• Celebrity
    • Of The Essence
    • Celebrity News
    • If Not For My Girls
    • The State Of R&B
    • Time Of Essence
  • Fashion
    • 2023 Best In Black Fashion Awards
    • 2023 Fashion House
    • Red Carpet
    • Fashion News
    • Accessories
  • Beauty
    • Girls United: Beautiful Possibilities
    • 2023 Best In Black Beauty
    • Skin
    • Makeup
    • Nails
    • Hair
  • Lifestyle
    • Love
    • Parenting
    • Relationships
    • Bridal Bliss
    • Lifestyle News
    • Health & Wellness
    • ESSENCE Eats
    • Travel
    • Food & Drink
  • Entrepreneurship
    • Money & Career
  • News
    • Latest News
    • Paint The Polls Black
    • Culture
    • Politics
  • Shopping
  • Video
  • Events
    • 2023 Fashion House
    • 2023 ESSENCE Festival Of Culture
    • 2023 Wellness House
    • 2023 Black Women In Hollywood
    • 2023 ESSENCE Film Festival
    • 2023 HOLLYWOOD HOUSE
  • Studios
  • Girls United

WHERE BLACK CULTURE, COMMUNITY AND CONSCIOUSNESS MEET

Sign up for ESSENCE Newsletters the keep the Black women at the forefront of conversation.

Your email is required.
Your email is in invalid format.
Confirm email is required.
Email did not match.
Select the newsletters you'd like to receive:
Please select at least one option.
By clicking Subscribe Now, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Skip to content
SUBSCRIBE
  • MAGAZINE
  • NEWSLETTER
  • Celebrity
    • Of The Essence
    • Celebrity News
    • If Not For My Girls
    • The State Of R&B
    • Time Of Essence
  • Fashion
    • 2023 Best In Black Fashion Awards
    • 2023 Fashion House
    • Red Carpet
    • Fashion News
    • Accessories
  • Beauty
    • Girls United: Beautiful Possibilities
    • 2023 Best In Black Beauty
    • Skin
    • Makeup
    • Nails
    • Hair
      • Hair News
      • Natural
      • Relaxed
      • Transitioning
      • Weave
      • 4C
  • Lifestyle
    • Love
    • Parenting
    • Relationships
    • Bridal Bliss
    • Lifestyle News
    • Health & Wellness
    • ESSENCE Eats
    • Travel
    • Food & Drink
  • Entrepreneurship
    • Money & Career
  • News
    • Latest News
    • Paint The Polls Black
    • Culture
    • Politics
  • Shopping
  • Video
  • Events
    • 2023 Fashion House
    • 2023 ESSENCE Festival Of Culture
    • 2023 Wellness House
    • 2023 Black Women In Hollywood
    • 2023 ESSENCE Film Festival
    • 2023 HOLLYWOOD HOUSE
  • Studios
  • Girls United
Home · Nails

8 Things Your Nails Could Be Telling You About Your Health

These subtle changes in your nails may be signs of a bigger health issue.
8 Things Your Nails Could Be Telling You About Your Health
Getty Images
By Virginia Lowman · Updated October 27, 2020

Contrary to popular belief, your nails are not merely a canvas for colorful murals, paints and shiny lacquers. In fact, your nails can tell you a thing or two about health before the rest of your body really begins to display any symptoms. So, those brittle, yellowing, or ghostly white nails you’ve been sporting may not be due to an over-processed manicure, but rather, they could be a sign of something much more serious.

We’ve broken it down by symptom to help you determine whether or not you need to pay your doc a visit!


Symptom: Pale, colorless nails with a rosy rim at the base of the tip
Cause: This could be caused by poor circulation or merely aging, but it could also be a sign of something more serious like liver or kidney trouble, or diabetes.

What You Should Know Before Your Next Manicure

Symptom: Yellowing Nails
Cause: This could be the result of using old nail polish which can stain you the surface of your nail. If you’re a smoker, this may also be an issue that you face. If you can’t seem to get rid of the discoloration after soaking your nails, then you may want to consider a doctor’s visit, as it could also be the result of a fungal infection, jaundice, psoriasis or a thyroid condition.

Symptom: Weak and/or brittle nails
Cause: You may need to up your vitamin intake. Opt for vitamin A, C and or B12, which will strengthen your nails. Biotin is also a great option to strengthen and optimize nail growth.

Symptom: Clouded Nail Beds
Cause: If your nails are ridden with white spots, it’s usually a sign of trauma or high stress. Try relaxing a bit. As for your nails, don’t worry, it isn’t permanent; once they grow out, the spots will go with them.

Perfect Prescription for Your Damaged Nails

Symptom: Indented Nails
Cause: Ridges or indentations across the nail bed are referred to as “Beau’s lines.” They generally result from an injury to the nail, but can also be the result of a zinc deficiency or an illness such as diabetes or pneumonia.

Symptom: Dimpled Nail Bed
Cause: If you find that the surface of your nail is uneven, this could be an early sign of inflammatory arthritis.

Symptom: Dark Streak on the Nail Bed
Cause: Check this out as soon as possible as it could be a sign of melanoma (skin cancer).

Symptom: Scooped Nails
Cause: If your nails assume a hollow shape and take on the shape of a spoon, you may have an iron deficiency. This could also be a sign of heart disease or hypothyroidism. Either way, it’s best to go see a doctor.


Take some time in between nail appointments to let your nails rest. It’s important to be able to identify changes in all parts of your body, but especially those that are often covered by cosmetic products such as nail lacquers and wraps.

When was the last time you checked the the state of your nails?

COMPANY INFORMATION
  • Our Company
  • Customer Service
  • Essence Ventures
  • Change Your Address
  • Contact Us
  • Job Opportunities
  • Internships
  • Media Kit
  • tag
SUBSCRIBE
  • Newsletters
  • Give a Gift of ESSENCE
  • Magazine Tablet Edition
FOLLOW US
MORE ON ESSENCE
  • Home
  • Love
  • Celebrity
  • Beauty
  • Hair
  • Fashion
  • ESSENCE festival

ESSENCE.com is part of ESSENCE Communications, Inc.

Essence may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.

©2023 ESSENCE Communications Inc. All Rights Reserved. | Privacy Policy | Terms of Use | Essence.com Advertising Terms

Get The ESSENCE Newsletter and
Special Offers delivered to your inbox

By clicking Sign Up, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

Get The ESSENCE Magazine
by subscribing below
subscribe now