1. Dark verticle lines extending from the cuticle to the tip of your nail may be a sign of subungual melanoma, a really dangerous type of skin cancer. So even if those lines don’t cause any pain in your nails, it’s better to make an immediate trip to your doctor once you’ve noticed them.
2. Although most people believe that white stripes (or Mees’ lines) mean calcium deficiency, that’s not actually true. Those white discolorations on your nails usually indicate an imbalanced diet lacking in protein. Besides that, they may appear after an episode of poisoning with heavy metals as a result of kidney failure.
3. Red, puffy skin around your nail usually indicates inflammation of the nail fold. If the inflammation is accompanied by large swelling, this could be due to an infection called paronychia. Other possible reasons for the reddish nail fold include connective tissue disorders — lupus disease, in particular.
