Vertical ridges on nails

[smilelines]

I wonder why people with RA get vertical ridges on their nails. Is it the immune system attacking the nail beds. Just seems like this disease changes so many parts of our body!!!!

[LoneEra]

It’s annoying isn’t it? My nails are badly ridged and very fragile. I know it’s common with RA and I believe it is to do with inflammation in the nail matrix.

I’ve taken to using a 4-sided nail buffer block on mine - it reduces the look of the ridges. Of course I’d love it if they went permanently...but my RA is seemingly not very responsive to any drugs. Hey ho! x

[sylvi in reply to LoneEra]

Thank you for answering smilelines post as i have that as well. I never gave RA a thought to be honest. xxxxx

[Neonkittie17 in reply to LoneEra]

Yes I’ve always had some fine vertical ridges ridges on my nails since the onset of RA in 1995. I noticed that straight away and was told it is due to RA. Also was told my hyperthyroidism made it worse with the fact that can make your nails brittle too as can vitamin deficiencies. x

[smilelines in reply to LoneEra]

Nail matrix inflammation. Thank you for the information.

[AgedCrone]

I have had RA for 20+ years & no ridges....,so not all with RA get them!

[Amy_Lee in reply to AgedCrone]

Me too. My nails are normal.

[Lolabridge]

Yes I have those ridges too and knew it was probably the RA causing them. I also use a four-sided nail buffer to reduce them too.

[springcross]

I have them too smilelines, they aren't that bad yet but I am fairly new in this compared to others.

[orange33]

Yes I have them too.

[Boxerlady]

I've had these for years - before RA diagnosis - but they're not a problem so haven't really thought about it. I seem to remember my Dad having them too and he didn't have RA so maybe it's not the RA in my case? 🤔

[Neonkittie17 in reply to Boxerlady]

Can be a vitamin deficiency sometimes. Mine are more noticeable on the thumb nails but they aren’t raised that badly. Just not smooth anymore. They were more noticeable after I got thyroid issues (overactive).

[Caza]

I have them so bad that a couple of them are split right down the middle ouch. I put it down to having gels once for a wedding then was told on here, nope down to RD.

[smilelines in reply to Caza]

Ouch that sounds painful. I know that some ridging is normal with age but probably it is all worse and more with the RA. I wonder what else this is doing to my body that I will suddenly notice?

[Caza in reply to smilelines]

Nothing good good that’s for sure. Except I’ve got know all you helpful folk on here 😀

[Gnarli]

Mine aren't too bad but most of the time they're hidden by a gel manicure. Goodness alone knows what is lurking under there

[Green230461]

They call them beau lines and it indicates when your body is fighting a severe issue. Nails are like tree trunk rings you can tell about your health from the thickness and appearance of lines.

It is also thought to be caused by a lack of zinc in the body. Though where you get zinc from in the first place I do not know 💐

[Hidden in reply to Green230461]

Beaus lines are only horizontal, going across the nail bed. Vertical lines and ridges don’t tend to mean anything in particular, but are more common in people with certain conditions including RD, along with being common as we age.

[Neonkittie17 in reply to Hidden]

Vertical ridges can be common in hyperthyroidism.

[Hidden in reply to Neonkittie17]

From what I’ve seen in all my reading about the household’s collective medical naffness, they’ve been recorded as occurring in almost anything long term 🤷‍♂️😂 Hyperthyroidism, most forms of arthritis, vitamin deficiency, diabetes, old age, along with simple ‘lack of nail moisture’.

[Neonkittie17 in reply to Hidden]

Apparently 20% of adults have the vertical ones and in most cases it’s simply hormonal or ageing. Also, I read a certain protein can be lacking which can cause it and as you say it’s also when they are dry. I can’t feel mine as being ridged but see tiny little horizontal lines. They were noticeable not long after diagnosis of Graves (hyperthyroidism.) Not before though and I’d already had RA ten years. I thought .. just another oddity! 😝

[Green230461 in reply to Hidden]

Thanks for that

[Hidden]

I have them since Being treated for RD. My thumb nail the ridge splits and nail gets caught and ripped. It starts at the nail bed .

[smilelines in reply to Hidden]

I have seen RD referred to a few times but not sure what RD means.

[Hidden in reply to smilelines]

I find Rheumatoid Arthritis doesn’t really cover our disease .. every Tom dick or Harry leaps on the band wagon saying ooo I’ve got a bit of that in my thumb 🙄 . The disease is so much more than that it is after all a systematic disease . So I and many others like to refer to it as Rheumatoid Disease (RD).

[smilelines in reply to Hidden]

Oh! I like it!! Thanks for the info. RD sure makes a lot of sense to me and represents more of what is happening to my body!

[Caza in reply to Hidden]

That’s exactly like mine.

[KittyJ]

No ridges here either, 30 years in 😊

[Brushwork]

The gremlin that is RA! I can't cope with manicures as my nail beds are too sensitive! I do take multivitamins, which help a bit..

[Otto11]

Yes I have several nails particularly my thumb nails that are very ridged. They continually split so have to keep them short & on the odd time I do wear nail varnish these days they are very noticeable. I did develop nail psoriasis a few years ago & presumed it was to do with that although those nails are different & a lot worse. I don’t have Psoriasis btw. X

[Goldsky]

Yes I have them too. Best wishes

[Goodwin69]

Oh my goodness that’s one of my “symptoms “ too .

[greynot]

I have them too, and my nails have become very brittle. Don't know whether the latter is RA or methotrexate, which has also made my hair dry and sparse.

[lovemydoggy]

I've had them all my life. I didn't know RA was related to it. Weird. 🤔

[BonnieG123]

You might find that biotin may help that.

[Tia53]

Yes I have vertical ridges on all my nails. My right thumb has a line down the middle and splits as the nail grows so I keep it filed shorter than the rest. It is annoying as it always catches on my clothing. I do try to use hand cream every day. Overall it's just another minor issue with RA that I've learned to live with 😊

[ketiv74]

I have heard that it happens due to Vitamin deficiency &/ or Hormonal imbalance. I think in general Auto Immune diseases can cause both, so may that's why it is prevalent in RA as well? Who knows.

[Paisley58]

Hi I never had vertical ridges on my nails until last year, they are so horrible, I really don't like them and have been using a buffer to smooth them out. However, when I saw my rheumy nurse last week and mentioned them to her she said it could be a sign of vitamin D/calcium deficiency. So back on the Vit. D3 and seeing if that works in getting rid of them.

🤞