The nail should fit nicely on the finger. The hand needs to be relaxed and below the level of the heart when you examine fingernails. Do they use polish (acetone poisoning) or buff the tops of the nails?
The more lunula, the white moons, the better a persons’ health is. It is said that moons from thumb to pinky indicate enough protein. Just to round things out, in Chinese medicine too many lunula indicates too yin.
The following table summarizes conditions that can be indicated by the condition or color of the fingernails:
| Condition/color | Association |
| Ridges
|
Lack of assimilation. Chronic nervous system involvement. Hypothyroidism. Rheumatoid arthritis. |
| Little skin flaps on sides of nails
|
Silica. Vitamin B deficiency. |
| Pale nail beds
|
Anemia. No blood to the surface. “Have your period?” will be pale. |
| Pale centers
|
Blood stagnating in center, uterus. |
| Blue at base of nail by cuticle
|
Poor circulation and blood stagnation. |
| Soft nails
|
Mineral deficient. Vitamin B deficiency. P.D.L. |
| Spongy, barely attached
|
TB, bronchitis, cancer, starts on index finger. Emphysema, look for blue color. Cystic fibrosis. |
| Dipped-in nail
|
Longstanding deficiency |
| Nail turns up
|
Asthma, misuse of adrenal sprays Starts on index finger |
| Brittle
|
Thyroid condition, kidney, circulation iron deficiency. Vata. |
| Black bits under the nail
|
Infectious endocarditis, serious heart infection, bleeding disorder (mitral valve prolapse, having teeth cleaned). Fungus. |
| Spoon-shaped or dark nails
|
Vitamin B12 deficiency, cleaning with bleach reaction, anemia. Heart enlargement, look to other heart issues. Lead poisoning. DW |
| Flat nails
|
Deficiency. Raynaud’s disease. |
| Pitted red-brown spots, frayed and split ends
|
Psoriasis. Need vitamin C, folic acid, and protein. |
| Nail fungus
|
Overall alkalinity of sweat and body tissues. |
| Long thick white mark, furrow across nail
|
Serious surgery |
| Red line at edge of nail, and cuticle
|
Blood caught in the extremities. Systemic connective tissue disorder, Lupus, nail biting. |
| Reddish brown line
|
Kidneys. P.D.L. |
| Red/brown lines on cuticles | Heat or old infection. Misuse of antibiotics. |
| White
|
Anemia, cold hands and feet. Raynaud’s. (Safflower). M.W. “No blood to the surface.” W. Le. |
| Horizontal ridges
|
Interference with life force. Systemic depletion. Too much Chlorine in the water system. P.D.L. |
| Very red
|
Heat in the system |
| Weak nails, bites nails, hangnails
|
Silica deficiency (Avena, Equisetum). |
| Yellow nails and elevation of nail tips
|
Internal disorders may show here first. Lymphatic, respiratory, diabetes, liver. |
| Thick nails
|
Poor blood circulation. May be thyroid. Fungus. |
| Spots on nails
|
Big Spot? Ask “Did you hit that nail?” Tight Spot? Zinc (ask if they have a poor sense of smell or poor tissue healing). Calcium deficient (ask about bone loss, cavities, grinding teeth) How long to grow out? |
| Lunula over 1/3 nail
|
Weak constitution |
| Curls downward
|
Blood deficiency, lung deficiency, chronic cough. |
| Ridges, rounding and horizontal
|
Malnutrition. V. Lad |
| Transverse groove
|
Chronic fever, longstanding illness. V. Lad |
| White line, horizontal
|
Arsenic poisoning. D.W. |
| Half pink, half white
|
Kidney infection |
| Clubbing
|
Lung and Liver. Heart, cyanotic heart disease, chronic pulmonary disease, cirrhosis, colitis. |
