A third place to look at health in the hands, beyond the hand itself and the lines on it, are the fingers and fingertips (both the padded tips on one side and the nails on the other). First, begin with the fingers, because every finger is representative of a particular part of the body or facet of life.

In general, horizontal lines across the fingertips are lines that indicate that the aspect of that finger is “crossed” or blocked. For instance, lines across the Jupiter finger, the seat of control and power, show worry about the self and its potency. Lines across the Saturn finger mean you are worried about your home and safety issues. Lines across the Apollo finger indicate that there is a bar to fulfillment — something is making you sad. And lines across the Mercury finger show a problem with communication, either verbally or sexually.

The Endocrine Glands

Lines that go vertically along the fingers have something else to say, and it involves the body's system of endocrine glands. On the Jupiter finger, these lines refer to problems with the pituitary gland; on the Saturn finger, with the pineal gland; on the Apollo finger, with the thymus gland, cardiovascular system, and blood pressure; and on the Mercury finger, with the thyroid.

Nailing Your Diagnosis

The fingernails are another essential part of reading physical and mental health, and their link to health is totally substantiated. Physicians generally use the nails to look for physical problems such as circulatory diseases, iron deficiency, and glandular illnesses.

Just as it is with the skin, the color of the nails is a good way to assess health. Fingernails should be smooth and pink, which shows good nutrition and a healthy outlook. If nails are red, there may be high blood pressure, or you may experience inability to control anger and other emotions. Those with bluish nails may have circulatory problems; they may also lack warmth in their relations with other people. In dealing with both circulatory and emotional problems, exercise and other activity that is approved by your doctor can help improve blood flow and release pent-up emotions in a healthy manner.

Like pale skin, pale nails may mean poor eating habits and lack of energy, while yellow skin and nails can indicate liver disease. Brown nails are another sign of poor eating habits, or perhaps problems with the nervous system, and gray fingernails show that the person has malaria.

White spots on your nails are signs of tiredness and worry, and may show that you have a long-standing depression, or an imbalance of zinc. If they are also soft, you could lack calcium in your diet. In general, soft nails show poor eating habits and a diet lacking in protein, and they can indicate arthritis. Nails that break easily show an endocrine system imbalance.

If you have moons on all your fingers, you are in good health and likely to remain so. If you are totally lacking moons, and your nails are in poor condition, you may have an underactive thyroid, but if your moons fill over a third of your nail, your thyroid could be overactive.

Nail Shapes and What They Signal

The shape of your nails can also tell you a great deal about the state of your health:

• Fan-shaped or very narrow nails: You have a nervous condition or psychological disturbance such as extreme impatience or jumpiness.

• Short nails: You have very high expectations of others and of your life, and may have depression or circulatory illnesses.

• Concave nails: Nails that turn up at the ends show dietary shortcomings such as anemia, dermatological problems, and an underactive thyroid.

• Clubbed nails or those with bluish bases: You are vulnerable to heart disease or a lung disorder. This is especially true if the nails are also shaped like a watch crystal and they wrap around the fingertip. In this case, also look for respiratory diseases.

Lines and ridges on the nails are extremely important in reading for health issues. Long longitudinal ridges can be the result of chronic illnesses such as dermatological disorders, rheumatic conditions, intestinal problems, and hyperthyroidism. Deep vertical ridges that rise up from the base of the nail to the tip as it develops can mean that a person has suffered a trauma such as an emotional shock, dietary deprivation, a bad infection, or some other physical stressor. If there are lines instead of deep ridges, there has been arsenic poisoning, a high fever, or a heart problem.