Nail Health Benefits

First, it can be used as a portable health warning device that you don’t have to spend money on. Second, it can save a lot of unnecessary troubles in life and medical expenses. Third, it can really help you detect deeply hidden early diseases in advance at critical times. Don’t think this is alarmist. I have seen quite a few related cases in the past two years.

A while ago, I accompanied my relative to the cardiology department for a review. Before he was diagnosed with coronary heart disease last year, the first abnormality he noticed was that the edges of his nails were inexplicably blue, and signs of clubbing had appeared. At first, he thought it was due to the winter cold, so he didn't take it seriously. Later, he felt chest tightness and breathlessness, so he went for a check-up. After a stent was placed, he recovered well. Now every time he returns for a follow-up visit, the doctor pinches his hand and looks at his nails, saying that this is the most intuitive indicator of peripheral circulation recovery, which is faster than looking at a test report.

Nowadays, there are always people on the Internet arguing about whether nails can reflect health. One group says that "nails are dead cuticles, and it is purely metaphysical to be involved in any problem." The other group says that nails are magical. A small vertical line can correspond to kidney deficiency and spleen deficiency, which should be supplemented. In fact, what both sides say is a bit extreme. At present, evidence-based medicine has made it clear that more than 20 systemic diseases will cause specific nail changes: for example, spoon-shaped nails (the nails are concave in the middle and the edges are raised, like a small spoon) are most likely related to iron deficiency anemia and thyroid dysfunction. ； If you have dark spots with blurred borders and rapid development on your nails, you should be alert to the possibility of subungual melanoma. ； If multiple nails have cross-cutting grooves at the same time (also known as Beau's lines in clinical terms), it can be basically inferred that you probably had a severe cold, high fever, or had surgery two or three months ago. At that time, your body temporarily diverted nutrients from the long nails to rescue the emergency. When your health returns, the grooves will slowly grow outward and disappear after being cut. As for the small vertical lines on nails that everyone often talks about, most of them are normal aging caused by staying up too late and being exposed to dish soap and laundry detergent on your hands all the time. There is really no need to worry about a terminal illness.

On a more down-to-earth note, I was obsessed with self-manicure for the past two years and had to change my nails every month. In order to make the nail patches last longer, I used a grinder to make my nails so thin that they could hit the nail bed even if I opened a can. The pain made me burst into tears. Hooking up sweaters in the winter was a common thing. But I couldn’t stand it any longer. I stopped doing manicures for more than three months, and finally regained the feeling of healthy nails: I don’t need to look for the key when unpacking packages, I just scratch the tape with my nails.； When peeling crayfish or oranges, you no longer have to worry about poking your nail seams and making you hiss and inhale in pain. ； I even saved money on manicures. Now I apply transparent nail polish. My pink nails have a natural arc luster. Last time, my colleague asked me where I got my nude manicure. It was so natural that you couldn’t even see it. The proprietress of the nail salon I often go to also said that they have seen too many girls wear their nails shorter and shorter in order to pursue a good-looking nails. Later, more and more people get paronychia and nail separation. There is really no need to ruin their nails just for a temporary beauty.

Of course, this does not mean that everyone should give up manicure completely. Now I occasionally do it when I have a party and take pictures. I just tell the manicurist not to polish my nails. When removing the nails, use a nail remover bag to leave it on for a longer time. Do not use a steel pusher to scrape hard. Leave about 1 mm of free line without nail patch. It will basically not hurt the nails. Beauty and health are not mutually exclusive.

In fact, many people's understanding of nail health is limited to "good-looking", ignoring that it is a part of the body. If you treat it well, it can not only make you look longer, but also give you some health tips. Why not? Oh, by the way, if you find that your nail abnormalities have not gone away for more than 3 months, don’t scare yourself by searching Baidu. Go to the hospital to see a dermatologist or a general practitioner and let the doctor take a look. It’s best if there is no big problem. If there is a small problem, it is better to detect it early and solve it early than to delay treatment until it becomes serious.