Bumpy thumbnails, often seen as vertical or horizontal ridges, usually stem from normal aging, minor nail trauma, or dryness, but can signal nutritional deficiencies (iron, zinc), skin conditions (eczema, psoriasis), thyroid issues, or more serious illnesses, with horizontal lines (Beau's lines) often indicating a temporary growth interruption from illness or stress.
Ridges in your fingernails or toenails can be a sign of a current or past illness. Ridges may also happen if you have a nutrient deficiency. Your provider can help you determine why you have ridges in your nails. Usually, your nails will become smoother if you treat the underlying cause.
Subtle or pronounced ridges on the nails may point toward deficiencies in nutrients such as iron, zinc, calcium, and vitamin B12.
Iron deficiency causes nails to be spoon-shaped. Iron deficiency anemia (lack of adequate healthy red blood cells) can cause pale nails. Selenium also plays a role in keeping our hair and nails healthy and its deficiency can cause brittle nails.
Nail pitting is when small round depressions or notches appear in the nails. It's common in people who have skin disorders such as psoriasis and eczema. Nail pitting also may be related to alopecia areata — an autoimmune disease that causes hair loss.
Diabetic nails may look thickened, yellowish, brittle, or have an unusual shape. This is often due to reduced blood flow to the extremities and nerve damage, also known as peripheral neuropathy, which affects the feet.
Liver failure nails often appear as Terry's Nails, characterized by an opaque white or "ground glass" look across most of the nail, with only a thin, brownish or pinkish band at the very tip and the half-moon (lunula) often disappearing, though other changes like ridges or yellowness (jaundice) can also occur, indicating systemic issues.
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.
What are the symptoms of iron-deficiency anemia?
If your fingernails change color or you develop horizontal nail ridges, consult your health care provider. These changes could indicate an underlying health condition.
Dermatologists Discuss the Effects of Stress on Nails
These habits can cause many problems, including: a distortion of the nail plate, raised ridges in the middle of the nail, and nailbed infection.
A magnesium deficiency can result in weak, flaky nails that are prone to breakage.
Terry's nails is a type of nail discoloration. The nailbeds look “washed out,” except for a thin reddish-brown strip near the tip. Often, Terry's nails is a symptom of a chronic condition, such as liver failure or diabetes.
It is most often caused by a fungal infection (onychomycosis), psoriasis, tumors of the nail, and poorly fitting shoes. The deformity can also occur in people who have lupus, Kawasaki disease, end-stage renal disease (severe chronic kidney disease), and some genetic syndromes (for example, pachyonychia congenita).
Heart failure nails often show clubbing (swollen, rounded fingertips with downward-curving nails) or a bluish tint (cyanosis) due to poor oxygenation, sometimes accompanied by pale or white nails (Terry's nails) or red lines (splinter hemorrhages), all signaling reduced oxygen flow or underlying heart issues.
These ridges make the surface of the nail look rough or bumpy. Although ridges on your nails can come with age, trauma, or even an underlying medical condition, they can also mean you are deficient in B vitamins.
Possibly. The term "pica" describes craving and chewing substances that have no nutritional value — such as ice, clay, soil or paper. Craving and chewing ice, known as pagophagia, is often associated with iron deficiency, with or without anemia, although the reason is unclear.
Occasionally, it can cause chest pain, a fast heartbeat and shortness of breath. Or it can cause you to crave non-food items like ice, dirt or paper. These are all signs of iron-deficiency anemia. The good news is that treatment can help iron-deficiency anemia.
Five common symptoms of anemia are fatigue/weakness, pale or yellowish skin, shortness of breath, a fast or irregular heartbeat, and dizziness or headaches, all resulting from a lack of healthy red blood cells to carry oxygen. Other signs can include cold hands/feet, brittle nails, or unusual cravings like ice (pica).
Beau's lines on all of your nails can mean that an illness or stress caused them. Multiple Beau's lines on each nail may mean that an illness or trauma happened more than once. Thicker Beau's lines may be a sign that an illness or trauma lasted a longer time.
Cutaneous manifestations associated with vitamin B12 deficiency are skin hyperpigmentation, vitiligo, angular stomatitis, and hair changes. A diagnosis of vitamin B12 deficiency is often overlooked in its early stages because these signs are not specific to vitamin B12 deficiency alone.
Medium to dark vertical lines on your nails could indicate a Vitamin D and B12 deficiency. Short white lines or spots might point to zinc deficiency. Brittle nails that easily break could mean you're low in calcium and biotin. Yellow nails could signal a fungal infection.
Symptoms of acute liver failure may include:
Nail pitting is small, pin-poke dents in the nail plate of your fingernails or toenails. It's usually a sign of psoriasis, but other conditions cause it, too. If you notice nail pitting, talk to your healthcare provider so they can help find and treat the cause. Treatment includes medications and prescription creams.