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As I’ve gotten older, those vertical ridges on my nails seem to be getting more and more prominent. I really noticed those ugly lines recently in the pictures on my pumpkin cheesecake dip recipe where my thumb is on full display holding a Nilla wafer. That’s when I decided to do some research to see if those ridges meant anything about my health, and if there was anything I could do to get rid of them.
After a lot of research, I did find that there is a small, rare possibility that those ridges can mean an underlying medical condition or possibly even nail trauma, but for most of us, it’s completely normal as we age to see them getting more noticeable, especially if you have dry skin or skin conditions such as eczema.
What Those Ridges On Your Fingernails Really Mean
I’m 36, and they’ve only recently started bothering me, but I’m relieved to find that they are most likely harmless. I’m just getting old. : )
They’re basically like wrinkles of the nails! As we age, the nail matrix gradually starts to lose it’s effectiveness in some areas, causing your nails to grow out uneven, resulting in what we see as lines or ridges that run from the cuticle all the way up to the tip of the nail.
If your body is low in protein, zinc, calciumor vitamin A, a deficiency can sometimes be revealed by those annoying vertical ridges in your nails. If you have deep ridges or any other health issues, it wouldn’t hurt to get a blood test to check for possible deficiencies.
Horizontal Ridges In Nails Faq & Tips
The best way to help lessen the appearance of those lines in the first place is to make sure you are moisturizing your hands and fingers throughout the day with a thick cream, oil or petroleum jelly, paying special attention to your cuticles. Basically, treat your nails like you would your wrinkles!
Also, I may sound like I’ve been living under a rock or something, but I didn’t realize you could buff and polish them with a simple $8 tool that makes them smooth and shiny, almost as if you’re wearing clear nail polish. I found this shape and shine tool on Amazon, and now I feel like I have a brand new set of hands! This seems to be the quickest solution, just be sure not to get carried away with all that buffing and sanding, especially if you have thin nails.
Painting your nails will obviously help disguise your ridges as well, especially if you use a ridge filling base coat. It also helps create a bond with your nail polish so that it lasts a little longer.Most of us want strong, healthy, nails, sans acrylic or press-ons. If you’ve got ridges on your fingernails (or brittle nails, peeling nails, or yellow nails) you might feel a little less confident about the state of your digits. While there are lots of reasons for nail ridges, thankfully, there are also a number of ways to get rid of them.
Ridges In Fingernails: Types, Causes, And Treatment
First, a crash course on what fingernail ridges even are: Vertical nail ridges (lines that run from your cuticle to the tip of your fingernail) are super-common, and are a normal sign of aging. “The skin under the nail plate loses some structural integrity and becomes wrinkled, much like other areas of aging skin, ” says Los Angeles-based board-certified dermatologist Tsippora Shainhouse, M.D.
Another common cause of ridges is dehydration of the nail plate—say, from frequent manicures or excessive water exposure. This is also why fingernail ridges are more likely to pop up if you’ve got dry skin or a condition like eczema or psoriasis.
Then, there’s horizontal nail ridges (lines that run from side to side), known as Beau’s lines. These are less common, but equally pesky. “When horizontal ridges occur in a single nail, it’s usually due to trauma to the nail matrix (the area where your fingernails start to grow), ” says Dr. Shainhouse. Things like picking your nails, jamming the cuticle back, or getting your finger caught in the door can cause a dent in the “conveyor belt, ” so future nail plates are “produced” with a ridge, she explains.
There's A Dashed Line Growing On My Fingernail
Certain stresses to the body, like a high fever or some infections, can also suddenly make the nails stop growing for a short time. This brief halt in production can cause a horizontal ridge in the growing nail plate, and usually pops up on most or all nails following an illness, says Dr. Shainhouse. But don’t fret: The ridges aren’t permanent, and once they grow out, your nails will be back to business as usual.
Ridges on fingernails can be caused by a number of things, and in most cases they are benign and nothing to worry about. Below find a few potential reasons you might be seeing ridges on your nails, per Karan Lal, D.O., M.S., F.A.A.D., double board-certified and fellowship-trained dermatologist with Affiliated Dermatology in Scottsdale, AZ.
Horizontal ridges, aka Beau’s lines, often happen when your body undergoes significant periods of stress and your nail stops growing, says Dr. Lal.
What Do Vertical Ridges On Fingernails Mean?
While there’s no guaranteed way to prevent nail ridges, especially if they are due to an underlying condition, overall nail maintenance can go a long way in keeping your nails smooth, strong, and healthy.
Most importantly, do your best to avoid nail damage—especially the kind associated with manicures. “Some people go to salons and get their nails drilled and sanded, and I don’t recommend doing that because if you have brittle nails they can actually make your nails thinner which can make them easier to crack, ” explains Dr. Lal.
It can also help to apply clear nail hardeners which can help strengthen the nail, smoothen out the nail surface, and prevent the nails from getting damaged, Dr. Lal adds.
Ayurvedic Nail Analysis: What Your Nails Are Pointing To About Your Health
So what can you do about fingernail ridges that have made themselves a permanent fixture on your digits? Here’s what dermatologists recommend.
“Keeping your nails hydrated with a hand cream or oil can minimize the appearance of ridging and protect the keratin of the nail, ” says Donna Hart, M.D., board-certified dermatologist at Westlake Dermatology in Texas. Use a moisturizer that contains ceramides or alpha hydroxy acids, which trap in moisture and nourish your nails, such as Aquaphor Healing Skin Ointment.
If your nails are also on the brittle side, the American Academy of Dermatology recommends moisturizing your skin and nails thoroughly before bed and wearing light cotton gloves to help your nails absorb the moisturizer while you snooze.
How To Smooth Fingernail Ridges
Keeping your nails on the shorter side can help prevent trauma to the nail during your day-to-day grind; just make sure to not go overboard with trimming: “Constant trimming or cutting your nails may cause them to develop ridges, ” says Richard Torbeck, M.D., board-certified dermatologist with Advanced Dermatology PC in New York. Scaling back on trims reduces the potential for trauma to your nail.
Clip your nails with a standard nail clipper (such as Harperton nail clippers) only when there’s visible white, and don’t clip so low that there’s no longer white present. “This allows time for the nail to grow and heal between clippings, ” says Dr. Torbeck. Trim your nails straight across, then round the tips in a gentle curve using a very fine nail file (like this glass nail file). Filing snags or irregularities post-haste also helps to prevent future trauma.
The skin, including nails, responds to outside stimuli by thickening. “By not picking at your nails or the skin around them, you’re decreasing the chances of causing nail irregularities, ” says Noelani González, M.D., board-certified dermatologist and director of cosmetic dermatology at Mount Sinai West in New York. Identifying the triggers that cause you to pick at or bite your nails and learning how to manage them can help you hit the brakes on future nail damage.
Nail Splitting (onychoschizia) Condition, Treatments And Pictures For Adults
While it doesn’t treat the underlying problem that’s causing your fingernail ridges, gently buffing your nails can help camouflage them in a pinch. A word of caution though: “Be very judicious with your use of nail buffers, as these thin the nail plate out, which can make them softer, too flexible, and prone to trauma and breakage, ” says Dr. Shainhouse, who recommends a gentle buff once a month be your maximum.
Using a four-way nail buffer (like this one from Deborah Lippman), use each of the four steps to gently sand, smooth, shine, and file your nails. To avoid nail splitting, make sure to buff in the same direction as the nail grows, as opposed to back and forth.
You can prevent traumatic ridges by not picking or shoving your cuticle back. “The cuticle is the only barrier the fingers have to keep dirt and infections out of the tissues of the fingers, ” says Dr. Shainhouse. Not only can an infection cause damage to the nail matrix and potentially deform your nail, but the act of pushing back the cuticle can bang it up, creating a permanent ridge template for all future
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