Iron deficiency can cause vertical nail ridges and koilonychia (spoon nails).
Magnesium helps prevent ridges in the nails and with protein synthesis and new nail formation. Magnesium deficiency can be corrected by including whole grains such as whole wheat, quinoa, and almonds, cashews, peanuts, black beans in your diet. Zinc is needed for replication of nail cells and improved hair growth.
- A deficiency in B-complex vitamins, especially biotin, will produce ridges along the nail bed.
With age, vertical nail ridges may become more numerous or prominent because of changes in cell turnover within the nail. If your fingernails change color or you develop horizontal nail ridges, consult your health care provider. These changes could indicate an underlying health condition.
Vitamin D is necessary for the absorption of calcium, which maintains healthy bones. If your nails are peeling, brittle, or have vertical ridges, you may be vitamin D deficient.
2 Nail changes in vitamin B12 deficiency present as hyperpigmentation of nails like bluish discoloration of nails, blue-black pigmentation with dark longitudinal streaks, and longitudinal and reticulate darkened streaks. The nail pigmentation associated with B12 deficiency is more frequent in patients with dark skin.
Thyroid dysfunction can also affect your nails, causing abnormality in nail shape, nail color, or attachment to the nail bed. Pay attention if you experience ongoing hangnails, ridges in your nails, splitting, peeling, or even dry cuticles.
Many different health conditions can cause ridges and other changes in the nails. Vertical ridges in the fingernails are the most common and are typically harmless. There are times when ridges in the fingernails could be a sign of an underlying condition, especially if the ridges are horizontal.
Mental and emotional stress can affect nail health and growth. Severe emotional stress, such as a divorce, death in the family or job loss, can cause Beau's lines. Anxiety disorders are another possible cause.
Koilonychia is an abnormal shape of the fingernail. The nail has raised ridges and is thin and curved inward. This disorder is associated with iron deficiency anemia.
When your body lacks calcium, your nails become thinner, weaker, and brittle. You may notice that they break easily and just don't look as healthy as they used to. Although nails and bones are made up of different substances, they're similar enough that poor nail health may be an early marker of bone density problems.
Plenty of nutrients in food can help your nails, taking them from dry and brittle to healthy and strong. Foods that can improve your nails include fruits, lean meats, salmon, leafy greens, beans, eggs, nuts, and whole grains.
Nail clubbing is when a nail curves under at the tip of the finger. It could indicate heart disease, inflammatory bowel disease, lung disease, liver disease, thyroid disease, or HIV/AIDS.
"If you suffer with dry skin, your nail ridges are most likely due to dehydration. In this case, it is best to use a penetrating moisturiser treatment at the base of the nail to instantly revive the nail plate and help protect from further development of ridges – Mavala's Mavaflex is perfect for this," she said.
Beau's lines are deep grooved lines that run from side to side on the fingernail or the toenail. They may look like indentations or ridges in the nail plate. This condition of the nail was named by a French physician, Joseph Honoré Simon Beau (1806–1865), who first described it in 1846.
In Your 30s
Meanwhile, the matrix of the nail can undergo thinning due to natural aging, which can cause a common nail condition known as onychorrhexis, also known as “brittle nail syndrome.” Nails often split at the ends and have long ridges.
Ridges in your nails may be age-related. Horizontal ridges, also known as Beau's lines, that run across the nail indicate that your nail growth slowed or stopped and that it could be related to a health condition. Common causes include high fever, vitamin deficiency, injury, diabetes and peripheral vascular disease.
Moisturizing Your Fingernails
Dermatologists recommend rubbing petroleum jelly, vitamin E, or cuticle creams into your cuticles at night. Applying a moisturizing cream or a hand balm to the nails on a daily basis will help keep them moist.
A swollen fingertip, curved nail, and thickening skin above a nail are often signs of thyroid disease.
Thyroid hormones also influence the quality of your skin in various ways. For example, with hyperthyroidism, you may notice itchy and dry patches of skin. Your face may feel softer and swollen. You may even notice swelling around your fingertips.
Nail Health & Diabetes
In some people with diabetes, the nails take on a yellowish hue and become brittle. This is often associated with the breakdown of sugar and its effect on the collagen in nails. In certain cases, this yellowing of nails can be a sign of a nail infection.