Hair & Nail Health

Articles

White marks on nails
Symptom

White marks on nails

A white mark or marks on a nail are called leukonychia and are usually not a cause for concern. It's likely that you've injured the nail bed, right at the base of the nail where the new nail grows from, and this tiny trauma has left its mark. This can be the odd knock or bang, tight shoes where toes are concerned, or even some types of manicure or pedicure. This does not relate to any dietary deficiencies, as is commonly believed, so you do not need any tests. You just need to wait for that part of the nail to grow out, which can take a few months, as fingernails take a month to grow 1/8 of an inch.

Thickened or yellow nails
Symptom

Thickened or yellow nails

This is characteristic of a fungal nail infection. Yellowing and thickening usually start at the tip, becoming soft and crumbly and harder to cut. Over weeks it can spread to the rest of the nail, replacing the healthy pink parts and causing it to lift off. Eventually, over the course of a few months, the whole infected nail may come off. People are usually bothered by the appearance, and only notice when summer announces itself and the flip flops come out, after a winter of feet in warm sweaty socks and shoes. It can occasionally cause swelling and pain. Tinea unguium, the medical term for fungal nail infection, is more common in the toenails than fingernails. It can affect one nail or several, usually on the same hand or foot, and can eventually spread to the other foot.

Hair loss in men
Symptom

Hair loss in men

Hair loss can cause distress and a sense of premature aging in men, as it often appears in your 30s or 40s, at a time when you feel healthy and young and are striving in your career, relationships, and family life. It's very common, with half of all men in their 50s having visible hair loss. It's usually part of the natural aging process and is mediated by hormones. Everyone wants to know what they can do to halt the process or even to regain their locks. Let's talk you through the options, and the less common causes of an underlying medical condition.

Hair loss in women
Symptom

Hair loss in women

Hair is a huge part of a woman’s identity and we are constantly bombarded with images of long sleek locks with plenty of volume. Understandably, loss of hair can cause women a great deal of anxiety. There can be telling signs that this is an inevitable part of the aging process, so let’s talk through what to look for, and consider any reversible causes.

Brown mark on your nail
Symptom

Brown mark on your nail

A recent injury to the nail can cause a bruise that can look brown, black, purple or red - this should improve with time and grow out with the nail. There are some features to watch out for that can be signs of something more serious.

Hair loss in pregnancy
Symptom

Hair loss in pregnancy

For most, the abundance of estrogen causes a slowing down of hair shedding, and many women report increased volume and lustrous locks during pregnancy. But this isn’t so for all – the relative stress to the body in the first trimester may cause hair loss, but this is only evident later in the pregnancy. Hair will come back – you’ll notice regrowth two to four months after the baby is delivered.

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