Are You Experiencing These Symptoms?
- Vertical ridges on the nails
- Brittle or cracked nails
- Flattened nails
- White horizontal lines
- Changes in nail appearance
The condition of the nails can provide useful information about the body’s overall health.
In traditional East Asian medicine, the lunula (the white half-moon at the base of the nail) is considered to reflect the body’s vitality, while the nail itself is thought to reflect the nourishment supplied throughout the body.
When nourishment becomes insufficient, changes such as vertical ridges, thinning, flattening, or brittle nails may appear.
Diet is also considered important for maintaining healthy nails.
Foods commonly recommended include lean red meats, root vegetables, seaweed, and dark green leafy vegetables.
White horizontal lines may occasionally appear across the nail.
Because a fingernail takes approximately six months to grow from base to tip, the position of a horizontal line may reflect a temporary change in physical condition several months earlier.
As the nail grows, these lines gradually move toward the tip and usually disappear naturally.
At our clinic, we evaluate nail changes together with the overall condition of the body.
