Your nails can tell a lot about your overall health. Your doctor can diagnose several health conditions, such as anemia, lung diseases, liver diseases, psoriasis, heart failure, and kidney diseases by examining your nails. Read more: How Can I Make My Nails Grow Faster Using Home Remedies? Article
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Nail Disorders: What Nails Say About Your Health
Nail disorders and diseases may be a sign of problems in the body. Nails can be spoon-shaped, blue, or have white lines. Some...
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Picture of Fingernail Anatomy
A fingernail is produced by living skin cells in the finger. See a picture of Fingernail Anatomy and learn more about the health...
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Picture of Nail-Patella Syndrome
This entity, also known as hereditary osteo-onychodysplasia, is a genetic disease linked to a mutation in the gene encoding...
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Picture of Clubbed Nails
Increased curvature of the nail plate may be due to a wide variety of causes. See a picture of Clubbed Nails and learn more about...
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Picture of Discoloration of Nail Plates
Many chemicals can discolor nail plates. Solutions of potassium permanganate and silver nitrate stain nail plates brown-purple...
SLIDESHOW
Plastic Surgery: Before and After Photos of Cosmetic Surgeries See SlideshowRelated Disease Conditions
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Fungal Nails
Fungal nails (onychomycosis) may be caused by many species of fungi, but the most common is Trichophyton rubrum. Distal subungal onychomycosis starts as a discolored area at the nail's corner and slowly spread toward the cuticle. In proximal subungal onychomycosis, the infection starts at the cuticle and spreads toward the nail tip. Yeast onychomycosis is caused by Candida and may be the most common cause of fungal fingernail.
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Can a Nail Grow Back if Removed?
Yes, nails have good regeneration capacity, but they grow slowly. Fingernails may grow one-tenth of a millimeter each day, so completely removed fingernails usually grow within 6 months. Toenails may grow at about one-half or one-third the rate of the fingernails, so completely removed toenails may grow within 18 months.
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Ingrown Toenail (Onychocryptosis)
Ingrown toenails are caused by the growth of the toenail into the surrounding nail fold. Symptoms and signs include toe pain, swelling, redness, and yellow drainage. Treatment at home involves soaking the affected foot in diluted white vinegar or Epsom salts, elevating the foot, and trimming the nails straight across. Surgery is also an option for severe cases. Prevent ingrown toenails by wearing shoes with a wider toe box and avoiding repeated injury to the toenails. Avoid curving or cutting the nails short at the edges.
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What Does It Mean When Your Toenails Are Yellow?
If the toenails are turning yellow, it could be a result of multiple issues. Some may be less serious such as aging or chemicals in nail polish. However, it could also mean there is a more serious systemic medical condition for which medical treatment is required.
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How Do You Fix a Laceration on a Nail Bed?
Nail bed injuries are the most common type of fingertip injuries seen in emergency rooms. If you get injured on your nails, you must remove jewelry, clean the area with soap and water, trim the nail, stop the bleeding, apply ice and elevate the area. Seek help in the ER for a more serious nail bed injury.
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Should you Push Back your Cuticles?
Your cuticle is an important part of your nail. This small strip of skin at the bottom of your nail acts as extra protection from germs entering your nail bed. Pushing them back incorrectly or cutting them too short can put you at risk of infection. A licensed nail technician can do this for you safely.
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What Will Happen if You Leave an Ingrown Toenail Untreated?
When a toenail grows inward instead of growing outward normally, it curves and grows into the skin. This irritates the skin and can cause pain, swelling, redness, and tenderness around the nail bed and sides of the nail. This painful condition of the toenail is known as onychocryptosis.
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