How to Check Your Fingernails for Health Warning Signs

Be skeptical of claims that one fingernail sign can tell you how long you will live. The NIH describes biological age as a research concept measured with broader health data, not a simple nail check. One study found that white nails were associated with in-hospital mortality in older hospitalized patients, but that does not make white nails a home life-expectancy test.

Wash your hands, remove dark polish if you can, and look at each fingernail and toenail in good light. Notice color, shape, thickness, texture, and whether the nail is attached normally, since NIH notes that nail changes can sometimes reflect health concerns. Check both hands so you can tell whether a change affects one nail or many nails.

View each fingertip from the side and look for nails that curve down around widened, rounded fingertips. Cleveland Clinic explains that nail clubbing can make nails feel spongy or swollen and may be linked to lung, heart, digestive, liver, thyroid, or cancer-related conditions. New clubbing should be evaluated rather than watched indefinitely at home.

Color changes matter most when they are new, affect several nails, or do not grow out like a bruise or stain. Mayo Clinic lists nail changes such as Terry's nails, yellow nail syndrome, spoon nails, and clubbing as changes that can sometimes point to medical concerns. MedlinePlus also advises contacting a provider for blue, pale, clubbed, distorted, painful, or pitted nails.

A new brown or black streak running lengthwise in a nail should be checked, especially if it widens, changes, or appears with darker skin around the nail. The American Academy of Dermatology says a dark streak or nail lifting can be a sign of nail melanoma, although many dark streaks are not cancer. Do not try to scrape, bleach, or cover a changing streak instead of getting it examined.

Write down when you first noticed a change and take a clear photo every few weeks. MedlinePlus explains that nails often grow more slowly with age and may become dull or brittle, while deep horizontal grooves can appear after illness, injury, surgery, or other stress on the body. A single change after known trauma is different from a new pattern across many nails.

Keep nails trimmed, avoid picking at cuticles, wear gloves for wet cleaning tasks, and moisturize after washing. The American Academy of Dermatology recommends protecting nails from too much water exposure because it can contribute to splitting, peeling, and breakage. Gentle care makes it easier to tell whether a nail change is improving or getting worse.

Make an appointment with a primary care clinician or dermatologist if you notice new clubbing, blue nails, a changing dark streak, nail lifting, swelling, pus, pain, or a change that lasts for weeks. The American Academy of Dermatology says changes in nail color, texture, or shape can be harmless or a sign of disease, and a specialist can decide whether testing is needed. Seek urgent care if nail changes come with chest pain, shortness of breath, blue lips, fever, or rapidly spreading redness.