Ok. So, my toenails haven’t always looked like this but within the last year or two, no matter what I do, I can’t get them to grow straight, clean, or nice looking. Any ideas? There’s horizontal ridges and they’re brittle-ish.
-home manicure or a fresh set of acrylics, but hiding the issue won’t solve it. After all, your hands reveal a lot about your health—nails included. While there are many reasons for fingernail ridges, thankfully, there are also a number of ways to get rid of them.
Meet the Experts: Tsippora Shainhouse, M.D., Los Angeles-based board-certified dermatologist; Karan Lal, D.O., M.S., F.A.A.D., double board-certified and fellowship-trained dermatologist with Affiliated Dermatology in Scottsdale, AZ; Donna Hart, M.D., board-certified dermatologist at Westlake Dermatology in Texas, et al.
Keep reading to learn more about the different types of fingernail ridges, what causes them, and how to improve your overall nail health, according to dermatologists.
Types of fingernail ridges
Although everyone’s nail ridges may look a little different, most can be lumped into two categories:
Vertical fingernail ridges
Vertical nail ridges are raised lines that run from your cuticle to the tip of your fingernail and are a super common, normal sign of aging, says Los Angeles-based board-certified dermatologist Tsippora Shainhouse, M.D.
Horizontal fingernail ridges
Horizontal nail ridges (lines that run from side to side) are known as Beau’s lines. These are less common than vertical ridges, 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. But don’t fret: The ridges aren’t permanent, and once they grow out, your nails will be back to business as usual.
What causes ridges on fingernails
Ridges on fingernails may be caused by a number of things. In most cases they are benign and nothing to worry about. Below, find a few potential reasons you might find 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 on fingernails causes
Horizontal ridges, a.k.a. Beau’s lines, often happen when your body undergoes significant periods of stress and your nail stops growing, says Dr. Lal. These may include:
- Severe viral infections and illnesses
- Fever
- Kidney disease
- Nutritional deficiency (such as iron, zinc, or vitamin A deficiency)
- Damage associated with acrylic nails or other nail trauma
- Raynaud’s disease
- Stress
- Thyroid disease
Vertical ridges on fingernails causes
Vertical ridges, a.k.a. trachyonychia, can be caused by a few issues, Dr. Lal explains, which may include:
- Dehydration
- Skin conditions like eczema or psoriasis
- Autoimmune diseases such as alopecia areata
- Aging
- Nutritional deficiency (such as iron, zinc, or vitamin A deficiency)
- Thyroid disease
- Alopecia
