What do horizontal lines on fingernails mean?

What do horizontal lines on fingernails mean?

Ridges in the fingernails are often normal signs of aging. Slight vertical ridges commonly develop in older adults. In some cases, they may be a sign of health problems like vitamin deficiencies or diabetes. Deep horizontal ridges, called Beau’s lines, may indicate a serious condition.

Can anxiety cause Beau’s lines?

It’s not only nervous nibbling-stress alone can cause brittle nails, and major upsets (like a divorce or death in the family) can trigger horizontal grooves called Beau’s lines, says Whitney Bowe, MD, a dermatologist in NYC.

What medications cause Beau’s lines?

Many medications have been associated with the development of Beau’s lines, including systemic chemotherapeutic agents, retinoids, dapsone, metoprolol, itraconazole, octreotide, and azathioprine.

What do the vertical lines on your fingernails mean?

Vertical ridges on the fingernails are tiny raised lines or cuts like groove that runs along the nail from top to the bottom of the nail plate. A series of vertical ridges on fingernails are also called longitudinal striations or longitudinal bands.

What causes Muehrcke’s lines on the fingernails?

Causes of Muehrcke’s Lines. The exact cause of Muehrcke’s lines is not clearly understood. The lines are not caused by injury to the cuticle or nail area. The lines have been linked to low levels of a protein called albumin. Albumin is found in the blood. It is made in the liver.

What do you call black lines on your fingernails?

Black spots or lines on nails are termed as nail moles and the resemble moles that develop on another surface of the skin. Nail moles are not a serious health condition because they are not harmful cancerous though medical attention is very important. Young adults are more prone to nail moles but less susceptible to ridges on fingernails.

Where are the white lines on my Nails?

White bands go across the entire nail from side to side. Lines are usually most clearly seen on the second, third, and fourth fingers. The nail bed looks healthy in between the lines.