Longitudinal stripes on fingernails, reasons, what does this mean

Diagnosis of vertical stripes on nails

Nails are derivatives and constituent parts of the skin.
Their altered structure is not the only symptom of the onset of the disease. Initially, the doctor examines the nail plates, then prescribes an examination. To do this you may need:

Blood test (cost from 200 to 300 rubles).
Urinalysis (cost in paid clinics from 200 to 300 rubles).
Donating blood for sugar (cost from 200 to 300 rubles).
Skin scraping to identify fungal infections (the cost of microscopic examination of samples is 800 rubles).
If desired, samples are taken to assess the concentration of various vitamins in the body (one sample costs from 600 rubles).

Causes

There can be many reasons for the occurrence of leukonychia. One of the most common is mechanical trauma to the nail or exposure to chemicals. Artificial nails, fungal infection and lack of zinc in the body can also be provoking factors in the development of pathology. Sometimes leukonychia has a congenital form. In most cases, the causes of occurrence can be determined by the shape and size of the spots:

small pinpoint spots, sometimes in the form of stripes that are arranged randomly - mechanical injury to the nail plate,
transverse stripes, often in pairs – lack of active substances and vitamins associated with unbalanced nutrition and diets,
spots located throughout the nail plate - disruption of the functioning of internal organs, gastrointestinal diseases,
a large white spot located in the middle of the nail may disappear as the nail plate grows - the result of this is frequent stressful situations, depression,
small white spots in small quantities – seasonal vitamin deficiency,
spots in large quantities - prolonged vitamin deficiency,
white spots with a bluish tint – diseases of the cardiovascular system,
white spots on a yellowed and wavy nail plate are the development of a fungal infection.

The appearance of white spots on nails can be caused by external and internal factors.

External factors

Longitudinal stripes may appear due to some reasons of external influence:

Damage to the nail plate. Hitting or squeezing the nail, or the habit of biting nails leads to the formation of white spots. This type of leukonychia occurs more often in children and is the most common.
Frequent contact with chemicals: household chemicals, fertilizers, paints, heavy metals (including lead and arsenic), drugs for the treatment of cancer, sulfonamides used to eliminate infections caused by bacteria.
Careless manicure. As a result of this procedure, not only the outer but the deep layer of the nail is damaged.
Onychotillomania. One of the varieties of dermatomania, the essence of which is the obsessive habit of destroying one’s own nails.
Wearing uncomfortable shoes.

It is worth noting that as a result of injury to the nail plate, punctate leukonychia occurs, and white spots in the form of stripes appear less frequently. The total form cannot appear due to injury to the nail plate.

Internal factors

A number of internal factors that are related to human health can contribute to the occurrence of nail pathology. White spots appear as a result of:

Poor nutrition.
Frequent fasting. Exclusion from the diet of foods enriched with calcium, zinc, iodine, iron and other trace elements. A deficiency of nutrients affects not only the functioning of internal organs, but also the condition of the nails.
Seasonal vitamin deficiency. A lack of vitamins A, C and E in the body causes dry skin, sticky spots in the corners of the mouth, frequent colds and fatigue.
Metabolic disease. Failures in the body always lead to deterioration of the condition of the skin, hair and nails. If the stomach is not functioning sufficiently, the substances supplied with food are not absorbed. As a result, there is a deficiency of nutrients for healthy nails.
Prolonged stress and depression, accompanied by nervous exhaustion.
Diseases of the endocrine system (diabetes mellitus).
Anorexia.
Anemia.
Heart failure.
Fungal infections. In this case, in addition to white spots, thickening and deformation of the nail plate are observed.
Hereditary diseases.

Types and causes of irregularities

Horizontal or vertical grooves and stripes may appear on the nail plate. Please note these defects.

A vertical stripe that stretches across the entire nail
- from cuticle to tip - may occur due to injury to the nail plate. Impacts, pinching, and prolonged exposure to chemicals can lead to such consequences. If you have recently had a manicure, perhaps the compositions used by the master are not suitable for you, or the procedure itself was not done professionally.
The appearance of tubercles and horizontal stripes
speaks of more serious reasons. These are metabolic disorders, poor nutrition, gastrointestinal diseases, and vitamin deficiency. Lumpy nails can also appear due to poor manicure; in this case, you just have to wait for the nail plate to grow back. Another reason why the nail has become uneven is serious damage affecting the tissues of the nail plate. In this case, there is a risk that the deformation will remain forever.

Upward curved nail plate
can develop due to genetic diseases, anemia, hormonal disorders due to thyroid diseases and a number of other diseases.
If the nail bends down
, the reason lies in the mechanical impact on the plate (tight shoes, gloves). Less often this happens due to heredity, but we advise you to pay attention to whether relatives have the same defect. Bend down the free edge of the nail can also occur due to hormonal disorders in the body and due to vitamin deficiency. In the latter case, the nail plate will not only be curved downwards, but also brittle or peeling.
Small indentations on the nail
, as if it had been pricked with a needle, dermatologists call it “thimble-like wear of the nail.” This condition accompanies people with psoriasis, lichen planus, and alopecia.
Furrow Bo
is a medical term that refers to the longitudinal groove from one nail fold to another. Most often, the defect occurs due to improper nail care, due to unprofessional manicure, during which the nail was seriously damaged, and it is also a symptom of a fungal disease. The appearance of such unevenness on the nail also indicates disorders of the cardiovascular system or the presence of a serious infection in the body.
Thickening of the nail
(complete or partial) - a cosmetic defect that can be either hereditary or acquired. Among the acquired reasons why the nail has become thicker, fungus is the leading one. A fungal infection settles in the skin folds. The presence of hangnails and wounds facilitates infection and creates a favorable environment for infection. In this case, you may first notice that the fingernail or toenail has become thicker, then the fungus will lead to a change in color, the nail plate will become brittle, begin to flake/crumple, an unpleasant itch will appear, and the surrounding tissue may become inflamed.

By paying close attention to the appearance of your nails, you can maintain their healthy appearance and find out about problems in the body in time.

Why do black stripes appear on nails?

Look at your fingernails to make a diagnosis. Dark streaks appear suddenly. They differ in size, position and color intensity. Sometimes the stripes are pale and small, but sometimes they are pronounced. There is little good in this, so it is necessary to clarify the reason for the appearance in order to begin the fight.

Remember what you have done in the last few days. If there was an injury, the appearance of a black stripe is predictable. This is the simplest cause of the defect and is easy to establish. After a few days the problem disappears by itself.

If you wear uncomfortable and tight shoes, the appearance of dark stripes cannot be avoided. Your nails become damaged, causing the plate to become deformed. The condition of the nails depends on the work of the manicurist. He must cut the cuticle correctly and polish the plate without damage.

With age, the nail plate changes. The neat shape and color disappears because capillary atherosclerosis develops in an elderly person. Defects in old age cannot be avoided, so you need to regularly do manicures and take care of your hands.

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With poor nutrition, the body begins to act up. It tries to tell the person that the diet is interfering with normal functioning. One of the alarm bells is dark stripes on the nails. During a diet, your body is deprived of nutrients and vitamins, so problems with the appearance of your hands cannot be avoided. If you return to a healthy diet, the body will compensate for the lack of microelements.

When a person has heart problems, the appearance of small black stripes along the edges of the nail plate is predictable. The cause is anemia, endocarditis and various infections. If you do not know about problems with the functioning of the heart muscle, and spots appear, be sure to consult a doctor. This symptom indicates poor bowel function.

During pregnancy, hormonal pathologies begin. Taking medications affects the functioning of the endocrine system, which is why dark stripes appear. In diabetes mellitus, this symptom is very common. If your back hurts frequently, check your spine. The tumor and hernia cause disturbances in the functioning of the spinal cord, and this leads to the appearance of stripes on the nails.

Monitor your health to prevent the development of diseases in time. Black stripes appear during the development of melanoma, a skin cancer. The fungus can also damage the plate. The infection is dangerous, it is easy to catch it even in a beauty salon during a manicure from a qualified specialist.

Long-term use of medications results in the appearance of dark stripes. Don't forget about the use of chemicals. They spoil the nail plate and damage it. For example, low-quality varnish or gel.

At the beginning of the article, the common causes of the unpleasant defect were announced. It does not look aesthetically pleasing, and also signals problems with the immune system. Check yourself against the list to determine the cause of the stripes. We recommend that you consult a doctor for an accurate diagnosis.

Why do longitudinal grooves form on nails?

The reasons are associated with deterioration of blood circulation, metabolic processes in the extremities, slower cell renewal, injuries, and lack of nutrients.

Thus, the cause of longitudinal grooves on the fingernails is often a poorly executed manicure. For example, improper removal of the cuticle leads to damage to the plate in the matrix area. And then later, as the nail grows, its surface becomes not so smooth. The reason may also be due to constant nail extensions. When applying artificial coatings to a plate, irritating chemicals are used that destroy the top layer.

Other reasons why longitudinal grooves appear on the nails include:

fungal infection or onychomycosis;
psoriasis, lichen planus;
unbalanced diet, lack of protein, nutrients (zinc, iron, vitamins A, E, group B);
indigestion, incomplete absorption of nutrients;
dryness, dehydration;
stress, depression;
diabetes;
rheumatoid arthritis;
diseases of the heart, blood vessels, nervous system;
bad habits;
contact with detergents and cleaning agents.

On the feet, especially longitudinal grooves on the nails are expressed on the big toe. This is due to the fact that its area is much larger. It experiences strain when walking, is more susceptible to injury, and is more likely to get fungal infections. Vertical stripes on the toenails occur when wearing tight shoes or excessive sweating.

A single vertical groove may be the initial symptom of onychorrhexis, or longitudinal splitting of the nail. Onychorrhexis is caused by peripheral vascular pathologies, Darier's disease, myxoid cysts and other disorders.

Longitudinal grooves do not always indicate serious problems; they are often a manifestation of age-related changes. After 55 years, due to decreased blood circulation, slower metabolic processes, and the rate of cell renewal, such stripes are found in most people. In older people, nails become dull, yellowish, and thicken.

Diagnosis of leukonychia

If stripes or white dots on the fingernails or toenails appear once and disappear as the nail plate grows, there is no reason for serious concern. Apparently it was microtrauma or short-term stress. If the nail on the toe or hand has turned white for a long time and gradually acquires a brown tint, it is necessary to take care of a complete diagnosis.

The doctor will conduct a spectral analysis and scrape the nail for pathogenic fungi. White superficial onychomycosis itself does not disappear, and its treatment in advanced cases can take many months. Without treatment, the nail plate will soon move away from the finger. If the doctor finds signs of serious internal pathologies, he will refer you to specialized specialists: a cardiologist, a gastroenterologist.

What do they look like?

Longitudinal grooves on the nails of the fingers or toes are vertical stripes or scratches slightly protruding above the surface of the plate. They also appear as depressions. Sometimes these are not stripes, but numerous, lined up dotted tubercles or depressions.

Depending on the cause, the photo of longitudinal grooves on the nails looks different.

One example:

Vertical grooves are often indistinguishable in color from the nail plate or are painted white, yellow, or brown. They can pass through the entire nail from the matrix zone to the free edge or be located at the top, bottom, or in the middle of the plate. They can be thin or thick, single or multiple, parallel to each other.

In addition to furrows, other symptoms will be present depending on the cause. For example, delamination, crumbling, brittleness, tarnishing, thickening. If the problem is a lack of vitamins, then in addition to the appearance of stripes, the color and structure of the plate changes. With a lack of iron, the nails become deformed and their shape begins to resemble a spoon. With a fungal infection, the affected areas lose transparency, change color, become yellow, tiny, and thickened. With onychorrhexis, longitudinal grooves cause cracks in the nails and, due to a violation of the integrity of the plate, increase the chances of becoming infected with a fungus.

It is important to pay attention to all accompanying symptoms and tell your doctor about them. This will help make the correct diagnosis faster.

The longitudinal relief strips themselves do not cause deformation of the plate and are almost invisible from afar. However, they lead to some difficulties with manicure and do not allow you to apply the polish evenly the first time.

Reasons for the appearance of transverse stripes

Most often, transverse stripes are found in vegetarians; they are the ones who suffer more from a lack of zinc, and zinc is found to a greater extent in meat. Another reason is iron deficiency.

With kidney pathology, horizontal stripes also appear on the nails. And the more serious the problems here, the more clearly they are expressed. Problems with the gastrointestinal tract affect the absorption of vitamins and minerals, the lack of which also causes horizontal furrows to appear.

Poor-quality manicure, extensions or the use of poor materials, as well as constant painting of nails with cheap varnishes lead to the appearance of grooves.

Horizontal lines also appear against the background of severe emotional stress. All useful substances in this case are used to normalize the mental or physiological state of the body, and this is the basis for the appearance of grooves. At this time, you need to get rid of the stress factor, eat right and lead a healthy lifestyle.

What do stripes on fingernails mean?

Nail stripes can be located along or across the plate, completely or partially intersecting it. Depending on their location and shape, different diseases are diagnosed. Longitudinal stripes on the nails, which are located between the skin ridges and plates, may indicate pathologies of the pancreas, the development of paronychia (inflammation of the periungual ridge) or be a symptom of a malfunction of the gastrointestinal tract (GIT).

Single transverse stripes or several raised lines do not always indicate a systemic disease, but consultation with a doctor is also necessary. Vertical stripes, representing a solid line from the free edge of the plate to the nail root, may appear after experiencing stress. Such a defect sometimes indicates a malfunction of the cardiovascular system or can be caused by diseases such as gout, rheumatoid arthritis, and psoriasis.