What do your nails say about your health?

Just like your hair, also composed of keratin, your nails say a lot about your health. We’re here to translate.

Many factors can alter your nails’ appearance, from stress to cleaning products to nail varnish. Heavy smoking can even cause yellow stains to develop. Still, some abnormalities are more worrying than others.

Red ridges, for example, visible under the nail can be a sign of heart disease, while curved nails can indicate a problem with the lungs. If you have a black spot on your nails that can’t be explained by an impact, too, it could be the manifestation of melanoma.

Fragile nails, though less serious, can mean you don’t have enough vitamin C or protein in your diet. White spots, meanwhile, are often caused by impacts and not necessarily linked to calcium deficits, unlike what many people believe.