What vitamin deficiency causes dents in fingernails?

Without zinc, the body is not able to develop as effectively. This can slow down the growth of a person's nails and increase their fragility. This can take the form of various nail conditions, including Beau's nails and onychorrhexis.

What causes your fingernails to have dents in them?

The indentations can appear when growth at the area under the cuticle is interrupted by injury or severe illness. Conditions associated with Beau's lines include uncontrolled diabetes and peripheral vascular disease, as well as illnesses associated with a high fever, such as scarlet fever, measles, mumps and pneumonia.

How do fingernails looks like with vitamin deficiency?

Nail plate discoloration can result from several nutritional deficiencies. Research has shown vitamin B12 deficiency to cause brown-gray nail discoloration. White nails can be the result of anemia and pink or red nails may suggest malnutrition with several nutrient and vitamin deficiencies.

What deficiency causes grooves in fingernails?

Our nails naturally develop slight vertical ridges as we age. However, severe and raised ridges can be a sign of iron deficiency anemia. Nutritional deficiencies, such as a lack of vitamin A, vitamin B, vitamin B12 or keratin can result in fingernail ridges. Hormonal changes can also cause ridges to appear.

How do you get dents out of your nails?

Nail pitting is quite difficult to treat, although some modern methods have been shown to be effective. Treatments that can be applied to the nail include steroids, salicylic acid, calcipotriol, and tazarotene, although these are often not very effective.

Your Nails Help Diagnose Nutrient Deficiencies

Does magnesium deficiency cause nail ridges?

Vitamin B12, iron, zinc, or magnesium deficiencies can cause vertical ridges on the nail beds.

What does zinc deficiency look like in nails?

A 2013 article suggests that without enough zinc, the rate of nail growth decreases, and the nails themselves become fragile and brittle, causing them to crack. If zinc quantities in the body are particularly low, a person may lose their nails completely.

What are the symptoms of B12 deficiency?

Does vitamin D deficiency affect nails?

Vitamin D regulates calcium levels in the body which is an essential contributor to having healthy nails. If you find yourself with brittle and weak nails, it could mean a lack of Vitamin D. Perhaps, book yourself a Nail Strengthening Treatment (IBX).

Do thyroid problems cause nail ridges?

Horizontal ridges can be caused by trauma to the nail and may be deep or discolored. The can also indicate malnutrition, psoriasis or a thyroid problem. Check with your doctor if you see horizontal ridges on your nails; they may indicate a more serious problem. Need to make an appointment with a Piedmont physician?

What do Beau's lines look like?

What do Beau's lines look like? Beau's lines are horizontal indentations, or ridges, that develop across the nails. They usually run straight across the nail. A person may develop one or more Beau's lines on any nail, or across multiple nails.

What causes wavy fingernails?

Wavy nails can be sign or symptom of transient conditions, environmental factors or of immune based diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and lichen, metabolic disorders, malnutrition, or fungal diseases. They can also change with aging.

Does B12 deficiency affect nails?

2 Nail changes in vitamin B₁₂ deficiency present as hyperpigmentation of nails like bluish discoloration of nails, blue-black pigmentation with dark longitudinal streaks, and longitudinal and reticulate darkened streaks. The nail pigmentation associated with B₁₂ deficiency is more frequent in patients with dark skin.

What do nails look like with anemia?

Spoon nails (koilonychia) are soft nails that look scooped out. The depression usually is large enough to hold a drop of liquid. Often, spoon nails are a sign of iron deficiency anemia or a liver condition known as hemochromatosis, in which your body absorbs too much iron from the food you eat.

How can you tell if you have low vitamin D?

What is the most common cause of B12 deficiency?

Pernicious anaemia is the most common cause of vitamin B12 deficiency in the UK. Pernicious anaemia is an autoimmune condition that affects your stomach. An autoimmune condition means your immune system, the body's natural defence system that protects against illness and infection, attacks your body's healthy cells.

What are symptoms of B6 deficiency?

In adults, vitamin B6 deficiency can cause inflammation of the skin (dermatitis) and a red, greasy, scaly rash. The hands and feet may feel numb and prickling—like pins and needles. The tongue may become sore and red, and cracks may form in the corners of the mouth. People may become confused, irritable, and depressed.

How can I raise my B12 levels fast?

What are the five signs of zinc deficiency?

What are the signs of a zinc deficiency?

Zinc deficiency is characterized by growth retardation, loss of appetite, and impaired immune function. In more severe cases, zinc deficiency causes hair loss, diarrhea, delayed sexual maturation, impotence, hypogonadism in males, and eye and skin lesions [2,8,25,26].

Does iron deficiency affect your nails?

A much less common symptom of iron deficiency is brittle or spoon-shaped fingernails. This condition is called koilonychia ( 22 ). Usually, the first sign is brittle nails that chip and crack easily.

What vitamin helps with nail ridges?

Summary Adequate magnesium intake is crucial to prevent vertical ridges in your nails. This mineral also helps with protein synthesis and the formation of new nails.

What vitamins affect fingernails?

A diet low in nutrients (e.g., iron, vitamins A and C, biotin, and collagen) can contribute to short, dehydrated, broken nails, since they're all essential for proper nail growth. “Iron deficiencies are definitely a common cause of brittle nails,” explains Dr.

What do vertical ridges in fingernails mean?

Answer From Lawrence E. Gibson, M.D. Vertical nail ridges are fairly common and nothing to worry about. Vertical nail ridges extend from the cuticle to the tip of the nail. With age, vertical nail ridges may become more numerous or prominent because of changes in cell turnover within the nail.

What does a B12 deficiency tongue look like?

Clinical Findings in Tongue Pathology

B12 deficiency will also make the tongue sore and beefy-red in color. Glossitis, by causing swelling of the tongue, may also cause the tongue to appear smooth. Among women, low-estrogen states may cause a “menopausal glossitis”.