Vertical Fingernail Ridges

Vertical ridges on fingernail is a common problem that mars the beauty of your nails. These ridges, which make your nails look unhealthy, are quite harmless. Remember that you need to properly distinguish between vertical and horizontal fingernail ridges, because horizontal ones are indication of underlying illness or medical condition.

Of course, vertical ridges are a problem for the ones who love to have beautiful and flawless hands.

You have nails of proper color, no brittleness, no layers, and cuticles in good condition, but you can see a 'rail and groove' effect over your nail which starts from your nail base and extends till the nail tip. Well, those are vertical nail ridges.

Moreover, it is not just present on the existing nail bed, but keeps occurring in the similar pattern as your nail grows ahead. Following may be the probable causes of dents or ridges in fingernails.

• As we grow older, the levels of natural oil and moisture in our nail plates goes on decreasing. So the ridges often become prominent with growing age and usually indicate aging.

• Vertical fingernail ridges may also arise if your nails are dry. Your nails are at a risk of becoming dry if they frequently come in contact with chemicals. This can happen when you do common household tasks like washing utensils, cleaning floors, washing car using detergents and soaps.

• Malnutrition may be one of the reason for nail ridges. When the body is unable to get proper nutrition it suffers from lack of protein, vitamins, and minerals which are very essential for proper growth.

• Physical damage can also cause ridges on the fingernails. As they are caused due to physical damage, the new nails will have normal surface.
• Vertical ridges on nails can also be hereditary.

To reduce the appearance of ridges on the nails, one needs to take care of his diet. As eating a balanced and healthy diet will fulfill the requirement of essential nutrients of the body. Following are some of the easy ways on improving your diet, followed by some of the simple and effective tips which will prevent your nails from damaging and will improve the quality of your nails.

• Diet plays a major role in the way your skin and nails look. Following a balanced diet that includes fresh fruits and vegetables is very important.

• You must also add food rich in omega-3 fatty acid like nuts and fish to your diet.

• Avoiding junk food is quite helpful for your body. If you ever feel like having it, just go to your kitchen and prepare it; as the same makes a lot of difference. It is anytime better than consuming junk food sold outside.

• Drinking lot of water is an extremely important thing, which is also commonly suggested by doctors and beauty experts. You can also add freshly squeezed lemon juice to it.

• Use gloves while doing household work, if your hands are going to come in contact with mild or harsh chemicals in form of detergents and cleaning liquids.
• Keep your nails clean. If you have long nails wash them thoroughly each time you wash your hands to avoid nail fungus.

• Keep the cuticle and nails moisturized using a hand and nail lotion. Apply it soon after washing your hands with soap.
• Apply jojoba oil regularly on your nails before going to bed. You can also massage your nails with any oil rich in vitamin E.

• You can also use a buffer to reduce the effect of fingernail ridges. Buff slowly and avoid fast and hasty movements. Remember that your nail plate is already damaged, and you are buffing your nails just to make them look better.

• You can also get nail ridge fillers from the market to hide the imperfections. This is an instant solution which will make your nails smoother.

All these nail care tips will not show immediate results, so follow them daily. You need to patiently follow the nail care routine to see noticeable improvement in the problem of vertical fingernail ridges. Visit your doctor if you observe change in nail color or horizontal ridges.

These might be an indication of underlying health problem. So, get set with your nail care routine to make them flawless!

Disclaimer: The information provided in this story is solely for educating the reader. It is not intended to be a substitute for the advice of a medical expert.