Healthy nails aren’t only aesthetically pleasing—they also work to make your daily life easier. Fingernails protect the soft part of your fingers, giving them more strength and sharpening your fine motor skills as you pick up or hold on to things. So are your nails healthy? How can you make them stronger? But first things first, here’s how to check for healthy nails.
Check the colour of your fingernails.
A nice, healthy nail has a pale pinkish or mauve colour, reflecting the colour of the nail bed underneath. Try to apply pressure to your nails. If the pinkish colour disappears temporarily and quickly reappears once you release the pressure, that’s a good sign. That indicates that you’re well-hydrated and have good blood flow to your tissues.
Look out for horizontal ridges.
Vertical ridges that run from the cuticle to the tip of your nails are harmless. They’re a normal sign of aging. On the other hand, horizontal ridges or pits on your nails can be a sign of vitamin deficiencies or diabetes. Other health conditions like eczema & psoriasis also cause nail pitting. Have smooth nails? That’s good news; you have fingernails in good condition.
See if you have moisturized cuticles.
Moisturised cuticles support healthy nail growth. Their key role, after all, is to serve as a barrier that protects your nail matrix against bacteria. So when they’re healthy and moisturized, the rest of your fingernails will likely be healthy, too. Do you have dry cuticles? Start using the Magic Pen Starter Pack every day. It’s packed with ultra-hydrating ingredients to treat, revitalize and protect your cuticles and keep them in tip-top shape.
Watch out for dark lines underneath.
Have you noticed dark lines beneath your nails? Are the lines light or dark brown? Do they slowly expand and cover a bigger part of your nail? That could be a symptom of subungual melanoma, a type of skin cancer that usually begins in the nail matrix. As mentioned, healthy nails have pinkish colour—and nothing else. So if you see dark lines beneath your nails, go to your doctor to have them properly checked.
Check if you have sturdy fingernails.
Healthy nails are sturdy—they rarely break. If the opposite happens, you probably have an iron deficiency. It might also be caused by wetting & drying your nails too often (you can resolve it by wearing gloves when washing dishes or doing laundry; applying the Magic Pen Nail Cream can help, too). Biting your nails can cause them to get weaker, too. But if your nails are especially brittle, you might have onycholysis. It is a condition where your fingernail separates from the nail bed. It’s best to consult with your physician regarding this matter.
See if you don’t have red & puffy nail folds.
The nail fold is the tissue that encloses your nail matrix, attaching the nail to the rest of your skin through the protective cuticle. It’s not good news if your nail fold is red and puffy. That inflammation can result from nail infection or a connective tissue disorder like lupus. If the redness doesn’t subside for days, consider making an appointment with your primary doctor.