Longitudinal stripes on fingernails, reasons, what does this mean

Being a serious cosmetic defect, longitudinal stripes on the nails indicate the occurrence of health problems that require diagnosis and treatment.

Identifying the probable causes of the appearance of such stripes, as well as various treatment methods, will allow you to quickly restore the natural beauty and attractiveness of your nails.

What do longitudinal stripes on nails look like?

Healthy fingernails You should always listen to your body.
He can tell us a lot. Thanks to external manifestations, you can determine what is happening inside you. Look carefully at your fingernails without varnish or any coating. In healthy people, the nail plate is smooth and shiny. Healthy nails are smooth to the touch and do not have any bulges or irregularities (see photo on the right). Stripes on nails

If you see longitudinal stripes on the nail plate, then this is a signal that should not be ignored. You need to understand the reason for the appearance of stripes on your nails. There may be several of them on one nail or on all of them, located in the middle or along the edges, and in some cases throughout the entire plate. The stripes can be white, black, or the same shade as the plate itself (see photo). Vertical stripes on the nails should not be ignored and hidden under a thick layer of varnish in order to preserve the aesthetic appearance. Perhaps the reason needs to be looked much deeper and measures taken.

How to get rid of grooves on nails

Many, having discovered stripes on their nails, begin to deal with the grooves only as a cosmetic defect, applying several layers of varnish or gel.

Advice

External elimination of the problem is not a solution to the situation; it is important to identify the cause of the stripes on the nails and carry out comprehensive treatment.

The first step in the fight against the disease should be contacting a specialist - a mycologist or dermatologist. He will prescribe a full examination and treatment will be prescribed based on the results.

If the problem is related to a disease, then after healing the streaks will go away on their own. If the appearance of grooves is not caused by internal malfunctions in the body, then you can get rid of them as follows:

gentle polishing;
the use of special medicinal varnishes;
nutrition correction.

The polishing procedure can be done at home on your own, but it is important to follow a few rules so as not to make things worse:

within one procedure, only one surface layer is allowed to be removed, otherwise the nail will become thinner;
it is important to try not to touch or damage the cuticle while polishing;
polish the nail in one direction: either from right to left, or from top to bottom;
the procedure should be performed once a week;
After polishing, you need to wash your hands and apply strengthening cream.

Attention

It is important to use high-quality professional tools to carry out the nail polishing procedure or undergo the procedure from a cosmetologist.

Diagnostics

Since nails are an ideal indicator of health, any pathological changes should be addressed to a mycologist, dermatologist or podologist (a doctor specializing in foot diseases). Diagnosis is based on a comprehensive study of the presence of diseases in the patient. The following examination methods will help you get an overall picture:

General urine and blood tests will detect the presence or absence of an inflammatory process.
Ultrasound diagnostics of the liver and cardiovascular system will help to identify or exclude pathologies of these organs.
A blood test to determine your vitamin and mineral balance will help you prescribe the right diet.

In addition to the initial examination, the following diagnostic procedures may be prescribed:

UAC and BAC;
general analysis of urine and feces;
endoscopic examinations of the gastrointestinal tract;
Ultrasound of internal organs;
CT;
MRI;
ECG;
immunological studies.

The exact diagnostic program will depend on the current clinical picture and the history collected during the initial examination.

Causes of longitudinal stripes

Many women, upon discovering stripes on their fingernails, panic and try to take action; others, on the contrary, don’t even worry about it. Why do these stripes appear and what does it mean, let's figure it out.

The appearance of longitudinal stripes on the fingernails in old age should not cause concern, as this is a normal phenomenon associated with age-related changes in the body. It is impossible to get rid of them, but you can still make them less noticeable.

If stripes appear far before the age of old age, then this may be due to the following reasons:

hormonal imbalance in the body;
metabolic problems;
deficiency of minerals: zinc, iron, vitamin B12;
functional disorder of the digestive or endocrine systems;
excess carbohydrates;
infectious diseases;
stressful situations, nervous overstrain;
injury to the cuticle or nail plate;
fungus;
decreased immunity;
cardiac and vascular pathologies;
damage to the central nervous system;
arthritis;
gout.

Regular use of low-quality varnish, manicure in which the cuticle or plate was damaged, provoke the appearance of longitudinal stripes on the nails. Also, nails may become streaky due to the extension procedure.

Reasons for the appearance of stripes

The reasons can be very diverse, but they are all divided into two groups: internal and external.

External

Often external irritants have a strong effect on our body and nails, in particular. Such reasons include:

Incorrectly done manicure. If the skin at the base of the nail has been severely damaged, this can cause streaks to appear;
Use of many decorative means. Very often, nails suffer and become ribbed if the nails cannot breathe due to low-quality varnishes. Also, such manifestations can occur when a woman gets extended nails;
The appearance of fungus or skin problems.

Domestic

There are also internal reasons that affect the appearance of nails:

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Lack of B vitamins, iron and zinc;
Disturbances in the endocrine system. This occurs in people suffering from obesity, diabetes, and certain diseases of the digestive system;
With poor metabolism, nails become an indicator of an unhealthy position;
Nervous system disorders;
Diseases of the cardiovascular system.

Horizontal grooves

The cause of the appearance of transverse furrows may lie in insufficient amounts of iron in the body or the development of kidney disease. What else does the change indicate? The furrows indicate an imbalance in the digestive system, due to which the totality of nutrients in the body is not absorbed.

When on the nail of any finger, in addition to the grooves, there are also tubercles, it is necessary to pay attention to the condition of the musculoskeletal system. They can appear due to the development of arthritis.

The reasons for the appearance of arcuate grooves lie in stopping the growth of nails for some time. This is due to a violation of the proper nutrition of the plates. Factors of negative changes are most often diseases of an infectious nature. For example, salmonellosis. Children's fingernails become grooved due to infection.

The appearance of furrows may also mean that a person has diseases of the cardiovascular system, or has been in a state of neuropsychic shock for a long time. Another factor is individual intolerance to certain ingredients of medications taken.

Principles of treatment for striped nails

To get rid of stripes on the nail plate, it is necessary to establish the cause of their appearance. Your doctor will help you with this. He will prescribe certain examinations, after which he will be able to diagnose the disease. It is quite possible that these studies will not reveal any pathological changes in the body, then you will have to visit a cosmetologist.

Of course, you can try to solve the problem yourself: balance your diet, start taking a multivitamin complex, reduce your intake of high-carbohydrate foods. If there was a lack of nutrients in the body, then the stripes should disappear after some time.

You have adjusted your diet, lead a healthy lifestyle, are not nervous, and the stripes on your fingernails still do not disappear, which means you still need to consult a specialist. If the cause of striped nails lies in diseases of the body systems, then the main attention will be paid to restoring the damaged organ. If the problem of the longitudinal stripes turns out to be a fungus, the doctor will prescribe special antifungal agents. However, you should not forget about proper nutrition.

The problem of striped nails due to mechanical damage can be solved by a cosmetologist or special procedures that can be done at home.

First of all, the cosmetologist will recommend abandoning extended nails for a while and prescribe hygienic procedures for caring for hands and nails:

Use of specialized medicated lotions, moisturizers and oils.
Gentle polishing of nails. This procedure is carried out only in a beauty salon. It consists of three stages: leveling the damaged plate, applying a healing agent and coating with a protective agent.
Carrying out paraffin therapy. Paraffin sealing is beneficial for damaged fingernails. The procedure not only improves your health, but also serves as a prevention of diseases of the nail plates. Special cosmetic paraffin, saturated with beneficial substances, is applied to striped nails for two weeks. Paraffin resembles a colorless varnish, so it is not noticeable on the nails. During this period, nails should be protected from mechanical damage and direct sunlight.

Treatment

The main goal of eliminating grooves is to treat pathology. Therefore, the first step is to cure the disease itself, and the grooves will go away on their own as a symptom of the disease.

First you need to consult a doctor, get examined and diagnose the disease. If no disease is detected, then you need to undergo examination by a cosmetologist. If the root cause of the formation of lines is mechanical, then procedures are prescribed.

Most often, a cosmetologist prescribes medication in combination with hygienic procedures for caring for hands and nails. To treat the nail plate, use specialized lotions, moisturizers, and oils.

The plates are also gently polished with a special file. It is highly not recommended to carry out this procedure yourself; you should consult a specialist cosmetologist. In this procedure, you should not touch the cuticle, as its violation leads to a deterioration in the condition of the nail plate.

There are medicinal varnishes for healing and restoration. But before you use it, you need to know the root cause of the disease. Varnishes differ in their mode of action - strengthening, healing, restoration, etc. These varnishes contain essential nutrients, vitamins, minerals, macro and microelements.

If the problems are associated with a fungus, then antifungal agents are prescribed.

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.

Home treatments

You can eliminate unwanted manifestations on your nails at home. To do this, you need to know simple techniques that will help not only strengthen the nail plate, but also restore its structure.

Good remedies for healthy nails at home are:

Compresses. Oils are ideal for this: vegetable or essential. Olive oil is considered the most beneficial oil for nails and skin. It perfectly moisturizes and nourishes. Oils can be mixed to create an individual cosmetic product that must be applied daily to damaged nails.
Baths. There are a lot of recipes. However, the most useful is a hand bath with a solution of sea salt. Dilute 1 tbsp in warm boiled water. soda, 2 tbsp. sea salt and two drops of pharmaceutical iodine. Immerse your hands in the prepared solution for 15-20 minutes, then dry with a towel and apply nourishing cream to your nails. You can prepare herbal baths using infusions of pharmaceutical herbs: calendula, chamomile, oak bark, celandine.
Massage. This procedure will help normalize blood circulation in the nail plate and improve the supply of nutrients. For massage, use nourishing nail cream or cosmetic oil. The product must be applied to the nail plate in a circular motion until a feeling of warmth from the massage appears.
Lemon juice. Lemon is known to have whitening and restorative properties. You need to take the juice into a pipette and drop two drops onto each nail. Then you need to wait a while until the juice is completely absorbed into the plate.

Solutions to the problem

Children often develop white dots and stripes on their nails. In this case, this is a manifestation of a lack of vitamins. It is enough to balance your diet and include more fresh vegetables and herbs in your diet or take a course of complex vitamins. It is worse if longitudinal or transverse convex stripes appear on the nail plates. This may signal serious pathologies. There are several accessible and easy-to-use methods that will neutralize external factors and relieve most symptoms of systemic diseases.

It involves carefully cleaning the surface of the nail with hardware in a beauty salon or independently using manicure tools. With deep stripes, the services of a specialist will be required; barely visible defects can easily be eliminated manually.

Paraffin therapy

The procedure is similar to a manicure, where the varnish is replaced with cosmetic paraffin. It is applied to a previously cleaned surface. The composition enriches nails with vitamins, eliminates bacterial flora, and promotes their healing.

Baths made from a combination of vegetable, cosmetic and essential oils are considered a good healing and strengthening remedy. The mixture is heated in a water bath to a comfortable temperature. The tip of the unhealthy finger is immersed in the mixture and held until it cools.

Massage

The diseased nail is pre-treated with a rich cosmetic cream or oil. The plate is then massaged with the tip of the thumb using light pressure. A feeling of warmth and redness indicates blood flow, after which the massage can be stopped.

Freshly squeezed lemon juice helps correct defects. It can be applied in drops to each sore nail or applied as a 10-minute lotion with the pulp. The juice must be absorbed, so the procedure is carried out before bedtime, interaction with water is avoided.

Iodine and soda

A strengthening and restorative effect is provided by baths with a solution of a few drops of iodine, 2 tsp. sea salt and soda dissolved in water. Baths are taken up to 2 times a day until the smooth texture of the nail is restored.

Prevention measures

Restoring the plate after the formation of stripes takes a lot of time, so it is recommended to follow the recommendations daily to help prevent the occurrence of a defect.

Follow these tips to prevent streaks from appearing:

Perform your manicure carefully. When contacting a salon, first check the work of the master;
1-2 times a week, make steaming baths, to which you can add salt, soda, essential oils;
At the first signs of the appearance of stripes, begin treatment, since they can usually be noticed before complete damage to the nail;
Balance your diet. Include cereals, fruits, and vegetables in it to ensure the supply of microelements and nutrients to the matrix;
Apply essential oil to the cuticle area at night. Additionally, at this time it is recommended to do a small finger massage to increase blood circulation and metabolism;
Observe hygiene measures, wash your hands with soap every 2-3 hours.

When causing mechanical damage to the nail, pay attention to its proper healing so that there are no defects left on the surface that will then have to be eliminated.

Preventive actions

The appearance of longitudinal stripes on the fingernails can be prevented, but to do this you need to properly care for them:

carefully handle the cuticles, do not use a metal file if you prefer to do the manicure yourself;
take multivitamin complexes twice a year;
eat fresh fruits and vegetables, eat nuts, use vegetable oils when preparing dishes;
do not get carried away with sweets and flour products;
do healing hand baths every three days;
prevent nail plates from contact with chemicals;
in the cold season, wear gloves or mittens;
to refuse from bad habits.

Now you know why longitudinal stripes appear on your fingernails and how to deal with them. You should not ignore this problem, as it can be much more serious than it seems at first glance. And a consultation with a specialist will not be superfluous; on the contrary, it will help to identify the true cause of changes in the structure of the nail.

How to deal with them

First of all, you need to consult a doctor to find out what caused the appearance of longitudinal grooves on the nails. Adjusting your lifestyle is important - you should avoid stress, start eating right, getting enough sleep, etc.

Diet

Eliminate easily digestible carbohydrates from your menu (primarily baked goods and sweets), fast food, soda, alcohol, overly salty and spicy foods.

Be sure to stay hydrated and avoid dehydration. You need to drink about 1.5-2 liters of clean water per day.

What foods are recommended to include in the diet:

leafy vegetables, beans, lentils (magnesium);
red fruits - apples, pomegranates, currants (vitamins C, B, E, manganese);
black radish (retinol, glycosides);
rabbit meat, poultry (iron);
dried apricots, nuts, sesame (calcium);
fish oil (vitamin D);
herring, mackerel, squid (selenium);
oysters, wheat bran (zinc);
oatmeal, brown rice (silica).

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Special care

You definitely need to start taking care of your nails:

rub a mixture of vitamins A and E into the cuticle and nail plate overnight;
Apply a cotton pad soaked in apple cider vinegar to your nails . You can secure it on top with a plaster, put on cotton socks or gloves. Leave overnight. In the morning, wash the treated areas with laundry soap. The procedure should be carried out 2 times a week until the problem goes away. Vinegar gets rid of infection and strengthens the nail plate.
It is useful to make baths with oils - almond, olive, jojoba, sea buckthorn or linseed (it needs to be heated until warm). Soak your feet or hands in the water for 10 minutes. Carry out a course of 10 procedures. This will improve the nail structure.

You can also apply vitamin creams and ointments to your nails, for example, Radevit.

How to treat longitudinal and transverse stripes

Typically, the treatment of damage depends on the original problem. Because of this, it is important to promptly diagnose the cause of streak formation. To do this, it is recommended to consult a doctor to examine the affected area; if necessary, tests are taken and a treatment regimen is prescribed.

If the reason for the appearance of noticeable stripes on the surface is mechanical damage to the periungual socket or cuticle, no special treatment recommendations are prescribed. The nail recovers spontaneously, and after 1-2 months a healthy nail grows back.

To quickly rehabilitate the plate, it is recommended to follow a comprehensive treatment regimen consisting of three points:

Taking and using medications (in the presence of organ dysfunctions or diseases in the woman’s body).
Strengthening the local immunity of the fingertips with vitamins and microelements.
Using compounds to accelerate nail growth, performing caring procedures aimed at its rapid rehabilitation.

If the cause of the appearance of stripes is a fungal infection, appropriate antimycotics are prescribed: Mikozan, Mikoderil, Exoderil and other drugs aimed at eliminating pathogenic bacteria.

To eliminate microorganisms and restore the general condition of the nail plate, increase metabolism, the doctor prescribes medications:

Doppelhertz Active;
Complivit;
Retinol;
Restoring varnishes from TRIND.

The drugs range in price from 50 to 800 rubles, but one package is usually enough for the entire recovery course. A specific medicine is prescribed based on the condition of the girl’s manicure.

It is also recommended to increase the local immunity of the nail using folk recipes. They are often prescribed by specialists, but the girl can choose ways to eliminate stripes on the surface herself.

The main advantage of folk recipes is their absolute safety. The composition contains only natural ingredients, so there are no contraindications prescribed for the procedures, except for individual intolerance to the products.

With a comprehensive home treatment on the affected area, you can do without the use of drug treatment. To do this, follow the procedures:

Steaming salt bath. Add 2 tablespoons of sea salt to 2 liters of water and dissolve in it, additionally add a few drops of essential oil (lavender or tea tree oil). The bath is taken for 20 minutes, and then the hands are wiped dry with disposable paper towels.
Lotions with lemon juice. For an antiseptic effect and saturation of the plate with acids, you can use lemon juice to treat the coating. It is recommended to do it before bed, 1-2 times a week, so as not to dry out the nail.
Compress with aloe. To do this, you need to cut the plant leaf in half lengthwise and place the open part on the nail, and pour 3-4 drops of lemon juice on top to enhance the effect. The structure is wrapped with gauze or bandage and left overnight.
Gelatin bath. It is recommended to use gelatin to strengthen the coating. A tablespoon of dry matter is poured with a small amount of water and left to swell for 30 minutes. After this, you need to melt the mixture in a water bath, cool and immerse your fingers for 25 minutes.

To increase the effectiveness of manipulations, it is recommended to do baths daily or at least 3-4 times a week, which will ensure rapid strengthening of the nails. Compresses can be done less frequently.

To eliminate unevenness in the coating, for example, before applying a decorative coating, you can sand it. And complete rehabilitation of the nail from the stripes occurs 2-3 months after its complete regrowth.

Longitudinal stripes on fingernails: causes. Treatment

The appearance of transverse stripes on the nails may be due to:

presence of kidney disease;
malnutrition of the nail;
injury to the nail plate;
improper manicure;
pathologies of infectious nature;
lack of vitamins and minerals due to frequent diets.

Transverse stripes on the nails can be a signal from the body about the presence of cardiovascular diseases. Most often, such indentations appear on the thumbs. In addition, the formation of transverse stripes almost on the nails is often observed in people of the older age category. Therapy can be prescribed exclusively by a specialist after examination and identification of the root cause. The main goal of treatment is to eliminate the underlying disease.

Along with taking medications that help strengthen the immune system, vitamins, and medications for the treatment of the underlying disease, the use of creams, ointments and baths is prescribed to eliminate stripes on the nail plates. Transverse stripes on the nails can disappear on their own if you start eating normally and the body has enough of the substances it receives.

Most often, a specialist will prescribe complex treatment.

If the cause of the appearance of unevenness on the nail plates is associated with a disease of the internal organs, then the main therapy will be aimed at treating the disease that caused such external manifestations. Only after complete recovery will it be possible to restore healthy nails. In parallel with the main treatment, a complex of vitamins is prescribed.
If the appearance of such a defect as longitudinal stripes on the nails is caused by fungal diseases, then antifungal agents are prescribed. Simultaneously with such treatment, it is necessary to balance the diet. A good result is ensured if therapy is accompanied by daily consumption of a large amount of vegetables, and especially greens.
Overweight people are more likely to have metabolic disorders. Particular attention should be paid to carbohydrate metabolism. You need to give up sweets and baked goods. It would be a good idea to check your blood sugar levels at the same time.
During treatment, you must avoid using nail extensions and false plates. Low-quality nail care products must be replaced with high-quality ones.

We discussed why longitudinal grooves appear on nails, the causes and methods of treatment. Now let's talk a little about preventing such manifestations.

Symptoms of white spots on nails

Symptoms of white spots depend on the type of disease.

Limited leukonychia is characterized by the appearance of small, elongated spots. The spots appear on one or two nails that are located nearby.
Spot. The most common form of the disease manifests itself in the form of white dots, which can be either single or numerous. The size of the spots can range from very small to larger sizes.
Striped leukonychia appears as elongated white spots. At the initial stage of development, the spots look like thin stripes, the color of which ranges from white to pinkish. They can be located both vertically and horizontally of the nail.
Total leukonychia is the most advanced form of the disease. It manifests itself in a complete change in the nail plate with complete coverage of it with white spots. Most often occurs in children and adolescents with a lack of vitamins and hormonal imbalance. It is also observed in people who suffer from diseases of internal organs and fungal infections of the nails.

Total leukonychia

Additional symptoms

Particular attention should be paid to those cases when, along with leukonychia, other conditions arise that are caused by diseases of the internal organs:

Dehiscence of the nail plate. The appearance of white spots on the nail is a sign of calcium deficiency in the daily diet.
Bad breath. This indicates that digestive disturbances have occurred. If white stripes appear on the nails, you should immediately consult a doctor and examine the gastrointestinal tract.
Hair loss. A sign of liver problems. If there are a large number of white spots on the nails, a number of procedures are prescribed to cleanse the entire body.