Subscriber Newsletter April 3, 2015

Normal healthy fingernails are smooth, strong, and clear, except for a pale half moon shape at the base, and are white in color where they grow out past the tip of the finger.

Imperfections like white bands, thin nails, nails that bend or break easily, misshapen nails and splinter hemorrhages all represent different specific nutritional deficiencies that should be addressed.

When poor nails are pointed out, sometimes people will become embarrassed and say, “they’ve always looked that way,” or, “it’s normal for me.” While they have grown accustomed to the symptoms, their fingernails are not normal and the reality is that they have lived with nutritional deficiencies for a long time. The good news is that replenishing the nutrients can take as little as a few days or a couple months to achieve. Once replenished, their nails will become strong and healthy.

Be aware that some doctors take a backward approach to nail health. They logically, although erroneously, believe some action causes the unhealthy nail, when in reality the unhealthy nail causes the action. For example, you chew your nails. Your doctor says the chewing has caused your raggedy looking nails and asks if you are stressed.

But, the biting may be a reaction to hangnails, thin, flaking nails or some such problem. For example, your nail is thin and cracks. You are driving, so you bite the nail to remove the broken part. Since your nails are always thin, you are constantly chewing them. This becomes habit.

The underlying cause is not your chewing. Neither is it the nutritional deficiency. The cause is whatever is causing the deficiency that results in your unhealthy nails: malabsorption or poor diet.