What Your Nails Say About Your Health

Many times when people think about alopecia, they only think about hair loss. While this is the most likely cause of the condition, that doesn’t mean it’s the only issue you have to look out for. According to several studies, up to 50 percent of people with alopecia areata can expect to see changes in their nails as well.  How Alopecia Affects Your Nails Based on clinical research, doctors have estimated that alopecia affects the nails for the same reason that it causes hair loss – your body’s abnormal immune system response causes inflammation in the nail beds and associated areas. As a result, you might see pitting, white spots, ridges, and lines in your nails. For some people, the nails become as rough as sandpaper, get red, become sunken, or become significantly brittle. Additionally, it’s been reported that nail changes can be significant enough to affect functionality so people may have trouble with playing an instrument or typing. In many cases, the changes in your nails will be in line with the severity of your alopecia but there are times when persons see worse nail changes than their hair loss would indicate.  How The Condition Is Diagnosed Nail problems...