Fingernails are made of a protein called keratin. If the nail is damaged or torn off completely, it will take between six and eight months to grow back. Hippocrates remarked that the nail reflects the condition of the body. We can find out a great deal about a person's character from the nail shape. The first things a good palmist will want to study are the fingernails, because there is a wealth of information displayed on them, especially concerning health. The texture, color, and shape of the nail must be taken into careful consideration.
Nails tend to harden with age, and as many older people have discovered, toenails can become very difficult to cut in later life. However, those with hard nails are usually careful with money. They may or may not earn good money, but they tend not to overspend.
Soft nails can denote poor health, but also a self-indulgent nature, or just that the individual is in a phase of overspending. If your nails are normally all right but suddenly start flaking or becoming soft, examine your health and your bank balance!
The nail generally has a variation of one of five shapes: broad, oval, short, square, and narrow. Healthy nails will be a pale pink color with a decent moon at the bed of the nail and a slight bloom or sheen on them.
People with broad, square nails have stamina and drive and will enjoy good health. Their faults are stubbornness and a need to be in charge. These folk have boundless energy and optimism and usually succeed in all they do. They tend to not sit still, and their restless nature can sometimes be annoying to gentler souls.
They are prone to small and silly accidents. They might also suffer with tension to the shoulders and neck.
The owners of these nails have little stamina and a nervous temperament. Their spirit will lack courage, and they could be apprehensive about even the smallest problems. One of their main faults is that they don't finish what they have started. They suffer from low self-esteem. Narrow nails can be found on people who suffer from fatigue.
These are lovely nails to have, as these subjects will have a sweet disposition. They do all in their power to help others in distress. They also love animals. Their nature is not to be confrontational, but to placate and help others in life.
They have a healthy constitution, but they could have a tendency to food allergies when older. Diabetes is a possibility here, too.
The owners of these shaped nails have a nervous disposition and their energy and drive can be used up quickly. Even as children, they will like to sleep a lot or have day-dreamy natures.
If very fan shaped and if the nails are red, these individuals can have psychological disorders. Another possibility is an addictive personality, so alcohol or drugs may be a problem at some point in their lives.
These nails look like the glass cover of an old-fashioned pocket watch, as they are convex, sometimes even lifting from the beds at the sides. This person is mild mannered, easy to get along with, and makes a fair and easy-going boss in the workplace.
Their owners have a tendency toward respiratory problems, and in days gone by, this was a classic formation for those with tuberculosis. If this formation is present in people who smoke, there is an elevated risk of an early death, often as a result of lung cancer. Asthma can be another condition, as can cirrhosis of the liver, sarcoidosis, emphysema, and chronic bronchitis.
Sasha once told me a story about nails like these. She was sitting in a book store doing short readings in order to promote her own palmistry book, when a young woman who was the picture of health sat down opposite her. The moment Sasha saw her hands, she noticed the woman's watch glass nails. Sasha commented that a half-century ago, those nails would immediately alert a doctor that the patient had tuberculosis. The young lady answered she had recently spent several weeks in a special hospital, after catching TB while traveling in India!
This doesn't refer to people who happen to have grown their nails long; it's the length of the nail that's still on the nail bed.
These types have good imaginations, but if the nail is too long, they can live in a world of their own. Often these people will be interested in computer games and similar hobbies, and prefer to be engrossed in such pursuits rather than interact with others. The overall personality is pleasant, but they can lack drive and ambition, as they take everything at a leisurely pace. They lack vigor and could suffer with their backs and upper torso.
Those who have small child-like nails are exacting and shrewd, especially when female. They will love things to be in order and want everything spic and span. Unfortunately, they have a critical nature and can nag or nitpick, and they will never forget if they have been wronged. Their wit is sharp and they may delight in making their opinions known. They do have good common sense, though, and will assess situations very quickly.
As they can be highly strung, their nerves may be a problem, and lack of sleep can make them irritable. Rest is important, even taking small catnaps if necessary.
This can give information about the character of a person, their vigor—or lack of it—and their current state of health.
This is the best color to have. It shows quick mental appreciation and an affectionate nature. These individuals are well balanced and friendly.
The people with this color will have a strong sex drive and be highly tactile, but could have intense bouts of anger and high blood pressure. Their tolerance levels are low and they are constantly seeking new thrills.
Often these individuals will have poor circulation and feel the cold, so they are better suited to warmer climes. Their nature is slightly standoffish, and they can be cold in love because they hide their feelings, therefore making it hard for their partners to understand them.
The owners of this type of nail may have problems with their liver. They should drink plenty of water and keep their alcohol intake low. They are not great sleepers and can wake up intermittently through the night, so they are often tired.
This can be an indication of circulatory problems, and often the hands will feel cold and clammy to the touch. These people can also suffer with pains in their joints, shoulders, and back when older.
White opaque nails with a dark banding at the top of the nail can often depict diabetes.
The moons are a crescent-shaped formation that is a visible part of the nail matrix, and they have much to say about the client's constitution. Strangely, the moons are often absent on the Apollo finger, but they are almost always present on the thumb.
A normal moon is a pale pink arc on the base of all the fingernails, and this signifies good blood pressure and circulation. The owner will be even-tempered and easy to get along with.
When the moons have a blue line hugging them, this will signify bad circulation and sometimes chilblains.
This can be a sign of blood pressure and circulatory problems. If there is no moon on the Mercury fingernail, the owner could suffer from lower back conditions, possibly as the result of an accident. If the moon is absent on the Apollo finger, creaky knees and joints could be a problem.
This can be indicative of an overactive heart and an excitable temper. This owner will not take stress very well and can live on adrenalin. They are not easy to live with, as their standards are sometimes unattainable.
If the moons suddenly change by enlarging or disappearing, then this can represent heart problems.
Sometimes there may be a bluish or grey arc sitting on top of the moon, and the fingers feel cold or clammy. This is another sign of poor circulation. It seems to be more common in people who have the astrological sign of Aquarius.
This is quite common to see and the owners of this formation will usually suffer with lower back problems such as a slipped disc, usually caused by an accident when they were younger.
When looking at the nails for health, it is important to stress that you must not frighten your clients when faced with the possibility of potentially serious problems. In my thirty years as a palmist, I have helped quite a few people to address their health issues, some of which they have known about, and some not. I have even saved lives. Only experience can teach the techniques of reading palms, and the first thing to learn is that you must be very careful about what you say, especially if you are at all unsure about the matter at hand—better to stay silent than to speculate.
However, if you feel sure, first gently ask the client if they have seen a doctor recently. If their answer is no, then you must decide whether to impart any information. This is the time that prior professional training in consulting and handling people shows its real need. It is not enough to cross fingers and hope that the client is an understanding type; you have as much responsibility as any doctor to your client, and if you presume to impart seriously disturbing information, you should be fully capable of handling any outcome. This skill does not come automatically, it has to be learned. Please speak in a calm, positive, and reassuring way, and perhaps suggest they go to see their doctor for a general checkup.
Fluted nails can be a sign of rheumatoid arthritis, rheumatic disorders, and skin conditions such as eczema and acne. These tend to be seen on older hands, where the nail is often thickened and whitish in places.
When we see this on the fingernail, we know that the person is either suffering from a lack of nutrition or may have had some recent trauma. This formation can also indicate an underactive thyroid. In more serious cases, there might be brain damage or even something that has caused amnesia at some time in the past.
Skin diseases such as alopecia, dermatitis, and psoriasis cause this formation. If the nail has just one or two deep purple pits, this can mean the person has recently had a shock to the system.
Beau lines are like ridges or waves on the nail and they tell of a recent nail injury, a health condition, or that the person has suffered a shock. On one hand, this can signify a serious condition such as a heart attack, malnutrition, or trauma. They can also be left after a serious bout of influenza, an injury as a result of an accident, or a slipped disc or other spinal problems—in fact anything else that is memorable. It could be a relationship break-up, losing a job, a financial collapse, or a very stressful time in general.
If these lateral dents and ridges are stacked up, we know the owner has been in a state of repeated shock or trauma and could be very fragile. When found on the thumb of females, in multiple ridges, there could be hormonal or menstrual problems present. Another theory is there could be an imbalance with heart rhythms.
When you see this formation on the nails, you will know the person will have been through a very bad time, as it represents repeated traumas and sometime a huge shock to the system. Arterial disease could also be present, or there could have been severe malnutrition or vitamin deficiency.
Sometimes a raised ridge ends in an effect that slightly raises part of the nail end from the bed. The effect looks like a fir-tree at the end of the nail. This is a classic indication of heart trouble, often on the hands of an older person.
White lines running horizontally across the nail are usually a clear sign of a recent trauma.
When the nail starts to separate from the nail bed, it can denote anaemia or thyroid problems, or a fungal disease. This can sometimes arise after a bad reaction to drugs. Nail damage caused by false nails can also look similar, so it is best to ask the client about this first.
Named after Dr. Richard Terry, who completed a study of this condition in the 1950s, Terry's nails show the tips of the nails to be opaque with a darker band on the upper part of the nail. This can indicate heart failure, diabetes, liver disease, and malnutrition and kidney problems.
This condition will be easy to spot, because of the color. The person might be suffering with diabetes, jaundice, nerve injury, or bronchitis. One or two discolored nails might be the result of smoking, most likely the Jupiter and Saturn fingernails.
This can be quite a serious condition, but do check the person has not had a blow to the nail. If a brown or bluish line is seen running down the nail, this can indicate breast cancer, Addison's disease, melanoma, or trauma.
Vertical ridges on the nails are usually harmless, and often nothing more than old age creeping up on the client. Sometime the nail can split, so a good nail restoring cream should be recommended. There could be a need to increase foods such as brown rice, sunflower seeds, or sweet potatoes. Perhaps a small iron deficiency might be present, and often the owner will suffer from rheumatism or arthritis. These are all situations that arise from getting older and poor nutrition.
Sometimes the nails as a whole aren't ridged, but there could be a couple of ridges that stand out on one or two nails. This suggests some kind of trauma to a bone or a muscle, and cartilage, ligaments and tendons surrounding it. The actual finger will often point to the area in question. For instance, a problem with the neck or spine will show up on the thumb and/or Jupiter finger. Shoulders, hips, pelvis, and central and lower spine will show up on the Saturn finger. Arms and legs will show up on the Apollo fingernail, and then ankles, wrists, hands, and feet on the Mercury finger.
Black spots or small black smudgings on the nails can indicate impurities in the blood or a fungal infection.
Sometimes the nails will split and break before they are fully grown. It's a good idea to advise the person to wear rubber gloves when doing domestic chores or when handling bleach. If the nails are very pale, the person could be anemic. As mentioned before, brittle nails can also be caused by the subject's finances being out of control.
When a person has brawny, reddish pits or marks on the nail, this is an indication of a folic acid deficiency or a lack of vitamin C.
This can be quite a serious condition and it's one that's not often seen, but when present, it may indicate heart disease.
White flecks or spots on the nails are a very common sight and they're usually harmless, often caused by blows that damage the nail to create this formation. In traditional palmistry, this can also indicate a shortage of calcium and zinc in the diet, but nowadays there is controversy about this theory. Sasha says this tends to be a common sight at the end of winter, so it seems to be partly caused by spending a lot of time indoors.
Curved white lines can signify metal poisoning, e.g. lead.
Soft, thin nails can denote malnutrition, endocrine problems, and chronic arthritis.