Nails: What They Say About the Body and What to Do

I feel like a little kid, but I know that on a couple of these I had questions, Cutee. 

I know I've always read to cut the nail straight across but what works best for me is to follow the shape of the finger or toe.  What's the reasoning for the straight across?

Why keep filing in the same direction and not back and forth?

Another reason not to bite your nails is it's hard on your teeth.  And yes, I know this from the dentist who looked at the chip on my tooth and then looked at my fingers.  I don't bite my nails but I do hangnails, unless there are clippers right there when one is bugging me. I didn't used to have hangnails that were problematic, but when I mentioned it to my chiropractor a while back, he told me I needed more fish oil.  That helped.  The only place in a book I can recall having seen hangnails included as part of the 'picture' related to fibromyalgia, which many followers of Lumigrate have or are developing symptoms of, is 'the Green Book' as we all call it.  (Fibromyalgia and Chronic Myofascial Pain: A Survival Manual, by Devin Starlanyl and Mary ellen Copeland).

And since fibromyalgia is a bad case of what a LOT of other people have symptoms of or have things essentially adding up on them that will eventually spill over into chronic illness from chronic wellness, I really suggest people look at any of these symptoms as wonderful early warning signs that allow them to correct what is going on underneath the outward manifestation so potentially people don't have to go into medical issues.  The old adage of "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure" is so true; had a small amount of money been spent long ago on knowledgeable providers, a huge amount of expense would have been prevented in my health, but now that I know better I do better AND I bring the knowhow to YOU at Lumigrate!  

I decided last year that chemicals for coloring my hair and what goes into polishing nails were just not a good thing for the environment, the people working around them, making them, the wastewater, etc.  And the world has still spun! 

My favorite trick is to keep nitrile gloves (medical exam gloves) at the sink and then throw some good cooking oil like coconut or olive (not that you cook with olive, but I mean oil that is in the kitchen that is good for you) in my hands and into the gloves.  So I'm glad to see your tip on that.  Those are smell-free gloves, and if you get the right size they aren't bulky.  I like the purple kind, that are also now more blush/purple; you can get a house brand at Walgreens that cuts the cost; some are too loose, such as the house brand from WalMart/Sams for my type of hand but it would be perfect for another type of hand.  The purple type work for me because they fit my long, thin fingers the best.  

I'm hoping that a doctor will come into this section and write about what they look for in nails, and things along those lines.  (No pun intended). 

Thanks Ilene, you're a Cutee-cle Lady alright!  

Mardy

Hi Mardy...Thanks for your questions.

The reason for clipping straight across the nail is so that there are no jagged edges to catch on clothing to rip your nail off...and it also helps to avoid hangnails.

Filing your nails from corner to middle, one way, also helps to eliminate jagged edges and hangnails.

You CAN clip your fingernails following the shape of your finger...BUT, you SHOULD clip your toenails straight across...and DON'T dig into the corners.  Let a professional do that...preferably your Podiatrist...You can cause a major problem if you clip to close to the cuticle...you might clip the skin and then a bacteria or a fungus can get in there and you might get an infection or possibly lose the nail.  And toenails take 9-12 months to grow back out.  They are slow growing.

I have a doctor's appointment in a couple of days...I will try to remember to ask him about what he looks for when he looks at my nails.  (Maybe I can get him to answer your question...keep your fingers crossed.)

All the best...'Cutee'

I want to say thank you for posting some of the deficiencies that cause the nails to deform, such as iron.  I have been looking for this information for months and couldn't find it on the internet.  Are there other vitamin deficiencies that cause nail deformities, such as the B-Vitamins?  I know that the B's affect nails and hair...

Thank you again,

RamyB

That's wonderful that you joined us, RamyB, because of this information!  Thanks for stopping by to write and give feedback.  We have access to several doctors who we can cue to come look at this stuff as well.  Deirdra Rawlings is a naturopathic doctor who is going to be dropping into Lumigrate 1-2x/week generally, and Wm Marcus Spurlock, MD and Jerry Rand, MD are joining the ranks of doctors who will be participating with Lumigrate, and in the past we've seen Scott Rollins, MD (who has the two videos on Lumigrate.com already) stop by.  They all have busy practices, so having several to ask is a good thing!  Again, anyone can write in the Forum areas by starting a new Topic within a Forum and then I can select out things that warrant their own Forum and set those up.  So if you know of people who you think would have good information to contribute, please tell them about it!  That's how we grow... ~~ Mardy

RamyB...Welcome!  I am glad that Mardy read your post before I did so that she could say that she will contact a doc to get your answers...since I am not a doc, I do not know.

Nails are made out of Keratin...and Biotin and some of the B vitamins DO help...I just don't know, or rather, cannot remember (thanks FibroFog) exactly how.

Sometime this week I will be posting about different ways different illness can affect the nails.  Most of the pictures show the fingernails...but toenails can be involved too. 

Our poor little piggy's...they get forgotten so quickly when we talk about nails...and because they are covered up a lot, mostly in winter...outta sight, outta mind.  But in this case...absense does NOT make the heart grow fonder...if our toenails get negelected...it can cause some serious problems...

Till later this week...remember...Knowledge is POWER!

Dear Ladies,

Thanks so much for your work in this area.  

One of the most common problems I see with fingernails is the longitudinal ridges present there.  They start very shallow and over time become deeper and deeper.  This sign is indicative of low thyroid or growth hormones.  It should improve slowly with appropriate therapies.  Usually you will also notice with low thyroid that the hands (and feet) are cold.  This sign is not "normal for them", it is low thyroid hormone and their metabolism is too slow, therefore, not enough warmth -- a classic sign.  

The other problem with fingernails in people with low thyroid is that their nails barely grow at all.  All of this changes with appropriate thyroid treatment.

It is more common with toenails, but also seen in fingernails,......the fungal infection problems.  These are very resistant to treatment, and may take a long time to treat.  There are many treatments including prescription drugs, tea tree oil, colloidal silver preparations, etc.  The real trick is to be consistent with treatment for several months of therapy.  If you quit too soon, the infection can grow right back.

Wm. Marcus Spurlock, MD

Hi Everyone!

Fingernails are an interesting way to analyze a person's health and can indicate deficiencies, weaknesses and toxins all within the body.  Traditional Chinese medicine uses fingernail analysis as well as physiognomy, which is the study of the facial features, as a way to diagnose inner health and pathology.

Here are a few specifics I have observed with fingernails as they relate to the health and nutritional status of an individual.  

* Hangnails often indicates a lack of protein and vitamin C.  Since Vitamin C builds collagen and connective tissue within the body, this seems to be connected and make sense somehow.

* Verticle ridges can mean possible iron deficiencies while horizontal ridges can mean calcium, vitamin A or B-complex deficiencies.

* White dots usually indicates a possible zinc deficiency. Supplementation will help with this.

* Deep split in the nail usually is a lack of hydrochloric acid (found in the stomach).  Hydrochloric acid is necessary for digesting proteins and as we age we produce less and less of it.  Impaired digestion of proteins will easily lead to split nails.  Supplementing with some hydrochloric acid during meals containing protein will definitely help with this.

* A whitish coloring between the moon and tip of the nail indicates a possible yeast or fungal issue.  Supplementing the diet with probiotics usually helps with this.

* Thick nails means possible poor circulation; brittle nails possible lack of vitamin A or calcium, waxy or weak nails is a possible lack of silicon.

The shape of your nails also provide some telltale signs to your health, for example, a rounded nail can be an indication of a possible lack of vitamin B-12 deficiency while spoon shaped nails may indicate possible anemia or insufficient oxygen.  Exercise can help with this and perhaps a supplemental iron tablet (but its always best to check your ferritin and iron levels with a blood test to determine if this is the case as supplements can be dangerous if not needed).

For healthy strong nails the best is to eat sufficient amounts of protein throughout the day which can be in the form of vegetable or animal proteins.  Juicing is a wonderful way to take in more calcium: try juicing some spinach, kale, and mix in the blender with some almond nut milk (which are high in calcium iron, and plant protein).  Juicing is particularly beneficial for weak digestive systems and people who are having challenges with absorption and assimilation.

Deirdre

Cool info!  I learned something new today!

Pretty neat cycle I just witnessed, Irene!  You wrote it, they embelished, you learned and the whole way I learned as well as the other 99 reads, as there just now were 100 reads (on 2/2/2010 about noon your time).  Pretty neat!  ~~ Mardy

So in all that was just written, above, is there a term I'm maybe not so familiar with that you guys are using that I don't interpret as what my nails do?  They are very thin and come apart in layers if they bend, like mica, if you know what mica is.  (Do you have that in your part of the country?  We have a lot of it here and I think it formed in areas near where something valuable was mined.  Learned that on the hike I went on where my toenails got destroyed that made me start realizing how much YOU know, 'Ilene', about nails and gave me the idea to ask if you'd write for Lumigrate. BUT I forget what I learned.... will have to go again next year and take geologists again.  They were fun geologists too!)  Lots of them around here due to the uranium, gas and now the cleanup of the uranium and now MORE NEW uranium development about to start up again.  ~~ Mardy

Ok Mardy...Look at the next post...I will be posting pictures of different nail problems along with descriptions of what it could all possibly mean.

It is going to go up in a few minutes.

'Ilene'

Note on 10/25/10.  Lumigrate.com has grown so much in the # of forums here, that I was needing to consolidate and remove things that weren't getting much attention.  This wonderful exchange I copied over to the area where Mariluz Fontanez has hopped in recently and made quite a splash about hair and skin, as I want there to be ONE place that everyone comes to related to all things 'superficial' or 'on the outside', depending how you look at it.  After making this nice, complete piece about nails, another person didn't come along with an interest in writing about healthy hair or skin until this fall, and that is because we were just waiting for her to get sick earlier this year and find Lumigrate on her path back to health, we are all intending and hoping. 

When I saw that Mariluz had posted a video about fibromyalgia, and that she was a stylist of hair and makup on the East Coast, I was able to proudly show her this area of Lumigrate and ask her to do the same type of thing related to hair and skin, and certainly add in more about nails if she or someone she knows of wants to write!  So we have ALL the people who collaborated on this REALLY NICE piece from our FIRST year at Lumigrate.com to thank!  We're all in this together, I'm proud to say.  

Cutee --  We're off to an awesome start and I really am going to utilize this section that Cutee kicked off then we got doctors involved as a model and example when guiding others to how Lumigrate works.  (Some of the providers are really NOT that familiar with how websites and boards work, as I wasn't, to be honest with you.  We see patients about a million hours a day and then that's 'it'..... so this is a growth thing that needs some encouragement on my part.)

I just talked to a new woman with FMS last night who has many friends who do not have FMS and it was so cool to say 'oh, have them look at the Aesthetics Forum at Lumigrate, there'll be something there for EVERYONE who has skin, hair and nails.

SO.... Again, everyone -- THANK YOU.  And 'Wonderful job!'.  And for all those who come and read who do not have fibromyalgia or who do, you're setting quite an example for how much we have to contribute to others and how capable we can still be!  We just needed a 'different way' of doing it.  

~~ Mardy

.. and here's the link.... http://www.lumigrate.com/forums/integrative-medicine-parts-m...