Liam Carter
Horizontal lines on your thumb nail are known as Beau's lines and can be caused by illness or severe stress. They can also be caused by injury to the nail matrix or long-term health problems that interfere with blood flow to the nail matrix. Vertical lines on the thumb nail are often a sign of ageing. Melanonychia is a condition that causes brown or black lines on the nail bed.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Cause | Illness or stress |
| Thickness | Thicker lines may indicate a longer-lasting illness or trauma |
| Number | Multiple lines may indicate multiple instances of illness or trauma |
| Type | Beau's lines are grooves or dents that run horizontally across the nail |
| Colour | White (leukonychia striata), brown-black (longitudinal melanonychia), red (longitudinal erythronychia) |
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What You'll Learn
Beau's lines
While Beau's lines themselves cannot be treated, treating the underlying cause can prevent them from coming back once they grow out. Your healthcare provider may recommend applying creams or moisturisers for eczema or psoriasis, avoiding manicures, artificial nails, or harsh nail products, and keeping blood sugar under control if you have diabetes.
It is important to note that ridges in your nails are usually harmless but can indicate different things. Vertical ridges are often a sign of aging, while horizontal ridges can point to issues like malnutrition, serious nail injury, or Beau's lines. Dark lines on your nails, known as melanonychia, are typically brown or black and may appear in one or several nails. These lines can occur naturally if you have a dark complexion.
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Ridges in nails
There are also other types of nail lines, such as leukonychia striata (white lines), longitudinal melanonychia (brown-black lines), longitudinal erythronychia (red lines), and nail-plate grooves (Beau lines). Transverse white nail lines, or Mees lines, have been associated with acute systemic stress, such as from acute renal failure, heart failure, ulcerative colitis, breast cancer, infection (measles, tuberculosis), and systemic lupus erythematosus, and with exposure to toxic metals such as thallium. Melanonychia is the name for dark lines on your fingernails or toenails. The lines are brown or black and usually look like a stripe that begins at the bottom of your nail bed and continues to the top. Melanonychia may appear in one nail or several. These lines can occur naturally if you have a dark complexion.
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Melanonychia
A line on your thumb nail could be a Beau's line, which is a horizontal groove or dent that can appear on all or just some of your nails. Beau's lines can be caused by illness or severe stress, which interrupts your nail growth. Thicker Beau's lines may be a sign that an illness or trauma lasted a long time.
Another possibility is that the line is a sign of melanonychia. Melanonychia is a dark line on your fingernails or toenails, which can be brown or black. The line usually looks like a stripe that begins at the bottom of your nail bed and continues to the top. Melanonychia may appear in one nail or several, and can occur naturally if you have a dark complexion.
If you are concerned about any lines on your nails, you should consult a healthcare professional. They will be able to inspect your nails and advise on any necessary treatment.
Ridges in your nails are usually harmless but can indicate different things. Vertical ridges are often a sign of ageing, while horizontal ridges can point to issues like malnutrition, serious nail injury, or Beau's lines.
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Leukonychia striata
A line on your thumb nail could be a Beau's line, which is a groove or dent that runs horizontally across your nail. Beau's lines can be caused by illness or severe stress, which interrupts your nail growth. They can also be caused by injury to the nail matrix, or long-term health problems that interfere with blood flow to the nail matrix.
Another possibility is that the line is a sign of Leukonychia striata. This is a white line that runs across the nail. It is often harmless, but can be a sign of underlying health issues.
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Longitudinal erythronychia
A line on the thumbnail can be a Beau's line, which is a groove or dent that runs horizontally across the nail. Beau's lines can be caused by illness, severe stress, injury to the nail matrix, or long-term health problems that interfere with blood flow to the nail matrix. They can appear on all nails or just a few, such as the thumbs and big toes.
Another type of line on the nail is erythronychia, which presents as red lines running longitudinally along the nail.
Vertical lines on the nail are often a sign of ageing, while horizontal lines can point to issues like malnutrition, serious nail injury, or Beau's lines. Dark lines on the nail, known as melanonychia, are brown or black and usually appear as a stripe from the bottom of the nail bed to the top. These lines can occur naturally in people with a dark complexion.
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Frequently asked questions
Beau's lines are grooves or dents that run horizontally across your fingernails or toenails. They can be caused by illness, severe stress, or trauma.
Vertical lines on your thumb nail are usually harmless and are often a sign of ageing.
Transverse white nail lines, or Mees lines, are associated with acute systemic stress, such as from acute renal failure, heart failure, ulcerative colitis, breast cancer, infection, and exposure to toxic metals.
