Vertical Fingernail Ridges

Vertical fingernail ridges is a common problem that lessens the beauty of your nails. Nails are known to be one of the best barometers of good health condition. This is the reason, many a time your doctor checks your nail to identify if there is any health problem like circulatory problem, respiratory disorder, anemia or thyroid disease. But vertical 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.

Vertical Nail Ridges and Its Causes

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 tips. Well, that's 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.

As we grow older, the levels of natural oil and moisture in our nail plates go on decreasing. So the ridges often become prominent with growing age and usually indicate aging effect. 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 commonly do household tasks like washing utensils, cleaning floors, washing car using detergents and soaps.

Tips for Curing Vertical Nail Ridges

If you have vertical ridges on fingernail, you might be searching for ways to get rid of them as soon as possible. You can simply follow the tips given below regularly and see the results.

Diet plays a major role in the way your skin and nails look. Following a balanced diet that includes fresh fruits and vegetables is much important. You must also add healthy fats derived from nuts and fish to your diet. Avoiding any sort of 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 on the roadside stalls. Drinking lot of water is an extremely important thing to remember, which is also commonly suggested by doctors and beauty experts. You can sometimes also add fresh 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 very clean. Especially 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 lotion. You apply it soon after washing your hands with soap. Apply oils containing vitamin E or jojoba regularly on your nails before going to bed. 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.

All these nail care tips will not show immediate results, so continue to 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!