The causes of fingernail ridges

Posted in: Fingernails' problems by weddingcometrue | July 13th 2010 | no comments

Fingernails are a part of your boy and they mean more than they actually represent. There is more into it than the actual fingernail you see, as the fingernail you actually see is the nail plate, which is just the outer part of it. A fingernail is composed out of various parts, such as nail matrix, nail cuticles, nail bed, and a lot of other parts that the fingernails contain.

A fingernail is not a dead organism from your body. It is actually a living one due to the blood vessels that make the connection between the fingernail plate and the fingernail matrix. The blood vessels are the ones that provide to the fingernails the pinkish look. As long as the fingernails have this pinkish color, they are definitely healthy.

During the course of a lifetime, fingernails suffer various changes, and they will most definitely not be as healthy as they are when you are little. They will suffer different changes such as changes in their color, in their shape, in their thickness, in their overall look. The fingernail ridges are the most common disorders that the fingernails can suffer from.

As there are two different types of fingernails ridges, there are as well just as many fingernail ridges causes. The two types of fingernail ridges that one can observe are the vertical fingernail ridges and the horizontal fingernail ridges. While the first ones are easier to be treated but take a lot of time to fully disappear, the second ones are harder to treat and to find the exact cause, but once the cause is found and treated one will encounter no problem in having them removed for good.



In observing that your fingernails are ridged, one will most certainly ask oneself what causes fingernails. The reasons that lead to ridges on the fingernails vary from the ridges type, therefore there are reasons that cause vertical fingernail ridges and then there are reasons that cause horizontal fingernail ridges.

The aging process is the most common cause that leads to fingernails ridges. It is however an internal cause that cannot be kept under surveillance and that happens to all of us. What one can do in order that this process does not have such a bad effect on our fingernails, is that one maintains a proper fingernail hydration and that one will care for the fingernails and moisturize them with an appropriate hand and nail cream, every time one will wash the hands.

Another important cause of what causes ridged fingernails is the fact that one uses too much chemicals. These chemicals are those that are used while washing dishes, while gardening, while cleaning around the house and even chemicals that come from excessive use of nail polish and nail polish remover. In order top protect your fingernails from this chemicals getting into direct contact with them one must use some protective rubber gloves while doing work around the house. As for the fingernail polish, one must make a between two to three days break between the nail polishing and as well try to use a fingernail polish remover that is not based on acetone.

The wet environment is another factor that causes the appearance of fingernail ridges. Too much usage of water will make the fingernail plate split and will cause lines on the fingernails.

These are the factors that lead to vertical fingernail ridges, but the causes of horizontal fingernail ridges go deeper than this. There are various horizontal fingernail ridges, like the Beau’s lines, the Mee’s lines, Muerche lines, and each of them have different causes. Anyhow, these causers range from circulatory and respiratory problems, all the way up to heart failure and even skin cancer.

If this is the case you are dealing with, you must see a specialist in this regard.