How to understand that your nails are aging: 3 main signs to check

As you know, collagen is the main building material of skin, hair and nails. After 25 years, its reserves in the body gradually begin to decrease – therefore hair grows more slowly and falls out more, and wrinkles appear on the face.

Nails are starting to change too. Of course, they are much more affected by low-quality hardware manicure and gel polish, as well as contact with aggressive cleaning agents. Nevertheless, some changes indicate that the nails are aging. Keep them in mind – and remember that excessive trauma only speeds up this process.

Read also: How to protect your hands from dryness and irritation during cleaning: a tip for the most sensitive skin

Due to a decreased supply of collagen in the body, nails can become thinner and more brittle with age. However, in adulthood, nails, on the contrary, can become thicker – and difficult to handle with scissors. This may indicate the accumulation of salts in the tissues of the nail plate. Yes, yes, the salts are deposited not only in the joints, but also in other tissues of the body!

In young people, vertical grooves on the nails can be a sign of injury to the nail plate, as well as a lack of vitamin B12, zinc or magnesium. At the same time, in adulthood, ribbed lines on the nails serve as a kind of analogue of wrinkles. You shouldn’t worry about how they look – over the years it just can’t be avoided.

Normally, the nail plate has a pinkish tint over the entire surface and a white tip from the free edge. With age, nails change color even with proper hand care. They can become discolored, yellow (even blue) and covered with small spots.

At the same time, you should not turn a blind eye to a change in the color of the nail plate. The fact is that this feature can simultaneously indicate both typical age-related changes and the fact that a person has health problems: from the most local – like a fungus – to the most serious – for example, disorders of the cardiovascular system or a lack of oxygen in the body.