1. Vertical Lines on Nails (Longitudinal Ridges)
Vertical lines run from the cuticle to the tip of the nail. They are extremely common and usually harmless.
Common causes
-
Natural aging: As people get older, nail cell renewal slows down, making ridges more visible.
-
Dry skin or dehydration
-
Minor trauma to the nail
-
Genetics
These ridges are sometimes compared to wrinkles on the skin—they simply appear with time.
Possible health-related causes
If vertical ridges appear suddenly or become very pronounced, they may be linked to:
-
Iron deficiency anemia
-
Vitamin deficiencies (B12, zinc, magnesium)
-
Thyroid disorders
-
Poor circulation
When ridges are accompanied by brittle or splitting nails, it may indicate a nutritional imbalance.
2. Horizontal Lines on Nails (Beau’s Lines)
Horizontal grooves that run across the nail are called Beau’s lines. Unlike vertical ridges, these may indicate that nail growth was temporarily interrupted.
Possible causes include
-
Severe illness with high fever
-
Viral infections
-
Diabetes
-
Zinc deficiency
-
Chemotherapy treatments
-
Major stress on the body
-
Injury to the nail matrix
Because nails grow slowly, these lines may appear weeks or even months after the illness occurred.
3. Deep Grooves or Multiple Nail Lines
Continued on next page
