Why do I have big dents in my nails?

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.

What deficiency causes dents in fingernails?

Iron deficiency anemia can also trigger vertical ridges and changes to your nails that make them concave or spoon-shaped.

Is it normal to have dents in your nails?

Nail pitting refers to dents, ridges, or holes in the fingernails or toenails. The dents in the nails can be shallow or deep. It's typically a symptom of another condition, such as psoriasis, an autoimmune disease that causes skin cell overgrowth and buildup.

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.

Is nail pitting serious?

Nail pitting can be mild. If the pitting is not causing any discomfort, it will not require any treatment. More severe cases can cause discomfort and distress, however. Nail pitting is quite difficult to treat, although some modern methods have been shown to be effective.

What Do Dents in Fingernails Mean?

What are Covid nails?

COVID nails are nail changes that happen a few days or weeks after a COVID-19 infection. They're either a sign that the infection stressed your body, or they could be a rare symptom of the infection itself, depending on your symptoms.

Why do my nails have ridges and dents?

Beau's lines are horizontal ridges or dents in one or more of your fingernails or toenails. They're a sign that an illness, injury or skin condition interrupted your nail growth. Treating the underlying cause will allow new, smooth nails to grow again.

What does sunken fingernails mean?

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.

What do fingernails look like with low iron?

Koilonychia is an abnormal shape of the fingernail. The nail has raised ridges and is thin and curved inward. This disorder is associated with iron deficiency anemia. Leukonychia is white streaks or spots on the nails often due to drugs or disease.

Can fingernails show heart problems?

Ripples on nails or pitted nails may be caused by a skin disorder, psoriasis, eczema, or arthritis. Nail clubbing is when a nail curves under at the tip of the finger. It could indicate heart disease, inflammatory bowel disease, lung disease, liver disease, thyroid disease, or HIV/AIDS.

What do concave nails look like?

Instead of growing straight, your nails look concave, like spoons. In many people, koilonychia is a sign of iron deficiency. Usually, you can get rid of spoon nails by treating the underlying cause.

Should I be worried about dents in my nails?

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.

Can stress cause Beau's lines?

Beau's lines are transverse depressions in the nail plate that occur after a stressful event that temporarily interrupts nail formation within the proximal matrix. The precipitating event may be local trauma, chemotherapeutic agents that interrupt cell division, or the abrupt onset of systemic disease.

What deficiency causes Beau's lines?

Beau's lines are grooves that run horizontally across the fingernails. They develop when there is a disruption to the area where nail growth starts. Zinc deficiency is not the only cause of Beau's lines, but it is a common one.

Can Beau's lines be harmless?

Beau's lines are horizontal, going across the nailline, and should not be confused with vertical ridges going from the bottom (cuticle) of the nail out to the fingertip. These vertical lines are usually a natural consequence of aging and are harmless.

What does Terry's nails look like?

Terry's nails is when most of your fingernail or toenail looks white, like frosted glass, except for a thin brown or pink strip at the tip. People with Terry's nails don't have a half-moon shape (lunula) near their cuticles. Instead, nearly the whole nail looks washed out.

What a healthy nail looks like?

Healthy fingernails are smooth, without pits or grooves. They're uniform in color and consistency and free of spots or discoloration. Sometimes fingernails develop harmless vertical ridges that run from the cuticle to the tip of the nail. Vertical ridges tend to become more prominent with age.

What autoimmune diseases cause Beau's lines?

Cutaneous disorders have also been associated with Beau's lines, including eczema, pustular psoriasis, pemphigus vulgaris, paronychia, telogen effluvium, alopecia areata, Stevens Johnson syndrome, toxic epidermal necrolysis, erythroderma, and reflex sympathetic dystrophy.

Do Beau lines go away?

There's no specific treatment for Beau's lines; most often, they grow out on their own. “It's common to find them, and they'll go away if the factors affecting the condition are managed,” says Hodges.

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?

Can vitamin deficiency cause nail pitting?

Important Conditions Associated with Abnormal Nail Exam

Can manifest with nail pitting, leukonychia, and an oil drop sign on the nail bed. Look for cutaneous psoriasis as a coexisting feature. Classically associated with subacute bacterial endocarditis; they can be seen with vitamin C deficiency as well.

What diseases cause nail pitting?

They include: connective tissue disorders, such as Reiter's syndrome (a form of reactive arthritis), and osteoarthritis. autoimmune diseases, such as alopecia areata, sarcoidosis, and pemphigus vulgaris. incontinentia pigmenti, a genetic disorder affecting the hair, skin, nails, teeth, and central nervous system.

Why are my nails not smooth?

Soft nails might be caused by overexposure to moisture or chemicals — think detergent, cleaning fluids, nail treatments, and nail polish remover. Weak nails might also be associated with a deficiency in B vitamins, calcium, iron, or fatty acids.

What are hypoplastic nails?

In addition, the nails in young children, especially the toenails, may be unusually small and underdeveloped (hypoplastic). They can have an obvious, unusual hollow shape, which appear to be spoon-shaped. They are slow-growing, thin and brittle.

Should nails be flat or curved?

A healthy body supports the growth of healthy nails, which should curve to the natural shape of the finger. If you look at the end of your nails you should see a rainbow-type curve, or half-moon shape, if you will. This shape is due to the fact that your finger is round and the nail naturally curves around it.