Most of us want strong, healthy, nails, sans acrylic or press-ons. If you’ve got ridges on your fingernails (or brittle nails, peeling nails, or yellow nails) you might feel a little less confident about the state of your digits. While there are lots of reasons for nail ridges, thankfully, there are also a number of ways to get rid of them.
First, a crash course on what fingernail ridges even are: Vertical nail ridges (lines that run from your cuticle to the tip of your fingernail) are super-common, and are a normal sign of aging. “The skin under the nail plate loses some structural integrity and becomes wrinkled, much like other areas of aging skin, ” says Los Angeles-based board-certified dermatologist Tsippora Shainhouse, M.D.
Another common cause of ridges is dehydration of the nail plate—say, from frequent manicures or excessive water exposure. This is also why fingernail ridges are more likely to pop up if you’ve got dry skin or a condition like eczema or psoriasis.
Vertical Ridges On Finger Nail
Then, there’s horizontal nail ridges (lines that run from side to side), known as Beau’s lines. These are less common, but equally pesky. “When horizontal ridges occur in a single nail, it’s usually due to trauma to the nail matrix (the area where your fingernails start to grow), ” says Dr. Shainhouse. Things like picking your nails, jamming the cuticle back, or getting your finger caught in the door can cause a dent in the “conveyor belt, ” so future nail plates are “produced” with a ridge, she explains.
Certain stresses to the body, like a high fever or some infections, can also suddenly make the nails stop growing for a short time. This brief halt in production can cause a horizontal ridge in the growing nail plate, and usually pops up on most or all nails following an illness, says Dr. Shainhouse. But don’t fret: The ridges aren’t permanent, and once they grow out, your nails will be back to business as usual.
Ridges on fingernails can be caused by a number of things, and in most cases they are benign and nothing to worry about. Below find a few potential reasons you might be seeing ridges on your nails, per Karan Lal, D.O., M.S., F.A.A.D., double board-certified and fellowship-trained dermatologist with Affiliated Dermatology in Scottsdale, AZ.
Signs You Have Healthy Nails
Horizontal ridges, aka Beau’s lines, often happen when your body undergoes significant periods of stress and your nail stops growing, says Dr. Lal.
While there’s no guaranteed way to prevent nail ridges, especially if they are due to an underlying condition, overall nail maintenance can go a long way in keeping your nails smooth, strong, and healthy.
Most importantly, do your best to avoid nail damage—especially the kind associated with manicures. “Some people go to salons and get their nails drilled and sanded, and I don’t recommend doing that because if you have brittle nails they can actually make your nails thinner which can make them easier to crack, ” explains Dr. Lal.
Things Your Fingernails Can Tell You About Your Health
It can also help to apply clear nail hardeners which can help strengthen the nail, smoothen out the nail surface, and prevent the nails from getting damaged, Dr. Lal adds.
So what can you do about fingernail ridges that have made themselves a permanent fixture on your digits? Here’s what dermatologists recommend.
“Keeping your nails hydrated with a hand cream or oil can minimize the appearance of ridging and protect the keratin of the nail, ” says Donna Hart, M.D., board-certified dermatologist at Westlake Dermatology in Texas. Use a moisturizer that contains ceramides or alpha hydroxy acids, which trap in moisture and nourish your nails, such as Aquaphor Healing Skin Ointment.
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If your nails are also on the brittle side, the American Academy of Dermatology recommends moisturizing your skin and nails thoroughly before bed and wearing light cotton gloves to help your nails absorb the moisturizer while you snooze.
Keeping your nails on the shorter side can help prevent trauma to the nail during your day-to-day grind; just make sure to not go overboard with trimming: “Constant trimming or cutting your nails may cause them to develop ridges, ” says Richard Torbeck, M.D., board-certified dermatologist with Advanced Dermatology PC in New York. Scaling back on trims reduces the potential for trauma to your nail.
Clip your nails with a standard nail clipper (such as Harperton nail clippers) only when there’s visible white, and don’t clip so low that there’s no longer white present. “This allows time for the nail to grow and heal between clippings, ” says Dr. Torbeck. Trim your nails straight across, then round the tips in a gentle curve using a very fine nail file (like this glass nail file). Filing snags or irregularities post-haste also helps to prevent future trauma.
Your Nails Tell A Lot About You
The skin, including nails, responds to outside stimuli by thickening. “By not picking at your nails or the skin around them, you’re decreasing the chances of causing nail irregularities, ” says Noelani González, M.D., board-certified dermatologist and director of cosmetic dermatology at Mount Sinai West in New York. Identifying the triggers that cause you to pick at or bite your nails and learning how to manage them can help you hit the brakes on future nail damage.
While it doesn’t treat the underlying problem that’s causing your fingernail ridges, gently buffing your nails can help camouflage them in a pinch. A word of caution though: “Be very judicious with your use of nail buffers, as these thin the nail plate out, which can make them softer, too flexible, and prone to trauma and breakage, ” says Dr. Shainhouse, who recommends a gentle buff once a month be your maximum.
Using a four-way nail buffer (like this one from Deborah Lippman), use each of the four steps to gently sand, smooth, shine, and file your nails. To avoid nail splitting, make sure to buff in the same direction as the nail grows, as opposed to back and forth.
What Ridges In Your Nails Really Mean
You can prevent traumatic ridges by not picking or shoving your cuticle back. “The cuticle is the only barrier the fingers have to keep dirt and infections out of the tissues of the fingers, ” says Dr. Shainhouse. Not only can an infection cause damage to the nail matrix and potentially deform your nail, but the act of pushing back the cuticle can bang it up, creating a permanent ridge template for all future nail growth. A great way to protect and condition both your nails and cuticles is to incorporate a cuticle oil into your mani routine.
Wash your hands when it’s necessary, but try not to overdo it. “Washing your hands too often strips your skin of its natural oils and emollients, resulting in dryness and even hand eczema, which can cause nail changes, ” says Dr. González. The same goes for prolonged water exposure, like when washing dishes.
The nail cells absorb water, expand, and then contract when they dry out, which can weaken the bonds between nail cells over time, says Dr. Hart.
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When you do have to wash your hands, switch to a moisturizing hand soap, suggests Dr. Shainhouse, such as Live Clean Coconut Milk Moisturizing Hand Soap and follow up with a dose of your go-to moisturizer. If your hands are constantly immersed in water, consider wearing cotton-lined rubber gloves to protect your hands and nails—and when that’s not practical, moisturize regularly.
It’s rare, but ridging can sometimes be a sign of an underlying systemic condition or vitamin deficiency, says Dr. Hart. Eating a well-balanced diet ( staying on top of signs of dehydration drinking enough H20) can help ensure you’re meeting the daily vitamin quota necessary to fend off nail ridges. The Mayo Clinic recommends that 20 to 30% of your calories come from healthy fats (olive oil, nuts, seeds), 20% from high protein foods (lean meats, fish, beans), and 45 to 50% from healthy carbohydrates (fruits, veggies, whole grains).
And when you amp up your diet, keep foods that are known to promote healthy nail growth top of mind. Think: dairy products (milk, cottage cheese, plain greek yogurt), biotin (veggies, eggs, nuts), and zinc (lean meats, fish, spinach, mushrooms).
What Causes Ridges & Splitting On Your Nails?
There are many ways that you can strengthen brittle nails. If you’re experiencing nail breakage or splitting along with ridges, your dermatologist can prescribe a topical nail strengthener, such as Genadur or Nuvail, to help strengthen your nails, says Amanda Zubek, M.D., Ph.D., medical director of Yale Medicine Dermatology in Middlebury, Connecticut.
Why not OTC hardeners? “In-store hardeners typically contain formaldehyde, which can temporarily harden nails in the short-term, but ongoing use can actually cause the nails to become more brittle and weak, ” says Dr. Zubek. Prescription nail hardeners, on the other hand, contain chemicals that not only work to increase the strength of the nail, but trap moisture in, preventing nail brittleness in the process.
Unfortunately, nail polish doesn’t hide ridges—it can actually draw more attention to them. “Ridge fillers, followed by nail polish, can help smooth out the look of nail ridges, ” says Dr. Shainhouse. Ridge fillers operate much like a base coat that settles into the nooks and crannies of your nails, giving you a smooth
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