What Your Nails Say About Your Health

Your nails can tell you a lot about your health, even underlying conditions that you may not know you had. It all comes down to the shape, thickness, and overall appearance of the nail itself.

For example, short nails aren’t really indicative of anything except for possibly stress as most people turn to nail biting as a sort of coping mechanism, whether they do it consciously or subconsciously. However, long and narrow nails can tell a different story. Nails that are unusually narrow and don’t look quite like normal nails can be an indicator of genetic disorders such as Ehler-Danlos. Likewise, “spooned” nails–named for their concave appearance–could be caused by deficiencies in Iron or Vitamin A. They can also be a sign of anemia. 

Moving on from the shape, the colour of the nail can also be an overall indicator of how your health is doing. For example, naturally white nails with dark tips can be a sign of organ trouble, such as the liver, thyroid, or heart. Thick nails are indicative of a fungal infection, and people who suffer from thin and brittle nails often have deficiencies in Zinc or Iron.