Women take special care of their hands especially their nails. Not for anything else but because it adds to the beauty of a woman’s hands. Fingernails, however, need that extra attention as it indicates the overall health of a person. Any abnormal changes in the appearance of your fingernails could be an indication to some undiagnosed medical problem. Especially any change in the contour of the nail base, discoloration or ridges in fingernails may indicate the presence of some serious health problem. Ridges in fingernails are of two types. They are vertical and horizontal ridges. Vertical nail ridges appear on the nails which start from the base or cuticle and extend to the tip of the nail. These ridges are very common and they become prominent with age. They are not an indication to any health problem. On the other side, horizontal nail ridges are ridges that appear horizontally from one side of the nail to the other lengthwise. This can be a serious problem as it generally indicates an underlying medical illness. A type of horizontal nail ridge that may indicate a serious health issue is known as the Beau’s line. These ridges are deeply grooved in the nails and may also be darkened in appearance. The reason for this could be varied. It is strongly recommended that you consult a doctor if you observe such distinctive ridges in your fingernails.
The potential source for ridges in fingernails is as a result of malnutrition or malabsorption. This is because the body is not getting its supply of vitamins. Ridges in fingingernails generally occur because of a vitamin B deficiency. Therefore, ensure that you follow a healthy diet with all the required intake of vitamins. Also, there are certain oils that are self generated in the body which are responsible for healthy fingernails. But when the body is not able to produce or give sufficient oils, it leads to the damage of the nail plate which could result in the formation of ridges. Lack of moisture in the body may lead to formation of ridges in fingernails too. This can be avoided by drinking plenty of water and moisturizing your nails with lotions that contain jojoba oil and vitamin E. Massage it well on your nails as well as around the cuticle. So if you have vertical ridges you can relax and simply follow the above mentioned measures. But in case you observe horizontal ridges in your fingernails it is best you consult a doctor.