If you've noticed ridges in your fingernails,
you're not alone. About 20%
of adults will develop brittle nails as part of the
aging process,
including ridges or splits. But nail ridges can be a
sign of an underlying health issue affecting your nail bed.
Nails say a lot about a woman.
If they are long and have a lot of decor,
like mine often do, they might just say you're fabulous.
So, what causes nail ridges,
And if you have them,
how can you minimize their appearance and decide whether to
schedule an appointment with your doctor or dermatologist?
Vertical nail ridges are a result of the loss of
moisture that occurs during the human ageing process.
They're not usually A cause for concern.
Aside from their appearance, those are actually completely fine and
just a part of normal ageing.
Horizontal ridges, on the other hand,
are a rarer phenomenon that can indicate several different health
issues.
Deep horizontal nail ridges, also called Bose lines,
are often a sign that your nail growth has been
interrupted.
An interruption can be caused by an injury to the
nail's root,
illness or infection, severe stress,
a skin condition, a vitamin or nutrient deficiency,
or a loss of blood flow to the nail.
Any acute illness that causes a high fever can inflict
enough stress on your body to interrupt nail growth.
Growth can also be interrupted by chronic diseases like diabetes
or hypothyroidism.
In addition, Bose lines are a classic sign of a
protein or zinc deficiency.
While it's commonly believed that people who eat a vegan
diet struggle to get enough protein,
it's more likely that a plant based diet will leave
you zinc deficient.
So if you notice horizontal ridges and you're vegan or
haven't sustained a finger injury or high fever recently,
it's time to see a doctor about your nutrition.
Once you've determined that your nail ridges aren't a sign
of a health concern or you've had your concerns addressed
by a medical professional,
you can move on to your cosmetic worries.
If your nail ridges are significant enough to cause bumps
or unevenness in your nail Polish,
there are measures you can take to counteract the effect.
Some people recommend using a buffing block on bare nails
to file down any raised ridges before painting,
but this isn't a safe practice.
When it comes to nail ridges,
the raised portions are the strong and healthy nail matter,
while the recessed areas are weaker and more brittle.
Buffing weakens the overall nail.
Instead, invest in a high quality product like OPI Ridge
filler as a base coat before painting your nails.
Ridge fillers work by using microparticles or protein fibers to
fill in the recessed areas of your nail.
This allows your nail Polish to glide on smoothly.
If you're confident that your diet and or supplement regimen
includes adequate amounts of zinc and iron to rule out
anemia,
consider adding biotin or silicon to your daily routine.
Many multivitamin supplements marketed for hair,
skin and nail health contain biotin.
According to a study published in the Journal of Drugs
and Dermatology,
adding 2.5 milligrams of biotin or 10 milligrams of silicon
to an already nutritionally balanced diet can lessen symptoms like
vertical nail ridges in people with brittle nail syndrome.
Many multivitamin supplements marketed for hair,
skin and nail health contain biotin,
plus other vitamins and minerals and one tablet or capsule.
And negative side effects are extremely rare.
So there's not much to lose when it comes to
giving a vitamin A try.
When your natural nails are brittle,
uneven or ridged, it can be tempting to cover them
with acrylic or gel nails.
This is denim
and this is lace,
and this is origami paper,
but this is likely to make the problem worse overtime.
Wearing and removing artificial nail enhancements causes damage to your
natural nails,
including stripping away the oils and keratin that help keep
them strong and hydrated.
This damage then presents as the very feature you're trying
to hide,
ridges. If the ridges on your nails only appeared after
wearing nail enhancements for a period of time,
it's almost certain they caused the damage.
The best way to resolve the situation is to let
your natural nail grow out uncovered and gradually trim away
the ridged areas until they've grown out completely.
To avoid ridges in the future,
steer clear of harsh acrylic and gel products and stick
to classic air gel polishes.
Your new healthy nails will thank you.