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What These 8 Fingernail Signs Say About Your Health

Medically reviewed by Amanda Caldwell, MSN, APRN-C — Written by Abigail Rasminsky — Updated on July 31, 2024

Changing texture
Changing color
Nail health chart
When to see a doctor
Nail health tips
FAQ
Takeaway

Some nail concerns can indicate health issues, including vitamin deficiencies and chronic conditions. But nail issues often occur due to injury or overexposure to moisture.

Nail health is closely associated with how well your body is functioning in other areas.

“For the general population, nail health is most often an indicator of poor nutritional intake or poor digestion,” explains Dr. Sara Norris, a naturopathic doctor based in Los Angeles. “Brittle, weak, and peeling nails are the most common concerns I see in my practice, and these symptoms are more often the result of a poor diet than of systemic disease.”

Dr. Mark Benor, clinical assistant professor of family medicine at Keck School of Medicine, agrees: “My job is reassuring people that their nail issues usually don’t bespeak a serious underlying illness,” he explains. “The family medicine clinic is full of patients with nail findings of no significance outside of the anxiety they create.”

Healthy nails are considered to be smooth with no discoloration, but if there’s something amiss with the texture and color of your nails, this guide can help you find a fix. Plus, we’ll tell you which symptoms might warrant a talk with a healthcare professional.

What’s causing your nails to change texture?

Brittle

One of the most commonly reported nail problems is rough, splitting nails that may also crack easily. Officially called onychoschizia, brittle nails are usually caused by repeated wetting and drying of fingernails.

In some cases, brittle nails might also be a sign of hypothyroidism or iron deficiency.

The fix: You can try applying lotions that contain alpha hydroxy acids or lanolin. You might also want to wear gloves while washing dishes or doing other water-heavy tasks.

Read more about the potential causes of brittle nails.

Soft or weak

Soft nails break easily or bend before snapping. They might be caused by overexposure to moisture or chemicals. Think: detergent, cleaning fluids, nail treatments, and nail polish or polish remover

Weak nails might also be associated with a deficiency in:

B vitamins
calcium
iron
fatty acids.

The fix: Avoid having chemicals around your nails. Go natural to give your nails a chance to recover. Norris advises against iron supplements unless you know you’re deficient. Instead, start taking a multivitamin that includes calcium and B vitamins.

Peeling

This is likely caused by external trauma to the nail itself —using your nail as a tool, pressing into the nail too firmly, or removing acrylic nail polish. Nails can also peel if you soak your hands too long in sudsy water.

Here’s a trick to figuring out whether it’s an internal or external cause: Are your toenails also peeling? If so, it might be an internal cause, such as iron deficiency. If not, it’s probably external.

The fix: If you think it’s internal, try adding iron-rich foods to your diet. If the cause is external, moisturize your nails by applying lotion after any activity that might dry them out. Talk with your doctor if symptoms continue, especially if you also notice peeling on your toenails.

Ridges

Have you ever noticed ridges that look like little horizontal or vertical waves on your fingernails? Vertical ridges generally appear later in life and run from the tip of your fingernail to the cuticle. As long as they aren’t accompanied by other symptoms, such as color changes, they aren’t a cause for concern.

Horizontal ridges, also called Beau’s lines, may be a sign of kidney disease or another underlying condition.

The fix: For vertical ridges, you can gently buff the surface of your nails to smooth them. For horizontal lines, talk with a doctor to find the underlying cause.

Why are your nails changing color?

Yellow

Yellow nails are relatively common and usually caused by one of two factors: an infection or a reaction from a product you’ve been using, such as nail polish.

In rare cases, yellow might be a sign of a larger issue, including:

thyroid conditions
psoriasis
diabetes

The fix: Your new nails should grow back without color, but many natural treatments, such as tea tree oil or vitamin E, can help tackle infections. A multivitamin might also help. Talk with a doctor if you don’t notice improvement after a few weeks.

Black lines

Also called a splinter hemorrhage, black lines (which can appear brown or dark red) look like splinters. They can appear multiple times. The most likely cause is a trauma to your nail, such as accidentally slamming a door on your finger.

In rare cases, the lines could be a sign of an underlying issue, including psoriasis, endocarditis, and nail melanoma.

The fix: If the lines are due to an injury, they should disappear over time as your nail grows. If you don’t notice any change over a few weeks, talk with a doctor, especially if you notice other symptoms, like inflamed skin, night sweats, or bleeding in the nail.

White spots

“Scattered white spots on the nails, which usually start appearing around middle-school age, can signify a zinc deficiency,” explains Norris.

Other causes may include:

an allergic reaction
a fungal infection
injury to your nail

The fix: Give your nails a break from polish or other products and allow the nail to grow. If the spots remain or reappear, talk with a doctor.

No half moons

No half moons at the base of your nail usually means nothing, and they could just be hidden under your skin.

If they seem to have disappeared, it could be a sign of:

malnutrition
depression
anemia

The fix: Usually, not having half moons isn’t anything to be concerned about, but you’ll want to talk with a healthcare professional if they start turning red or disappear after being visible for some time.

Nail health chart

Issue	Common cause	Treatment options
Brittle nails	Frequent wetting and drying	Apply lotions containing alpha hydroxy acids or lanolin.
Soft or weak nails	Overexposure to moisture or chemicals	Keep nails natural and unpolished; consider taking a multivitamin containing B vitamins and calcium.
Peeling	Injury or iron deficiency	Keep nails moisturized; add iron-rich foods to diet.
Ridges	Aging (vertical) or underlying condition (vertical)	Gently buff nails; talk with a healthcare professional.
Yellow nails	Infection or reaction to product	Give nail time to grow out (it should come in colorless); apply tea tree oil or vitamin E if infected.
Black lines	Injury	Give nail time to grow out.
White spots	Injury, infection, allergic reaction, mineral deficiency	Give nail time to grow out; avoid using nail polish; talk with a healthcare professional.
No half moons	Nothing — not everyone has them!	Talk with a healthcare professional if accompanied by weight changes, dizziness, changes in mood, or other unexplained symptoms.

Additional symptoms to watch out for

While most nail issues resolve on their own or with home treatments, some may be a sign of an underlying condition requiring treatment.

It’s best to talk with a healthcare professional if the changes in your nails are accompanied by:

fatigue
weight loss
weakness
inflamed skin
excessive thirst
night sweats
swelling
heart palpitations
dizziness
symptoms of depression

You’ll also want to talk with a healthcare professional if you notice horizontal lines.

If you need help finding a primary care doctor, then check out our FindCare tool here.

How do I keep my nails healthy?

“Our bodies are smart, so when we’re low in vitamins and minerals, our nails and hair will show it,” explains Norris.

Eating a variety of whole foods — fruits, vegetables, and whole grains — will usually provide all the vitamins, minerals, and nutrients your nails need.

You can also take a multivitamin, but Norris advises against one-a-day tablets: “It’s difficult for our bodies to digest large compressed tablets.”

Instead, she suggests looking for a product that comes in soft-gel capsules. Why? Capsules are typically made from gelatin. According to Norris, it’s much easier for our bodies to break down gelatin to get to the vitamins and minerals within the product.

You can also try biotin and horsetail supplements. If you do go the biotin route, Norris advises discontinuing use two weeks before having any lab work done since it may interfere with results.

Frequently asked questions

What do iron deficiency nails look like?

Spoon nails are typically associated with anemia, or an iron deficiency. If you have this condition, the nail will appear concave either horizontally or vertically. Spoon nails can affect the fingernails or toenails.

If you observe spoon nails, you should see a doctor. This condition is also associated with other conditions, such as inflammatory skin diseases like psoriasis, hypo- or hyperthyroidism, or autoimmune disorders.

What do vitamin B12 deficiency nails look like?

A vitamin B12 deficiency might also cause you to observe changes in your nails. Changes may include discoloration that can appear as:

bluish hyperpigmentation
blue-black pigmentation
dark vertical streaks
vertical and net-like darkened streaks

The takeaway

If your nails are acting up on their own without any additional symptoms, it’s usually not a cause for concern.

But if you notice any other unexplained symptoms, consider talking with a healthcare professional about potential causes. Most underlying causes of nail issues are easy to treat once they’re identified.

How we reviewed this article:

SourcesHistoryHealthline has strict sourcing guidelines and relies on peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical journals and associations. We only use quality, credible sources to ensure content accuracy and integrity. You can learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate and current by reading our editorial policy.

Benor M. (2018). Personal interview.
Biotin. (2021).https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Biotin-Consumer/
Dawman L, et al. (n.d.). Blue nails: window to micronutrient deficiency.https://casereports.bmj.com/content/2018/bcr-2018-224258
Brittle splitting nails. (n.d.).https://www.aocd.org/page/BrittleSplittingNail#:~:text=Onychoschizia%20or%20splitting%20of%20the,deficiency%20is%20the%20most%20common).
Chessa MA, et al. (2020). Pathogenesis, clinical signs and treatment recommendations in brittle nails: A review.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6994568/
Norris S. (2018). Personal interview.
Rathod DG. (2023)..https://www.healthline.com/health/spoon-nails-koilonychia/
Update: The FDA warns that biotin may interfere with lab tests: FDA safety communication. (2019).https://www.fda.gov/medical-devices/safety-communications/update-fda-warns-biotin-may-interfere-lab-tests-fda-safety-communication
10 nail changes that should be seen by a dermatologist. (n.d.).https://healthcare.utah.edu/healthfeed/2024/03/10-nail-changes-should-be-seen-dermatologist
12 nail changes a dermatologist should examine. (n.d.). https://www.aad.org/public/everyday-care/nail-care-secrets/basics/nail-changes-dermatologist-should-examine

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Medically reviewed by Amanda Caldwell, MSN, APRN-C — Written by Abigail Rasminsky — Updated on July 31, 2024

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