Colour Changes In Your Nails: What Does It Mean?

Painting colours on your fingernails sounds fun and comforting as it should, but would it be the same if it changed colour or acted on its own? It could be a normal change or might have something to do with your health.  As they say, nails are a good reflection of your health. In this article, there are six nail colours that you need to look after. Let's find out what causes your fingernails to change colour and what you should do with them.

What is a Healthy Nail?

Fingernails and toenails consist of a protein called keratin. Healthy nails are considered smooth, should have a pink nail plate, no discoloration, and the tip should be white as it grows off the nail bed.

Why Do Your Nail Changes in Colour?

Some nail changes are natural. But others can be a sign of health problems, especially changes in nail colours, texture and growth patterns. Fingernail colour and condition changes are rarely the first clues of serious health problems. In most instances, other signs will manifest or cause disease symptoms before nail changes become evident.

What Health Issues Does Nail Colour Indicate?

Black Nail

An injury may cause your nails to black. Occasionally the black appearance under an injured nail may mean damage to the nail matrix, the area where the nail first begins to form. The black appearance will often fade as the injury heals, which may take weeks. Melanoma may give a black, irregular appearance to an entire nail.

Blue Nail

Blue nails may occur as a side effect of a medicine. Blue nails can also indicate problems that reduce the amount of oxygen in the blood, such as asthma, severe anaemia, and cold exposure.

Brown Nails

The brown nail streaks normally occur in dark-skinned persons and are of concern only if they are new or changing. Medicine or malnutrition may also cause brown streaks.

Green Nail

Bacterial and fungal infections may cause green discolouration or also known as chloronychia. Usually seen on fingernails or toenails, the colour is in the nail bed rather than on the nail plate and persists even after cleaning the nail. The colour may range from bluish-grey to dark green.  It usually affects one or two nails.

Yellow Nails

Yellow nail is seen mostly in adults but occasionally occurs in children. Yellow nails are caused by medical problems such as chronic lung disease or cancer. The nails are thickened and yellowish-green. The lunula is no longer visible and is excessively curved transversely and longitudinally, and the cuticle is lost.

Pale White Nails

Pail white nails may be caused by nutritional deficiency, such as anaemia, zinc deficiency, or other medical problems.

How to Treat Colour Changes in your Nails

These changes do not mean you have an underlying health condition. However, if there is a sudden change in your nail colour and you are worried, it requires immediate attention, especially if your nails start to turn yellow or green or stripes or dots of colour appear on them. To treat these changes, your doctor must address the underlying issues. Depending on the diagnosis, treatment may involve professional healthcare. Most underlying causes of nail issues are easy to treat once identified.

At The Nail Bar, your and your nails are our priority. We could not treat this issue as it requires a higher level of expertise. However, we encourage you to attend a regular manicure as our nail technicians can help you identify early signs, hence recommending early interventions.

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For more informative blog posts covering nail health and well-being, visit our Tips & Advice at The Nail Bar Beauty & Co.