Beauty isn ‘ t only skin deep – it shines through from the inside out. You can tell a lot about your general health from the appearance of your hair, skin, and nails. What goes on underneath the surface has a way of showing up and alerting us to how well our body is functioning.

The result of stress

When you ‘ re stressed, you might notice the lack of a healthy glow in your face or your hair might look a bit thinner than usual. Your nails are no different. Beyond a quick glance when you ‘ re giving them a trim or polish, taking a closer look could reveal when something ‘ s not quite right.

Common signs of nutrient deficiencies

• White spots. These could be from accidentally smacking your fingers against a table, but if you notice persistent white spots, you may have a zinc or calcium deficiency.
• Brittle, split or peeling nails. This could be caused by doing the dishes glove-free, or your body may be lacking in iron or biotin.
• Soft or weak nails. Your nails might be overexposed to chemicals. Give your nails a break from nail polish remover and wear gloves when using detergent. Weak nails may be a sign of vitamin B deficiency.
• Yellow nails. You might be overdoing it on the nail polish or it could be an infection.
• Nail pitting. These small dents or grooves in your nails could be caused by eczema or immune-related skin problems.
• Ridges. Also known as Beau ‘ s lines. Vertical ridges could indicate iron deficiency anemia, while horizontal ridges may point towards a more serious underlying health condition.
• Muehrcke ‘ s lines. These white horizontal lines could be a sign of low protein levels in your blood.
• Blue nails. You may have slow blood circulation, but they ‘ re persistently blue, chat to your family doctor.

In most cases, upping your vitamin and mineral intake with the right nutrients will see major improvements to your nails. Consider giving Vital Hair, Skin & Nails a try; it combines the all-important vitamins B, C, and E, as well as calcium, iron and zinc.