If you’ve noticed the little half-moon on one or two of your fingers, particularly your thumb, but find them mostly absent, you may ask yourself: how do I get a half-moon (lunula) back on my nails?
Lunula are the half-moon shaped pigmentation on your nails, and they disappear when the cuticle is allowed to grow over them. However, according to Healthline.com, lunulae that are gone completely can be a sign of malnutrition, depression, or anemia. To get the half-moon back, allow your nails to recover from trauma and watch your nutrition levels.
In this article, we’ll not only establish what lunula are, but what they’re for, why you might be missing them, and if there is any way to get them back!
What Are the Little Half Moons In Our Nails?
Ever noticed the little white curves, shaped like half moons, at the base of each nail? These are called lunula, and they are meant to curve out just above the cuticle or skin of each finger.
The lunula is a natural part of your fingernail. Beneath the hard nail plate of the finger, a nail bed is made up of lymph, nerves, and blood vessels.
Lunulas typically look the most solid and noticeable when we are children, then gradually fade as we get older. Sometimes, they may disappear altogether or be covered by the skin at the base of your fingernail, which is called a cuticle. The pinky finger is typically the first to lose a lunula.
The healthiest lunula are plain white in color. They don’t spread across the whole nail, but only take up a small bit of the space near the base, and are most visible on the thumb, if anywhere.
If a lunula changes color, it is usually a sign of some kind of disorder.
However, if you’ve only noticed that the lunula have disappeared, there are a limited number of reasons, which we’ll go over later.
What Is the Function of the Lunula?
A lunula’s only known function is to indicate any health deviations in the person having them. It does this by changing color or growing. For example, the following changes in a lunula can indicate health issues:
- Yellow lunulae – If you use a lot of antibiotics, especially those that are meant to treat skin issues like infections or excessive acne, it can cause your lunulae to turn yellow. This is usually not until after too much exposure to the antibiotic, though.
- Light Blue Lunulae – Light blue lunulae may be some cause of concern because it indicates something called Wilson’s disease. Wilson’s disease is rare, and it must be passed down through the genes. It is an indicator of too high an amount of copper in your organs.
- Bluish-grey Lunulae – If your lunulae turn blue with a fading of grey to them, you may be suffering from silver poisoning!
- Brown or Black Lunulae – When your lunulae turns brown, it is usually a sign of more pigmentation called melanin being produced in your nails, and could be a result of renal failure.
- Red lunulae – If your lunulae turns red, watch out; this is typically a sign of heart failure!
- Large Lunulae – It isn’t normal for lunulae to get big and cover the whole nail. Though doctors aren’t exactly sure what causes this, your lunula’s function as a warning sign for other issues mean you should see a doctor!
Why I Don’t Have Lunula?
The reasons behind missing lunula are many, though usually not a cause for concern. Let’s take a look at some of these reasons below:
- Aging – It is perfectly natural for most lunula to disappear, starting with the pointer finger and ending with the pinky finger. Only the thumb’s lunula stays prominent. This is a result of time: lunula don’t normally stay prominent on most people as they grow older.
- Growing Cuticles – The skin at the base of your finger is thin, sensitive, and, most importantly, usually grows over the base of the fingernail. When it does this, especially to healthy fingernails, it typically covers up the lunula naturally.
- Trauma – There is a chance that your lunula have disappeared as a result of trauma to the nail bed. This can include cracked nails or cuticles that have been treated too roughly.
- Malnutrition – If you aren’t eating enough antioxidants, or indeed, are having too much processed foods and not enough fruits and veggies, say goodbye to your lunula. This is because lunula is made up of melanin, which the body can’t produce properly without the right amount of nutrients.
- Anemia – Anemia is a condition that is caused by a lack of iron. It is the result of a lack of hemoglobin, a protein that is supposed to be found in healthy red blood cells. Without iron, lunula can disappear because of the resulting paleness.
- Depression – According to a study done by PubMed, there is some association between missing lunula and depression. This is because stress can result in cracked and thinning nails. That trauma, in turn, can chase lunula away.
Now that we know the reasons behind lunula disappearing, let’s move on to whether or not they ever come back!
How Do I Get A Half-Moon (Lunula) Back On My Nails?
As previously discussed, sometimes lunula disappear or fade as a natural result of aging. There is no guaranteed way to get lunula back on your nails.
If you have lunula, but they are hidden beneath your cuticles, simply use your other fingernails or a clean instrument to gently push the skin back, revealing the little half-moons. Be careful not to do this too roughly; remember that lunula disappear when nail beds are treated too harshly.
If you find yourself stressed or suffering from a loss of iron, making your half-moons too pale to see, seek medical attention or work towards de-stressing your life. In addition to good nutrition, these are the closest methods we have to restoring lunula!
In Summary
In conclusion, the little half-moons on our nails, called lunula, commonly disappear on all fingers except the thumb as we age. Sometimes they are hidden under cuticles, and sometimes they fade away as a result of malnutrition, trauma, or an iron deficiency.
Though there is no clear way to get half moons back on each fingernail, good nutrition and a healthy lifestyle doesn’t hurt!
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