Why nails become ribbed vertically on the hands: causes, treatment

Types of ribbing

Nails are considered ribbed when the plate has a non-uniform relief surface with grooves, tubercles or depressions. The changes are especially visible on the thumbs.

Why do my nails become ribbed? There are several reasons leading to such deformation of the plate. They determine how the nails will look.

There are two types of ribbing:

Vertical. It occurs more often and is usually not dangerous. With vertical ribbing, the grooves on the nails begin at the base of the plate and reach the free edge. They are common and rare in the form of several pieces, located far from each other. Along with the grooves, other changes in the condition of the nail plate are sometimes observed. It becomes brittle, brittle, thickens, and becomes covered with white spots or stripes;
Horizontal. Much less common than vertical ones. They talk about plate injuries or internal health problems. With horizontal ribbing, the grooves or pits are located across the nail, passing through the center in the direction from the side of one nail fold to the other. They can be intermittent, semicircular, thin or thick.

Depending on the cause, all nails on the palms and soles, several or one, become ribbed. Only the fingernails may be affected.

Leveling the nail plate at home

In order to smooth the nail surface at home, there are quite effective folk remedies. Some of them are given below.

Method 1: pour two tablespoons of dried sage with a glass of boiling water and let stand for 10 minutes. Strain and add 200 ml of olive oil, before heating it. Three tablespoons of honey and a spoonful of lemon juice. Mix all ingredients well.

Must be used at least three times a week. With regular use, the results will not be long in coming.

Why do my nails become ridged and not smooth?

This is due to congenital anomalies of the nail apparatus, caused by failures in the formation of the ectoderm in the early period of intrauterine development. However, such reasons are extremely rare. Basically, these are acquired deformations of the nail plate, which occur at different periods of a person’s life. They are caused by disturbances in the body, in which the supply of nutrients deteriorates and the growth of the nail plate slows down.

Injuries

A woman's nails often become ribbed after carelessly performed manicure procedures, when the base of the nail, where the growth zone or matrix is located, is damaged. Injury to the matrix occurs when cutting or pushing back the cuticle with a spatula or orange stick, or when the surface is inaccurately treated with a sanding file with a coarse abrasive. The plate experiences strong physical impact when wearing massive artificial coverings or extending long nails.

More serious injuries include bruises, pinching, or falling of a heavy object. Any accidental damage to the upper phalanx of the finger leads to the appearance of grooves and raised stripes on the nail plate. The fact is that they are accompanied by temporary circulatory problems, hematomas, damage to the skin around the nail, and sometimes infection. For men who work in production or construction, the risks of such injuries due to negligence are much higher. This is why men's nails often become ribbed.

Infections

The reason why toenails become ridged and uneven may be due to a fungal infection or onychomycosis. This is a fairly common disease that mainly affects the toenails. With fungus, nails thicken, turn yellow, become tiny, and change structure. Due to physiological characteristics, onychomycosis occurs more often in men than in women. The risk group includes older people whose resistance to infection decreases due to age-related changes and concomitant pathologies, the nutrition of the tissues of the nail apparatus deteriorates, and the rate of growth and renewal of the plate slows down.

Health status

Nails are often seen as a reflection of what is happening inside our body. A change in their color, structure, shape, or the appearance of depressions indicates the presence of pathologies that are not directly related to the nails.

Among them:

problems in the functioning of the endocrine system (diabetes mellitus, dysfunction of the thyroid gland);
deficiency of vitamins A, E; group B, amino acids, microelements;
Iron-deficiency anemia;
metabolic disorders;
difficulty digesting food and absorbing nutrients;
long-term use of certain medications.

Another reason is age. In older people, nails are uneven, thickened, and have a yellow tint. Due to hormonal changes, ribbing occurs in pregnant women.

Why do waves appear on nails?

If your smooth and strong nails with a slight natural shine suddenly begin to become covered with longitudinal or transverse stripes, then you should pay attention to this and take appropriate measures. Wavy stripes on the nails are not always a cosmetic reason. This phenomenon may be due to an external, internal or psychological reason. We all know how psychosomatics can affect nails, hair, teeth, and indeed all organs.

External reasons

One and, perhaps, the only external reason for the appearance of stripes on nails is improper care or injury. It can be:

Mechanical shocks
Damage to the plate due to rough handling
Exposure to aggressive substances. As a rule, these are household chemicals that we often use without gloves
Poor quality nail care products: cheap varnishes, nail polish removers or inept actions of a manicurist

It is quite easy to understand that the reason is external. Fingernails become grooved, matte, with shallow longitudinal stripes. When injured, this may appear on one or more nails.

The easiest way to solve this problem is, we will talk about this a little later. In the meantime, we continue to consider the reasons.

Stripes on nails as symptoms of disease

The most common cause of grooved nails is an internal problem in the body. Based on their condition, experienced therapists can easily determine what points need to be paid attention to in nutrition, lifestyle and health. Internal reasons may be:

Mycosis or onychomycosis (fungal infection)
Non-fungal infection
Problems with the digestive tract and resulting diseases of the intestines, stomach, pancreas, and liver. All this is very individual
Bad habits

Fungal infections, unfortunately, are the most common and should be treated under the supervision of a dermatovenerologist. As a rule, mycoses in humans are caused by three types of pathogens: dermatophytes, yeast-like fungi and molds.

So, the symptoms of nail fungus are the following:

The nails become weak, peel, and break.
Second stage: tubercles and stripes appear on the nail plates, which signal that the situation is becoming critical, and yellowing is also characteristic of onychomycosis
Next, the nails begin to turn yellow and form uneven edges, peel and crumble.

Non-fungal infections are caused by pathogenic microbes that can enter the body along with an injury, especially if you visit an untested or inexperienced manicurist or a salon where hygiene is neglected. Along with longitudinal or transverse stripes, the following manifestations of infections may appear:

A dull white color of the plate may indicate nail psoriasis.
Blackening of the nails indicates injury or swelling of the nail bed.

With internal diseases of the intestines, pancreas, and liver, the marigolds first become yellow and then become grooved. Well, the causes of many diseases can lie in an incorrect lifestyle and bad habits. So there are only comprehensive solutions and nothing else!

Psychological reasons

Another reason for the appearance of grooves on the nails is stress. Do you know what happens in the body under stress? No, I’m not talking about those situations when “I had a fight with my husband in the evening” or “The child got a bad grade at school.” I am talking about a protracted psychological state that can be caused by the following situations:

Strict diets
Excessive physical activity: heavy work or intense exercise in the gym
Nervous tension caused by problems in the family, at work, etc.

With the help of the condition of the nails, the body can signal a person about what is happening inside him. Your task is to react in time.

Why do children have ribbed nails?

Children's nails are different from adults'. They are thinner and much more sensitive. Raised stripes in a child appear due to viral infections, which are often found in children attending kindergartens or other children's groups. And also problems with digestion, when the vitamins and microelements necessary for nails cannot be fully absorbed due to the fact that the digestive system is not yet fully formed.

If your toenails become ribbed, most likely the problem is in the wrong shoes, which compress and injure the nail plate. A fungal infection cannot be ruled out.

Why do nails become ridged horizontally or crosswise on the hands or feet?

Horizontal ribbing of the nail plate is a reason to consult a dermatologist or podologist, as it is often a sign of a fungal infection or other diseases. And only properly selected treatment will help here.

Horizontal stripes on the nails that are not associated with a fungal infection are called Beau's lines. They look like waves or ridges on the nails and are formed as a result of a sudden cessation of keratin synthesis.

Bo lines appear due to:

nail plate injuries;
acute kidney disease;
diabetes mellitus;
undergoing chemotherapy;
disturbances of blood supply and metabolic processes;
frostbite;
iron deficiency, anemia;
infections.

To determine the cause, consider additional symptoms and other changes in the nails.

Why do nails become ribbed along or vertically?

On the hands of adults, if you look closely, vertical stripes on the nails are noticeable on many. And this does not always indicate disorders in the body. This often happens in healthy people.

If these stripes are deep, it is worth examining the heart, blood vessels, and urinary system, since their appearance causes a violation of the water-salt balance.

Vertical ribbing is also a symptom of vitamin deficiency, injuries to the nail matrix, age-related changes, rheumatoid arthritis, and eczema. Or perhaps it’s due to improper care of your nails and hands. For example, in a traumatic manicure or working with aggressive household chemicals without rubber gloves.

When to go to the doctor?

For changes in the nails that do not go away on their own as the nail plate grows, it would not hurt to consult a dermatologist or podiatrist. This will help to find out the cause, which is not always obvious, and begin treatment on time.

You should not consider ribbed nails only as a cosmetic defect that prevents you from applying an even layer of varnish and doing a manicure.

To find out the reasons why your fingernails or toenails are ribbed, you need a fungal test and other tests. You may additionally need help and advice from specialized doctors: endocrinologist, gastroenterologist, vascular surgeon, mycologist.

The appearance of nails as an indicator of the health of their owner

When a person discovers that their fingernails have become ridged, it is, of course, best to undergo a full medical examination. After all, a change in the surface of the plate may indicate a malfunction in the body and even the presence of serious diseases. One has only to think about the fact that each of us daily visits public places where one can easily catch an infection. But not so many people suffer from the disease in question. The reason for this is their strong immunity, and, therefore, waves on the nails are the first indicator of a disruption in its functioning. So, if a person has ribbed nails on his fingers, then this may also mean that it is time for him to think about his health. It is necessary to strengthen the immune system.

How to get rid of ribbing?

If it is not related to injury, it is important to determine the cause. With minor mechanical stress, as the injured area grows, everything will go away on its own. For severe injuries with hematomas, help will be needed.

For nail fungus, you need hardware cleaning of the affected areas and further treatment with fungicidal ointments or tablets, depending on the severity of the infection.

If there is a lack of vitamins and microelements, the diet is adjusted or balanced vitamin-mineral complexes are prescribed.

The following products will help compensate for the deficiency of certain substances:

for a lack of iron - liver, beef, apples, legumes, cabbage;
to normalize sulfur levels - fresh herbs, vegetables, garlic, buckwheat;
for zinc deficiency – grains, nuts, greens;
to replenish calcium reserves - dairy products, eggs, nuts;
if there is a lack of selenium - grains and legumes, cabbage, nuts.

How to deal with the problem of grooves on nails

We have already become acquainted with the reasons for this unpleasant phenomenon, so now is the time to talk about treatment.

Important! The sooner you address the problem, the easier it is to deal with it!

Depending on the cause, marigolds can be treated in the salon, at home, under the supervision of a dermatologist. Another important factor in complex therapy is proper nutrition.

Salon treatments

In the salon you can solve a number of problems with nails, and it is very sad that many turn to competent nail technicians only to give their nails an aesthetic appearance. But in fact, there are many more procedures and these include the following:

Mineral nail sealing: a procedure that involves layer-by-layer application of natural nutritional compounds onto a plate using a polishing file. The top of the marigolds is covered with flint powder, which provides protection, nourishes and stimulates growth.
Biogel mask is another salon method of treating not only grooved, but also naturally thin nails. This mask contains a special strengthening composition, which, after application, hardens and prevents delamination, brittleness and lumpiness of the plates.
IBX technology is an innovative nail strengthening procedure that combats all imperfections and solves any cosmetic problems: separation, brittleness, thinness, cracks, white spots, grooves and unevenness.

If the cause of grooved nails is nothing other than a fungal infection, then one of the solutions is laser hardware therapy. It has proven itself very well and gives excellent results in the initial stages. In advanced cases, it helps patients with longer treatment.

These methods of improving the quality of nails have quite a lot of advantages, but in fairness, it is worth noting a disadvantage: they are all quite expensive and have a temporary effect. That is, by solving a serious problem cosmetically, you are essentially treating a sore throat with plantain.

Home treatments

Many of you have probably thought about what to do for those who do not have the opportunity to use expensive salon procedures. Extensions and coating with gel polishes are no longer so popular today; the trend is beautiful, well-groomed and, most importantly, natural nails. Is it possible to improve their condition at home? Can! And I will tell you what I would do if I had this problem.

First of all, you need to make sure that the reason is purely cosmetic, which is caused by a deficiency of certain vitamins. Otherwise, your efforts will be in vain. Next, I offer you several recipes for nail baths that can be done 1-2 times a week.

Bath based on vegetable oil and iodine: heat vegetable oil in a water bath, add 2-3 capsules of vitamin A (retinol palmitate) and add 3-4 drops of iodine. Dip your fingernails into the resulting mixture for 15-20 minutes, then wipe with a dry cloth and do not wet your hands for 3 hours. In the same way you can make a bath for nails and feet.
Mix 100 ml of vegetable oil with 3 tablespoons of vinegar and soak your fingers for 15 minutes. Afterwards, don’t wash it off, but wipe it dry with a napkin.
When treating fungus, it is also very useful to use tincture of tar soap, propolis solution, decoctions of calendula, chamomile, birch herbs

When treating with natural home recipes, it is important to observe regularity, since you will not see the result immediately or the next day.

Drug treatment

If the problem lies in the body itself, if grooved nails are a consequence of a disease, then you need to approach the solution systematically, namely, treat the disease itself and, at the same time, do caring procedures directly for the nails.

I will not focus on how to treat cardiovascular diseases or gastritis, since everything is very serious here. But we can talk about the treatment of nail fungus. It is important to understand that in the initial stages the whole process is much simpler and much faster. Therefore, don’t procrastinate and start right now.

Treatment can take place in various ways, which include:

Special antimycotic agents for topical use: Zalain, Exoderil, Nizoral, Nitrofungin, Lamisil
Oral medications: Fluconazole, Itraconazole, Lamisil
External cosmetics: Loceryl - varnish and nail polish remover, Oflomil varnish, Mikozan - nail serum

How to disguise ribbing?

As a temporary solution to the problem, special medicinal compounds are used to level the ribbed surface of the plate. They are applied under varnish instead of a base coat. Which remedy is right for you and whether it is safe to use, you need to check with your podiatrist. Among decorative varnishes, varnishes with mother-of-pearl or sparkles will better hide a cosmetic defect, while plain glossy coatings, on the contrary, will emphasize unevenness.

Under no circumstances should you try to level the surface of the plate with a sanding file, as the nail will become thinner and more vulnerable. It is also not recommended to do extensions or use gel polish until the nail has recovered.

Prevention measures

To prevent the appearance of raised stripes, pits, and grooves on the nails, sometimes proper care and concern for your health is enough.

Simple recommendations will help with this:

Do not get carried away with diets that are fraught with a deficiency of vitamins and microelements;
When working with household cleaning products or chemicals, always wear protective gloves;
Apply a moisturizing, nourishing cream to your hands and feet daily. Give a light massage;
When performing a manicure or pedicure, be careful and careful. It is better to do an unedged manicure and avoid using metal tools.

Regularly check the condition of your fingernails and toenails so that you can notice the slightest deviations in time and seek help. The recommendations listed above will help maintain the health and natural beauty of your nails.

podology

Ribbing: prevention, general procedures and home care

Professional cosmetics

Ribbed changes quickly do not accept distortions while protecting the immune system. The reason and discomfort lie in cosmetics. Varnish and other coatings without protective properties are easily absorbed with the risk of damaging the nail plate. It is possible to strengthen/define the cuticles and nail plates on your hands if you focus on proven complexes:

Thickening of fingernails. Care of such recovery is considered emergency therapy. One of them is K-Nano Shark Emergency Nail Treatment (Kinetics, Latvia). Period: 21 days - varnish is used 21 times.
Strengthens nails and softens cuticles. Lemon Wax Citrus (Bettyberry, Russia) two in one evens out the color of the plate, eliminates its layering, and nourishes the skin.
Prevention of hangnails and brittle nails. The German brand MBR offers Biochange Cell Power Nail Oil. Smoothing occurs with the help of vitamin E, oil from the leaves and fruits of macadamia, avocado and almonds.
Care after hair extensions. Oil-balm from Chocolatte (Russia) - vitamins, care and protection for nails on a warm basis of soy, carnauba, beeswax and oils. Pay attention to this treatment, which needs to be emphasized. There is usually no need to see a doctor; the nails are strong enough. Special drugs are still restrictions on their free access. However, it is worth taking care of this. Is not it?

Safety of manicure for healthy nails

Everything depends more on the characteristics of the cornea of a person’s fingers. Among the varieties of manicure, extensions attract attention and popularity. When women have thin nail plates, you need to point out and take breaks to give it a rest. The build-up of an aggressive nature is the occurrence of its thinning and blood, when an additional gel is used. Not all women may be ready to give up manicures and extended nails for a while. In this case, all ideas agree on one thing - to do the necessary processing of the plate in a gentle manner.

Tips, methods and process for delicate manicure on hands:

Hardware. When working along the edge, tools are replaced with a special milling machine. Any neglected nails can be more easily eliminated using hardware.
European. This type of manicure is more called unedged when using nail correction. You will see the advantage of eliminating cutting tools.
Japanese. Natural preparations and varnish, mineral paste, sticks (usually made of citrus wood) to create a smooth cuticle at the root, gentle files - tools for Japanese manicure.
Shellac. For 4 weeks you don’t have to worry about the beauty of your nails. The procedure using a smooth nail treatment does not contain formaldehyde.

Prevention will even initially allow you to cross and remove the purpose of the question of why the nails became ribbed on the hands after a manicure. Precautionary measures will not hurt, and the patient does not spare money on the master.

Temperature and food regime

Vitamins and microelements will be the first to become unavailable to the body due to an incorrect diet and frequent dieting. As you lose weight on your nails, it may be impossible to restore the severe lack of necessary substances. According to most recommendations, it is most recommended to eat any food fresh. The exception is dried fruits; the valuable content of some of them for nails does not change over time. It is better to make them in advance, mix and store them during the coldest period of consumption of vitamin-rich fruits. Their blue appearance should not be repulsive. Wearing small and tight gloves is a phenomenon of the year, the lack of free movements becomes an obstacle to local and general circulatory disorders of the fingers. Following the advice can easily prevent aggravation and take this into account. Without protective intervention for complications of the material, staying in the cold for a week usually provokes the question of why the corneas become imbalanced and become ugly and ridged.