Nail health: an Ayurvedic perspective

Ayurvedic perspective on nail health

When we introduced the Bare Hands Dry Gloss Manicure Kit, we wanted to dig deeper into nail health. Dr. Anna Gold provided us with a fascinating perspective on both Eastern and Western approaches to nail health; while discussing nail conditions through the lens of Traditional Chinese Medicine and nutrition, she also mentioned that Ayurveda has an interesting point of view where nails are concerned.

“Ayurveda? We know who to ask about that,” we thought. Elena Irueta, a key member of our stellar Operations team, also happens to be a Clinical Ayurvedic Specialist with over 1700 hours of academic training and 10 years of practice as a Ayurvedic health coach. Here’s what she had to say:

“In Ayurveda, tissues in the body fall into 7 categories. Nails fall into the same category as bones, teeth and hair. If we find a deficiency in one, there may be a deficiency in another, and treating one can help the other. Oftentimes if someone has dry hair, they may have dry nails.

“As with everything in Ayurveda, we think about elements (such as Air or Fire) and combinations of elements that make up our constitution (the doshas: Vata, Pitta, and Kapha). Symptoms are understood by thinking about elements and doshas, and what imbalances might be present.

“The most common issue stems from dry nails. Nails that are dry, thin, brittle, have creases/ridges, and crack easily are thought to have too much Air element. Usually in these cases, we want to bring in the opposite: Water and Earth elements. We might recommend someone drink plenty of water, apply oil to their nails, and they may even take tissue building herbs, such as Ashwaganda.

“Deeper treatment requires knowing that digestion is strong and efficient, because in Ayurveda, a healthy digestion is key to building healthy tissues.”

Cool, no? So is Elena. To learn more about her Ayurvedic health practice, please check out her website.

Any topic discussed in this article is not intended as medical advice. If you have a medical concern, please check with your doctor.