Nail Health Standards

Light pink and uniform nail color, smooth and tough nail texture, milky white half-moon mark of about 3 mm, and no hangnail redness or swelling around the nail. These are the basic judgment standards that are currently agreed upon by domestic dermatology clinics and the nail art industry. There is no need to guess at online pictures. Most people can rule out 80% of nail problems by self-examination with these four points.

I met an old customer a while ago. As soon as he sat down, he raised his finger and asked whether his liver was bad. There were several small white spots on his nails. He read so many health posts that he was so scared that he even gave up milk tea. In fact, dermatologists and health care circles still have different opinions on this matter - traditional Chinese medicine does link white spots and unclear lines on the nail surface with weak spleen and stomach and lack of trace elements. It is recommended to adjust your work and rest to supplement nutrition. ； But now the mainstream clinical view is that these are the traces of slight bumps to the nail matrix. For example, if you hit the tip of your nail while moving a box last week, or if you polished your nail surface too hard during a manicure, you may develop white spots. Just wait until the nail grows to the edge and cut it off. There is no need to buy a bunch of health care products.

Many people think that harder nails are healthier? It's really not true. I had a friend who applied calcium-containing nail polish every day for more than half a year in order to prevent her nails from breaking easily. In the end, her nails were as hard as plastic sheets. When she opened a can last time, she applied force and cracked directly from the middle to the nail bed. The pain made her cry on the spot. Healthy nails are actually flexible. When you gently break the tip of your nail, it can bend slightly, and when you release it, it will spring back immediately. It will not break as soon as it is bent, nor will it be so soft that you need help from someone to even open a can. If your nails are so thin that the flesh underneath can be seen through, or so brittle that you can split them even if you wash the dishes, don’t rush to buy lady’s nail polish. First, think about whether your nails have been worn away by too many manicures recently. If you really can’t find the reason, go check to see if you are deficient in vitamins A and B. Eating more carrots and pork liver will work better than any other armor products.

Speaking of half-moon marks, I guess everyone has heard the saying that "the more half-moon marks, the healthier you are, and if you have fewer half-moon marks, you have kidney deficiency." This statement is actually half right and half wrong. According to Chinese medicine theory, the size and number of half-moon marks are indeed related to the adequacy of Qi and blood. If you used to have clear half-moon marks on all ten fingers, but recently only the thumb is left with clear half-moon marks, and you are often dizzy and weak, with cold hands and feet, then you really need to pay attention to adjusting your work and rest, or find a Chinese medicine doctor to regulate your Qi and blood. But the point of view of Western medicine is more direct: half-moon marks are the nail matrix that has not been completely keratinized. In some people, the nail matrix grows far back, and the part where the nails have grown out has been completely keratinized. Naturally, half-moon marks are not visible. There are many people who are born without half-moon marks. They cannot be born unhealthy, right? My mother only has two superficial half-moon marks on her thumbs. When she turned 50 this year, she found nothing wrong with her physical examination. She danced square dance and climbed three flights of stairs without gasping for breath. She was much more energetic than a young person like me who stayed up late every day.

Oh, by the way, when it comes to nail health, many people only focus on the nail surface and never pay attention to the nail weeks. In fact, the nail weeks are where problems are most likely to occur. A healthy perinail should be smooth, with no redness, swelling or barbs. Don’t think that having barbs means lack of vitamins. 90% of barbs are caused by washing your hands too frequently, or not applying hand cream in winter, and the skin around your nails is too dry and cracked. Last winter, I had to disinfect my hands every day while working on a project. I washed my hands more than ten times a day. Three or four barbs grew on my fingers. They were torn and infected, and the swelling lasted for more than a week. I applied mupirocin for three days before it went away. I really advise everyone to cut off the barbs with nail clippers if they appear, and don't tear them apart. If you have repeated redness, swelling and pus around your nails, it is most likely paronychia. Don’t cut the edges of your nails blindly. Go to the dermatology department of the hospital as soon as possible. If you wait until the nails need to be removed, you will really suffer a serious consequences.

In fact, there is no need to completely stick to these standards. I have seen many people who are born with whiter nails, or have a few inconspicuous vertical lines on the nail surface. As long as there is no sudden discoloration, deformation, or pain, there is no need to be too anxious. After all, nails are like small monitors of the body. Occasionally a glitch may not necessarily be a big problem. If you are really unsure, go to the hospital and get a dermatology number. It costs more than ten yuan, which is much more reliable than reading ten health posts and wondering.