Have you ever noticed the little white, crescent moon shaped area on your nails? This is also called the lunula, and needs to be treated with care, because it protects the blood vessels under your skin. According to traditional Chinese medicine, the presence and the number of lunula on your nails provides information about your health. So what do they mean?
The presence of lunulae: what this says about your health
Did you know that if you damage the half-moon part of one of your nails, by filing them too much, for example, that nail could grow back deformed?
According to traditional Chinese medicine, this is what the presence or lack of lunulae says about your health:
- If you do not have lunulae on your nails, it could be a sign of anaemia or diabetes
- If you have only very small lunulae (you see very little white at the base of your nails), according to Chinese medicine, you could have a slow metabolism, and you may lack energy and have high levels of toxins in the body.
- If you have lunulae only on your thumbs, you could be lacking physical energy and be more vulnerable to illness.
A person in good health should have between 8 and 10 white half moon shapes on their nails.
What does the colour of your lunulae say about your health?
- If a reddish mark appears on one of the crescents, this could indicate that you are at risk of heart disease.
- If the lunula is a bluish colour, this could be a sign of diabetes or of Wilson’s disease. The blue colour is due to an accumulation of copper in the blood, which is intoxicating the cerebral and liver cells.
- A yellow colour in a nail or a lunula clearly indicates a fungal infection.
- If the half moon shapes are ivory or white, you are in excellent health.
