Liam Carter
Vertical lines on your thumb nail are usually harmless and are often a sign of ageing. They are caused by a slowing of cell turnover, which results in nails growing out unevenly. However, in some rare cases, they can be a sign of an underlying medical condition or nail trauma.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Cause | Ageing, dry skin, skin conditions such as eczema, a slowing of cell turnover |
| Possible underlying medical condition | Deficiency in protein, zinc, calcium or vitamin A, trachyonychia (twenty-nail dystrophy) |
| Treatment | Moisturising hands and fingers with a thick cream, oil or petroleum jelly |
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What You'll Learn
Vertical lines on your thumb nail are usually harmless
If you have deep ridges or other health issues, it may be worth getting a blood test to check for possible deficiencies in protein, zinc, calcium or vitamin A. In rare cases, vertical lines can be a sign of an underlying medical condition or nail trauma.
To help lessen the appearance of vertical lines, you can moisturise your hands and fingers throughout the day with a thick cream, oil or petroleum jelly, paying special attention to your cuticles.
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They are often a sign of ageing
Vertical lines on your thumb nail are often a sign of ageing. As we get older, the nail matrix gradually loses its effectiveness in some areas, causing nails to grow out unevenly, resulting in what we see as lines or ridges that run from the cuticle to the tip of the nail. These are basically like wrinkles of the nails!
Vertical ridges are usually harmless, but they can sometimes be a sign of a deficiency in protein, zinc, calcium or vitamin A. If you have deep ridges or other health issues, it may be worth getting a blood test to check for possible deficiencies.
Vertical lines can also be caused by dry skin or skin conditions such as eczema. To help lessen the appearance of these lines, it's recommended that you moisturise your hands and fingers throughout the day with a thick cream, oil or petroleum jelly, paying special attention to your cuticles.
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They can be caused by a deficiency in protein, zinc, calcium or vitamin A
Vertical lines on your thumb nail are usually harmless and are often a sign of ageing. However, they can be caused by a deficiency in protein, zinc, calcium or vitamin A. If you have deep ridges or other health issues, it may be worth getting a blood test to check for possible deficiencies.
These lines are basically like wrinkles of the nails. As we age, the nail matrix gradually starts to lose its effectiveness in some areas, causing your nails to grow out unevenly, resulting in what we see as lines or ridges that run from the cuticle to the tip of the nail.
To help lessen the appearance of these lines, it's recommended that you moisturise your hands and fingers throughout the day with a thick cream, oil or petroleum jelly, paying special attention to your cuticles.
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They can be caused by an underlying medical condition or nail trauma
Vertical lines on your thumb nail are usually harmless and are often a sign of ageing. They can be caused by an underlying medical condition or nail trauma, but this is rare. As we age, the nail matrix gradually starts to lose its effectiveness in some areas, causing your nails to grow out unevenly, resulting in what we see as lines or ridges that run from the cuticle to the tip of the nail. This is also known as a slowing of cell turnover, when new skin cells produced below the surface of your skin rise up to take the place of discarding dead cells from the surface.
If you have deep ridges or other health issues, it is recommended that you get a blood test to check for possible deficiencies. Vertical lines could be a sign that your body is low in protein, zinc, calcium or vitamin A.
If you experience other symptoms like texture changes in your nails, this may also be caused by a medical condition. In trachyonychia (twenty-nail dystrophy), the ridges are often deep and horizontal and are known as Beau's lines. These are often a symptom of serious conditions and may stop nail growth until the underlying condition is treated.
The best way to help lessen the appearance of these lines is to make sure you are moisturising your hands and fingers throughout the day with a thick cream, oil or petroleum jelly, paying special attention to your cuticles.
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You can lessen their appearance by moisturising your hands and fingers
Vertical lines on your thumb nail are usually harmless and are often a sign of ageing. They can be caused by a slowing of cell turnover, which means that new skin cells produced below the surface of your skin rise up to take the place of dead cells being discarded from the surface. This process can become less efficient as we age, causing nails to grow out unevenly and resulting in vertical lines.
Vertical lines can also be caused by a deficiency in protein, zinc, calcium or vitamin A. If you have deep ridges or other health issues, it is recommended that you get a blood test to check for possible deficiencies.
Vertical lines can also be caused by nail trauma or an underlying medical condition. If you experience other symptoms like texture changes in your nails, this may be the case.
You can lessen the appearance of vertical lines by moisturising your hands and fingers throughout the day with a thick cream, oil or petroleum jelly, paying special attention to your cuticles.
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Frequently asked questions
Vertical lines on your thumb nail are usually harmless and are a normal part of ageing. They are caused by a slowing of cell turnover, which means new skin cells produced below the surface of your skin rise up to take the place of dead cells being discarded from the surface.
Vertical lines can become more noticeable if you have dry skin or skin conditions such as eczema.
Vertical lines are usually harmless, but there is a small possibility that they can indicate an underlying medical condition or nail trauma. If you have deep ridges or other health issues, it is recommended that you get a blood test to check for possible deficiencies.
The best way to reduce the appearance of vertical lines is to moisturise your hands and fingers throughout the day with a thick cream, oil or petroleum jelly, paying special attention to your cuticles.
