Clues about your health could be right at your fingertips. Take a look at your nails. They could give insight about possible health concerns.
Many nail changes are normal and nothing to worry about. But sometimes changes in the way your nails look and grow can be a sign of disease. Nails are actually specialized skin cells. They’re made of keratin, a protein also found in your hair and skin.
“Nails aren’t just for appearances,” explains New York University’s Dr. Mayumi Ito, who studies how skin cells regenerate. Your nails protect the ends of your fingers and toes. They also help you grip objects and pick off small things. It would be harder to turn the pages of a book or pick up a thread without fingernails….