Sept. 2, 2024—Whether you love to pamper yourself with manicures and pedicures or tend to ignore your fingers and toes, it's a good idea to check your fingernails and toenails regularly. Their condition can offer some useful clues about your health.
What to look for
According to the American Academy of Dermatology Association, there's a long list of changes to the color, shape or condition of your nails that could indicate a possible health problem.
Be on the lookout for:
Swelling and redness around a nail. This could mean you have an infection.
Color changes. Many things can cause nails to turn yellow, including smoking and wearing red nail polish without a protective base coat. But yellow, thick nails also may be a sign of disease or infection. A blue tint to your nails can be caused by low blood oxygen levels, which can be caused by a number of health issues, such as heart problems or pneumonia. And half-and-half nails, which can appear to be a combination of white and pink, brown or red, can be a symptom of chronic kidney disease.
Shape and texture changes. When nails are pitted, meaning they have several small dents, it can signal psoriasis. Clubbed nails, which curve down and around enlarged fingertips, could be a sign of heart, lung or gastrointestinal disease. And spoon nails, which look scooped out in the middle, could point to too much or too little iron in the body.
A dark, vertical streak. It's possible to get melanoma—the most serious form of skin cancer—under your nail. If that happens, a dark streak can form. However, the odds are slim that a dark streak means melanoma, says the AARP.
Show your nails some TLC
It's important to know that, most of the time, nail changes are not a sign of serious illness. For example, they may simply be a normal part of aging or a medication side effect.
All the same, if you notice any new changes to your fingernails and toenails, you should make an appointment with a dermatologist.
How nail-savvy are you? Test your knowledge with our quiz on nail health.
Sources
- AARP. "10 Things Your Toes Could Say About Your Health." https://www.aarp.org/health/conditions-treatments/info-2023/what-toes-and-toenails-can-say-about-your-health.html.
- AARP. "Surprising Things Your Fingernails Can Reveal About Your Health." https://www.aarp.org/health/conditions-treatments/info-2021/what-your-nails-can-tell-you.html.
- American Academy of Dermatology Association. "12 Nail Changes a Dermatologist Should Examine." https://www.aad.org/public/everyday-care/nail-care-secrets/basics/nail-changes-dermatologist-should-examine.