The half moon, or the lunula, of your nail refers to the part of your nail matrix that looks exactly as it sounds - like a half moon at the base of the nail. This matrix is tasked with producing and growing the nail plate.
As it is the newest portion of the nail, there's a belief circulating that it's a good indicator of someone's health status, with a lack of a moon indicating health concerns. Let's sort this out.
Does missing the half moon in your nails automatically indicate a concern?
The short answer is, no! Many people can't actually see the half moon of their nail as it's covered by their skin at what is called the proximal nail fold, which covers the base of the nail to protect it. Someone might notice this on all of their nails, or only some nails. If you get regular manicures where the cuticle skin gets pushed back, it's likely you're more able to visually see the half moon.
This is genetic, and is determined at birth.
If you suspect that you used to have half moons, but they've been disappearing over time, this isn't automatically a cause for concern as it's common for the half moons to diminish with age (around 70% of elderly populations do not have any half moons visible in their nails.)
When should I pay attention to the half moon, or lack thereof?
The half moon should always be pale in color due to the epithelium there being thickest, and it should be more pale than the rest of the nail.
If it looks black, brown, blue, red or yellow, then it's worth seeking an opinion from a practitioner as these colors can indicate potential concerns around nutritional status, blood sugar levels, circulatory health and kidney health.
If you feel like the half moons disappeared rapidly (like within the space of a year) it is worth paying attention to as it can indicate health concerns.
The most common cause of this is low iron and B12, so a panel of blood work is helpful to assess your levels. *Note that it's not just about your intake of these nutrients, but also how well you're absorbing them which relates directly to your digestive strength. If you feel like weak digestion might be the underlying cause of your deficiencies and loss of half moons, my All About Gut Health e-book goes into easy ways to immediately start supporting and strengthening your digestion.
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