Healthy nail color

The core color of healthy nails is a uniform light pink (it can also appear as a lighter cherry blossom pink or a darker orange pink depending on the skin color), with a natural translucent luster on the surface. The nail half moon at the root of the nail is mostly milky white or light beige, with no obvious color patches, spots or turbidity.

This standard is the current common clinical judgment benchmark in dermatology, but it is not a rigid rule that is universally applicable - after all, people's innate conditions are very different. My roommate, who has a suntanned tan from surfing all year round, has naturally dark peach pink fingernails. If we use the light pink standard for fair-skinned people, it would be outrageous to say that she has low blood oxygen.

Regarding the determination of healthy nail color, there are indeed subtle differences in the understanding of different fields: Traditional Chinese medicine requires healthy nail powder to be "moist but not dry". If the powder is dark and heavy, even if the color is uniform, it may be a sign of qi and blood stasis. This The judgment logic is slightly different from that of Western medicine, which prioritizes blood oxygen saturation and nail plate keratosis. Clinically, there are indeed many people whose nail color meets the health standards of Western medicine, but when looking for cases where the gloss has improved significantly after TCM treatment, there is no need to say who is right and who is wrong.

Oh, by the way, I made a joke before. I wore dark milky brown nail polish for three months in a row. After removing it, my nails turned yellow. I was so scared that I thought I had a liver problem, so I hurried to a dermatologist. The doctor took a dermatoscope and looked at it for two minutes before sending me a message: The nail surface was stained by pigment, and every time I did a manicure, the cuticle on the surface was worn away, and the transparency decreased, making it look yellow. If I stopped doing manicure for a month, it would be restored by applying some nail polish. I dubiously followed the instructions, and sure enough, my nails returned to their original light pink color within three weeks.

Many people panic when they see a change in nail color. In fact, many abnormalities are transient. If you stay outdoors for a long time in the winter, your nails will turn black and white from the cold. When you are out of breath while running, your nails will become congested and turn pink or even red. Your nails will also turn white if you lift your hand to deliver a package for a long time. These are all caused by temporary changes in blood circulation. They will return to their original state after a few minutes, so there is no need to worry.

What you really need to be wary of is the abnormal color that persists for two or three weeks: for example, the whole body is pale for a long time, and you are always dizzy and weak at ordinary times, then it is most likely that you are anemic and you need to get a blood test; if a certain nail slowly turns gray and cloudy, and becomes thicker and easier to break, then it is It may be onychomycosis, which is what we often call onychomycosis. Don't buy blind medicines on your own. Go to the hospital for a fungal microscopy first to confirm the diagnosis. If dark brown vertical lines suddenly appear on your nails and are slowly getting wider, you must have them checked in time to rule out the risk of onychomycosis.

Before, I counted my nails and half-months every day, and after counting, only my thumbs were left. I always felt that I was unhealthy. Later, after asking a dermatologist, I found out that some people are born with half-moon nails growing under the skin behind the nail root and cannot be exposed. As long as the color of your entire nail is uniform and the nail color can quickly turn back to pink after you press it, there will be no problem. Of course, my mother has believed in traditional Chinese medicine all her life. She always said that a little half-moon is caused by spleen and stomach deficiency. Last year, she stuffed me with yam powder for two months. There was no harm in me drinking it. Later, a small half-moon actually appeared on my index finger. Is this an interesting coincidence?

Finally, a little reminder to everyone, it is best to look at the color of your nails indoors under natural light, with your hands at about the same height as your heart. Don’t look at them when your hands are red after soaking in hot water, or when they are shiny and shiny after applying thick hand cream. You won’t be able to see anything at that time. There is no need to use the "standard healthy nail chart" on the Internet to dig out the details for yourself. After all, no one has individual differences. If there are persistent abnormalities, it is much more reliable to find a professional to look at it than to blindly Baidu yourself.