored? At first glance, everything seems normal. Are they ridged, brittle, stained or split? It could indicate a health problem. Deficiency, psoriasis, melanoma… We take stock of these small anomalies.
- Many small anomalies can affect your nails, a balanced diet and good hygiene can remedy this.
- If the ailments persist, they may be a sign of a medical condition, so consultation with a doctor is recommended.
Sometimes it happens that our nails are damaged. Rest assured, most of the time, it’s harmless and linked to certain deficiencies. Show me your nails and I’ll tell you what you got!
Diet and lifestyle factors
White streaks, brittle or split nails: these disorders are often linked to lifestyle and diet. For example, cracked or brittle nails are often the result of a poor diet, soft nails indicate a protein deficiency, white spotted nails (also called leukonychia) indicate a lack of calcium or vitamin C, and nails striated are due to a deficiency of silica and iron.
Good news: for these different problems, returning to a balanced diet and good hygiene should be enough to restore beauty to your hands.
Yellow nails are mainly associated with smoking or frequent nail polish breaks, but they can also be a symptom of a more serious condition: psoriasis, diabetes, jaundice, tuberculosis, sinusitis or thyroid problems, in which case you will need a medical consultation.
According to’France Psoriasis association, nail psoriasis is often misdiagnosed and can also give your nails a peculiar appearance, with surface alterations, orange discoloration or nail detachment. Most of the time, it is treated with topical topical corticosteroids, corticosteroid injections or UV rays.
Finally, manual activities, prolonged soaking of the hands in water or quite simply old age are felt on your nails.
Damaged nails: when should you consult a doctor?
Even if small nail abnormalities are generally harmless, if the symptoms persist despite good hygiene and a balanced diet, consulting a doctor is recommended.
The American website Medical News Today recommends seeing your doctor if you are concerned about any of the following symptoms on your nails: change in shape or thickness, swelling, discoloration, redness, pain or bleeding around the nail, or peeling of the nail. ‘nail.
A black spot on a nail is never a good sign if you haven’t had a shock before, then it can be linked to malignant melanoma. “It treats like skin cancer. We must be vigilant because even if it is less widespread, it can be dangerous“, explains dermatologist Mostefa Rafaa, interviewed by Current wife.
How to take care of your nails?
To have beautiful hands, simple and regular rules of hygiene and beauty must be adopted in addition to food.
Among them, trim the nails after bathing or showering when they are softer, cut them straight, gently round the tips, and leave the cuticles to protect the nails. It is also important to think about moisturizing your nails, which we tend to forget when moisturizing your hands. Finally, you should also avoid long-term use of nail polish, nail polish remover, and false nails.
