Why does my natural nail client have red moons?

Red lunula (moons) are seen in a number of disorders but also can be idiopathic (meaning they occur with no associated disease). Cardiac failure, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, pulmonary disease, and carbon monoxide poisoning are a few of the conditions that may be associated with red lunula. Also, some conditions that affect the nail can have red lunula such as psoriasis or alopecia areata, but usually there are other visible nail changes with those conditions. Your client should have a good physical examination, but if everything checks out normal, she should not worry about this change. — Phoebe Rich, M.D., is an associate clinical professor of dermatology at Oregon Health & Science University and a member and former president of the Council for Nail Disorders.