Nail health knowledge

The nail surface is smooth without long-standing abnormal lines/dents, the nail bed is evenly light pink, blood returns quickly in 1-2 seconds after pressing, and there is no persistent redness or swelling around the nail or frequent barbs. Most of the statements circulated on the Internet such as "more crescents are healthier", "vertical lines on nails = bad liver and kidneys" and "white spots mean there are worms in the stomach" have no clear clinical basis, and they will make you anxious without even reading them.

Last week, my best friend came to me with her nails in a rage, her face turned pale, and she said that she had checked online posts and found that vertical lines on her nails were a precursor to liver cancer. I took her to see a dermatologist whom I knew well. The doctor smiled after taking a quick look and said that she had been staying up late every day to catch up on projects, and the nail matrix was temporarily unable to provide nutrients. She should sleep well for two weeks and it would disappear when new nails grow. It had nothing to do with the liver.

Speaking of this, I have to mention the crescent moon issue that everyone is most concerned about. It is true that Chinese and Western medicine have different judgment standards: many Chinese medicine doctors will use the short-term sudden increase and decrease of the crescent moon as one of the reference dimensions to judge physical changes. For example, if most of the crescent moon suddenly disappears, it may be accompanied by insufficient Qi and blood; but Western medicine The general consensus among doctors is that the essence of the lunula is the nail matrix that has not been completely keratinized. The number and size of the lunula are basically determined by innate genetics. As long as your own lunula does not undergo drastic changes in a short period of time, even if you only have two thumbs, it is completely normal. There is no need to stare at other people's lunula envy.

I have advised you eight hundred times not to use your nails as tools. I used to stupidly think that I was very cool when I used my nails to open cans and tear off express delivery tape. After having it for more than half a year, the nail bed shrank by two millimeters. The nails were as thin as translucent glutinous rice paper, and the slightest touch would break into the flesh. It took almost half a year to grow back. There are also many people who like to pick at barbs. The last time I treated a high school student, he picked a barb and became infected with paronychia. His fingers were swollen like small carrots and he couldn't even hold a pen. In the end, he had to have a small pus draining. It was really not worth it.

By the way, I would like to mention the long-debated issue of "should nails breathe?" The general consensus of Western medicine is that nails themselves are dead keratinocytes and have no so-called respiratory function, so there is no need to deliberately leave nail polish for half a month in order to "breathe nails." However, many clinical dermatologists have mentioned that frequently applying non-breathable nail polish glue for a long time, or over-polishing the nail surface every time you do a manicure, will indeed make the cuticles thin and brittle, making it easier to layer and break. Therefore, the key is not to apply or not, but not to overdo it. I have been doing manicures for five or six years, and now I do them once a month. I ask the manicurist to polish the nail surface as little as possible.

The white spots on nails that people often ask about are really not bugs. 90% of them are caused by the nail matrix at the root of your nails that you accidentally hit before, such as moving a box or pinching a door. But if there are dense pits on the nails, and the nails become thicker and layered, then you should be careful whether psoriasis or hand eczema affects the nails. It is best to go to the hospital and don't apply hand cream blindly.

Oh, by the way, if you find that black vertical lines suddenly grow on your nails, and they are gradually getting wider and uneven in color, don’t hesitate to go to the dermatology department for a dermoscopy to rule out the risk of hypoonychia nevus. Of course, the probability is very low, but there is no harm in checking, and it is better than searching for it at home for a long time and scaring yourself.

A netizen came to me before and said that her nails were yellow and she thought she had onychomycosis. She bought bright nails and applied them for three months, but they were not cured. I asked her if she wore dark red nail polish every day and never applied base coat. She said yes. Then she stopped wearing nail polish for a month, and the yellow part slowly grew out and everything was fine. Of course, if your nails are gray and thickened, and there are chips under the nail, it is most likely onychomycosis, which is what we call onychomycosis. You must go to the hospital to check the fungus and confirm it before taking medicine. If it is not symptomatic, it will not be cured even if it is applied for half a year.

In the final analysis, there is really not so much mystery about nails. Most of the minor problems are caused by you - vertical lines will appear if you stay up late, the nail surface will become thin if you do frequent manicures, and picking a hangnail may swell into paronychia. If you really have an abnormality that persists for several months, it’s better to go directly to the hospital to get a dermatology consultation for a dozen dollars than to scare yourself by searching online for a long time to find out the symptoms.