The Truth About Nails

Your finger nails reveal a huge amount about the state of your health, both physical and mental.  Growing 1mm a week on average, the colour and surface appearance of the nail reflect many stress or dietary deficiencies that may need addressing.

Healthy nails give a pinkish hue, provided by a rich blood supply.  An overall white shade to the nails can indicate a lack of iron or poor circulation at the ends of your fingers.  Naturopaths and nutritionists advise how building blood, by increasing magnesium in the diet, can improve this pale demeanour of the nail.

In contrast, deep red colouration can indicate an excess of fatty acids and cholesterol  in the body.  Diets that are high in dairy, sugar and salt can lead to such excess, which can result in an underactive liver and blocked arteries.  To see improvements, try exchanging foods that are highly refined for whole grain bread and rice, and assist the digestive system by consuming five fresh fruit, vegetables per day and drinking 2 litres of water per day.

Professional nail technicians already know the vast majority of information regarding the nail anatomy, which they gleam from nail courses. An important point to remember is that a nail techncian must know and fully understand the anatomy of the natural nail.

Purple-red nails suggest an unbalanced digestive system that results from too much sugar, pharmaceutical drugs, tropical fruits and juices.  Again, ample seasonal vegetables, pulses and whole grains make improvements.

White spots are generally caused by trauma to the nails, although diets high in sugar, alcohol, chocolate and even excess fruit can be to blame.  Zinc-rich foods can help the digestive system deal with such foods.  Whole grains and chicken are zinc rich.

Brittle and flaky nails indicate a congested liver, brought about by poor intake of fish, pulses and fresh vegetables or even an excess of sugar, additives or pharmaceutical drugs.

Vertical ridges can be brought about by age, genetics or possibly highlight a number of problems relating to a congested or stagnant liver or even a digestive tract.

Horizontal ridges are commonly a feature of too much stress or anxiety.  The answer to this is to remove yourself from the cause of stress and pamper, pamper, pamper yourself.