Why Do My Fingernails Curl?

There are different types of nail shapes but the personal favorite of most people is squoval. You might have seen square-shaped or oval-shaped nails, but did you know that there are some people with downward curved fingernails ?And, what’s interesting is that the appearance of such nails can give out a lot about a person’s overall health.

Respiratory Problems

Nowadays, there is a common mantra we are living by: If you want healthy nails, give them a break from nail polish and let them “breathe.” A break from nail polish is indeed recommended by nail experts but the “breathing” part that you’ve probably heard over and over again is nothing but a myth. Unlike us, our nails don’t have lungs and cannot breathe. Instead, they rely on your bloodstream to receive oxygen and nutrients.

In that sense, it can be assumed that when the nails receive a fair share of oxygen, they are in good health. However, when a person suffers from respiratory conditions like chronic bronchitis, COPD, lung cancer and asthma, the lack of oxygen causes the fingernails to curve down. Studies have shown that downward curved fingernails are very common among people who suffer from such medical problems. In some cases, curved fingernails can even appear to be blue or yellow.

If your curved and bluish or yellowish fingernails also come with chest pain or breathing difficulties, it’s time to call a doctor.

Injury

Today, it’s practically impossible to sit around all day wrapped up in cotton wool. People are always moving around, walking, running, working, cooking and so on. The more active you, the more likely you are going to get injured; it’s a part of life that you can’t avoid.

You could be washing the dishes or lifting something heavy, for example, and you end up injuring your fingernails. Whether it’s a scrape, a scratch, a cut or an injury caused by a blunt force, there is always a possibility of your fingernails curving down due to the pressure caused by the injury.

But, most of the time, once the infected part is grown, your nails would return back to normal.

Nutritional Deficiencies

People today eat only to satisfy their palate. Many have forgotten that their bodies rely on the food they eat to receive certain information and materials to function properly. When your body doesn’t get the right information and material, your metabolic processes will suffer and your health will decline. In short, the nutrients and vitamins present in food are central to your health and if anything isn’t operating properly in your body, the underlying cause can probably be traced back to a nutritional deficiency.

When you are always stuck indoors and don’t get much sun exposure, for example, you will most probably suffer from a vitamin D deficiency which can cause loss of bone density. Lack of magnesium in the diet can cause cramps, tremors and muscle twitches while a lack of vitamin A is often associated with vision loss. Similarly, a lack of vitamin B-12 and iron in the diet can result in downward curved fingernails.

If you cannot get enough from your diet, experts recommend vitamin supplements.

Genetic Problem

In terms of personality or behavior, empiricists will take the position that experience is the driving factor. But, when it comes to physical features like fingernails, genes play a huge role.

The human body is made up of billions and billions of cells and in the middle of each cell is a nucleus. The nucleus contains chromosomes which are thread-like structures made up of DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) and genes are segments of DNA. These genes do not occur magically; you inherit them from your parents. So, if your parents had downward curved fingernails, as their children, you are most likely to inherit that gene.