Nails, like any other part of the body, are a important indicator of our state of health. Color, shape and texture can reveal whether a person has an infection, skin conditions or diseases such as diabetes. Even through these it can be detected if someone suffers from a heart problem.
Sometimes the nails have stains white, yellow or blue. They can also bend excessively, separate from the finger, or break. Experts warn that any change in your appearance is important and, therefore, it is crucial to find out the causes.
Another sign that indicates that something might not be working quite well in the body is when the nails are scratched. But what are they and what does it mean to have them like this?
What are scratched nails?
Experts from the Regenera Health medical clinic explain that scratched nails “they can appear in anyone and at any age”. “Stretch marks can vary in thickness and color intensity, from a slight change in texture to well-defined, dark lines,” they add.
Dr. Esther Martínez, a specialist in Pediatrics with training in Allergology, states that the lines on the nails can be both vertical and horizontal.
Martínez comments that in the event of any change in the color of one or all of the nails, “the most prudent thing is to Go to the dermatologist for a correct diagnosis».
What does it mean when a person has stripes on their nails?
Streaks on the nails can have various causes and are often indicative of different pathologies. At Regenera Health they emphasize that it can be a first sign of a “underlying systemic disease”that is, a pathology that is not yet known to be suffered.
From this medical clinic they affirm that “the most common thing” is that scratched nails are related to «problems and diseases of the digestive system». “There is a wide range of medications, especially those used in patients with gastrointestinal diseases, that can damage nails,” they clarify.
And not only that. Having stripes on the nails can be a clear symptom that the individual has a «nutrient and mineral deficiency»either due to lack of essential foods or due to poor absorption.
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Beau’s lines: Horizontal lines are known as Beau’s lines and, according to Dr. Martínez, “they occur as a result of a decrease in the nail growth process.” «They are a consequence of an infection, an illness or even having been in a situation of hypothermia. In these circumstances where fewer nutrients are received, the nail matrix suffers and stops growing. This type of disorder resolves over time on its own, with the nails progressively regenerating in less than a year,” he explains.
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black lines: Dr. Martínez says that it is one of the lines that “should concern us the most,” since they are stripes that are formed by melanin. “They can be a symptom of a type of skin cancer called subungual melanoma,” he maintains.
Dr. Esther Martínez assures that one of the main reasons for the appearance of stripes on the nails “It’s aging itself” and “age-related dryness.” Mayo Clinic specialists support this idea: “Over the years, vertical ridges become more numerous or prominent due to alterations in cell turnover within the nail.”
Martínez also relates this nail problem to “lack of hydration”both internal and external, and with the “frequent manicures”.
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