ridges on nails home remedies

Ridges in fingernails are very common and are mostly a sign of aging and nutritional deficiency. Manicure that includes buffing and ridge filler base coats can help in minimizing the appearance of ridges on nails but they cannot eliminate it completely. Wondering How to get rid of ridges on fingernails, well you first need to investigate the root cause and they get the proper remedy to. It is very common and anyone can notice ridges on their nails. Offlate while removing my nail polish I noticed these vertical lines on my fingernails and I wondered what does it mean. I had no idea as to what they are and also got a little worried about my health as I very well know that nails are the best reflector of our body’s overall health and the appearance of fingernails can be the first sign of many health concerns that are beginning to ail the body. Thankfully in my case it was no serious concern and I could get rid of my ridged nails by addressing certain deficiencies.

What are Fingernail Ridges?

Fingernail ridges are parallel lines on the finger nail they may run from bottom of the finger nail to the tip of the fingernail or they may run from one side of the fingernails to the other side.

There are two types of fingernail ridges

Vertical Fingernail Ridges :

Vertical Ridges In Fingernails

These ridges run from the cuticle to the tip of the nail. These ridges ( bumped up vertical lines) usually do not indicate any serious health problem. The causes or vertical fingernail ridges can be aging or lack of enough moisture in the nails. Vertical nail ridges are more often in an orderly pattern.
The formation of these lines on nails i.e longitudinal fingernail ridges can also be a result of slow metabolism, and deficiency of vital nutrients and minerals that make the building block for the nails. The most common cause of vertical fingernail ridges is aging which is usually accompanied by another nail abnormality which is Brittle Nails (medically termed as Onychorrhexis).

Horizontal Ridges on Fingernail

These ridges extend from one end of the nail to the other end horizontally. This type of ridges usually look ugly and they can be taken as an alarm for some serious health condition developing inside the body. They can be caused due to many underlying health problems like If you notice horizontal ridges on your fingernails than you should immediately consult your doctor. Beau’s line or beauty line is one special type of horizontal ridges that indicate serious medical problems.

Horizontal Ridges In Fingernails

What Causes Ridges in Fingernails

An anemic condition may cause this lengthwise ridging of the nails (vertically ridged nails). You may want to increase your natural iron intake with such food as brewer’s yeast, blackstrap molasses, wheatgerm, liver, egg yolks and whole grain cereals.

Vitamin Deficiencies And Fingernail Ridges

Vitamin A deficiency can also cause nails to tissue off so plan to increase your intake of this vital nutrient also. Deficiency of Vitamin A And vitamin B12 are believed to cause ridges on fingernails . Other nutritional deficiencies like Iron deficiency Anemia, protein deficiency and mineral insufficiency like Zinc and Calcium can lead to ridges fingernails.

Also Read : How to keep fingernails healthy

Aging is the most common cause of ridges in fingernails : As our age progresses our body system deteriorate and so does our nails, this is the most common cause of vertical ridges on fingernails.
Malnutrition : Malnutrition means inadequate and improper diet (lacking in nutritional value). When our body suffer severe malnutrition it becomes weak and vulnerable to disease. The appearance of ridges in our fingernail can be an indication of malnutrition.
Nail Trauma can also cause fingernail ridges : Lines on fingernails may occur when the nail has undergone a physical damage.
Serious underlying disease : Horizontal ridges may appear on the nail if some critical medical condition is dwelling inside the body.
Deficiency of Vitamins, Protein and Minerals as they are the building blocks of finger nails.

Ridges in fingernails can be avoided with following home remedies

How to Get Rid of Ridges in Fingernails

To cover the ridged appearance of nails store bought Nail Ridge Filler can be used. These ridge filling base coats works fine to hide the corrugation on the nails.

How to get Rid of Vertical Ridges in Fingernails With Home Remedies

When you notice vertical ridges in fingernails you will first of all want to hydrate your body by increasing the intake of fluids especially water. Apart from hydrating your body you will also want to moisturize your fingernails externally. Following are some good and effective home remedies for vertical ridges in fingernails. These remedies also work for ridges in toenail.

Moisturize Your Nails

Keep your fingernails moisturized : Use beauty oils or nail moisturizers to prevent dryness in the fingernails. Moisturization is like the first aid for ridged nails, few drops of Olive oil, Sweet Almond oil, Flaxseed Oil and Vitamin E Oil helps in dealing with the dryness of nails. Soaking fingers in lukewarm water infused with 2 drops of Rosemary Essential oil is also a good remedy.

Omega 3 Fatty Acids

Intake of food rich in omega-3 fatty acid is also helpful in dealing with ridges in fingernails. Omega-3 fatty acid rich ffod like Sea Fish and Nuts will not only nourish the nails but will also help in fighting the free radicals that causes cell damage in the body

Check For Nutritional Deficiencies

Nutritional deficiencies and nails are very much related to each other as any nutrient insufficiency is fairly depicted through the nails (in most cases, if not all). Find out if you have deficiency of Vitamins or you suffer malnutrition. If yes than incorporate vitamin rich food in daily diet and also try to take balanced and nutritious diet.

Massage The Nails

Massage your nails with jojoba oil once in a day preferably before going to sleep. Add a drop of tea tree oil to a tsp of Jojoba Oil and massage your nails and cuticles with this oil. You can also use Extra Virgin Coconut oil instead of jojoba oil.

Stay Hydrated

Drink plenty of water so that your body does not suffer dehydration. Fresh juice and smoothies also keeps you hydrated and also provide nutrition to the body.

Massage

Massaging your nails with nail lotion that contains vitamin e oils is also a good remedy for ridges in fingernails. Massage you nails with good hand cream especially after washing your hands

Get Rid Of Nail Grooves With Ridge Filler Base Coats For Ridged Fingernails

For instant fix you can use nail ridge fillers. These nail fillers will hide the imperfections of the nails and leave them smooth and flawless. Although this is a temporary remedy it will certainty give your longitudinal nail ridges an instant fix.

Buff-em-Up

Use emery board instead of nail file to remove rough nail edges as an emery board is less damaging to fragile nails. Mild and gentle buffing will smooth out the ridged appearance of nails. Dong go overboard with emery as it may damage your nails. Gentle buffing and filing is all you need to smooth out the ridges nails.

Pamper Your Nails

Get a Specialized Manicure : While taking manicure in a salon consider adding buffing and ridge filler base coats to the services.

How To Get Rid Of Horizontal Ridges in Fingernails

If you notice horizontal ridges in fingernails then you should not look for any other remedy but straight way head for an expert medical consultation. It is always good to have an expert opinion so that the problem can be detected and resloved effectively however it is not necessarily always a serious concern or disease behind the horizontal ridges.

Horizontal nail ridges are also referred as Beau’s lines. Horizontally ridged nails usually have corrugated appearance. The beau’s line on one nail can be due to any injury caused to the nail matrix. If all the fingers have developed deep ridges then the causes can be any health issue, nutritional deficiency, chemotherapy agents, metabolic disorders etc.

Tips To Reduce Fingernail Ridges or Rippled Nails

Drink lot of water throughout the day. Staying hydrated helps in attaining flawless nails, hair and skin.

Buff the nails gently with a buffing block

Parallel lines on nails are often result of something lacking in your diet. Eat a well balanced diet to avoid deficiencies which may lead to nail ridges

Get regular manicures and ensure that the products used are of good quality. Use only good quality nail paints and other nail products

While doing laborious work that may damage your nails, wear gloves

Moisturize your nails and cuticles before going to bed

Bottom Line

Rippled Nails, Groovy Nails or Ridged Nails may occur due to several reasons. They are not always a sign of serious conditions but in few cases they may indicate a hidden health concern. It is very common for older adults to have vertical ridges on fingernails which are simply a sign of aging or some vitamin deficiency. Horizontal ridges on nails, on the other hand can be an indication of some serious underlying health condition.

To get rid of rippled nails you need to determine the cause and try to eliminate it. If it is a diet related issue you can try taking a well rounded diet with special focus on micro nutrients. To get rid of horizontal ridges on fingernails seeking a professional guidance will be your best bet.