CHINA:( The COW News Digital)- In a story that has surprised readers around the world, Chinese media has reported the rise of an unusual online marketplace — for human fingernails. What most people consider trash, some see as a valuable medicinal resource.
According to a report by Oddity Central, cut fingernails are being purchased by companies that produce traditional Chinese medicines. In traditional medicine practices, fingernails are believed to possess healing properties and are used in the treatment of conditions such as children’s bloating, tonsillitis, and certain stomach problems.
The process is meticulous. The nails are carefully collected, washed, and dried. Once cleaned, they are ground into a fine powder and mixed into different types of herbal medicines. However, fingernails are not easy to source. An average adult grows only around 100 grams of fingernails in a year, which makes collecting them in bulk a challenging task. This rarity is one of the reasons why fingernails are priced relatively high.
The story gained attention after “Kan Kan News,” a Chinese news outlet, reported about a woman from Hebei province who had been saving her fingernails since childhood. Rather than throwing them away, she recently decided to sell them online. She is reportedly selling her collection at 150 yuan per kilogram (around 21 US dollars), sparking curiosity and conversation across social media.
Interestingly, only fingernails are accepted — toenails are strictly rejected. Processing companies are reported to inspect their supplies very carefully and refuse to use toenails in any medicine.
While the practice of using fingernails in medicine has declined since the 1960s — largely due to the rise of nail polish, which made many nail samples unsuitable — this trend is experiencing a revival. Modern interest in traditional medicine and natural remedies has created a niche demand, and some people see this as a unique business opportunity.
Social media users have been fascinated by this story, with some calling it “bizarre but brilliant” and others expressing discomfort at the idea of nails being turned into medicine. Whether this becomes a more mainstream practice or remains a rare curiosity, it has certainly captured global attention.
