What does onychorrhexis look like?
Emma Martin
Published Feb 14, 2026
What does onychorrhexis look like?
Onychorrhexis is a condition that causes vertical ridges to form on the fingernails. Instead of a relatively smooth fingernail, a person with onychorrexis will have grooves or ridges in their nails. Some people may have this condition on only one nail while others will have it on all nails.
What causes concave thumbnails?
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.
Are Beau’s lines always serious?
Deep horizontal ridges, called Beau’s lines, are often symptoms of a serious condition. They may actually stop nail growth until the underlying condition is treated. Acute kidney disease may also be present if Beau’s lines appear.
What causes Muehrcke lines?
Muehrcke’s lines are most commonly associated with metabolic stress and chronic hypoalbuminaemia (usually < 2 g/dL), such as nephrotic syndrome, chronic liver disease, or severe malnutrition. In addition, Muehrcke’s lines have also been associated with infections, chemotherapy drugs, and high altitude.
What is nail pterygium?
Dorsal pterygium or pterygium unguis is an abnormality of the nail unit, which is most commonly acquired in nature. It refers to a “wing-shaped” cutaneous fold arising from the proximal nail fold (PNF) that fuses with the nail matrix and then the nail bed, thus splitting the nail plate into 2 lateral segments [1-3].
What Vitamin Are you lacking when you have ridges in your nails?
Ridges. Our nails naturally develop slight vertical ridges as we age. However, severe and raised ridges can be a sign of iron deficiency anemia. Nutritional deficiencies, such as a lack of vitamin A, vitamin B, vitamin B12 or keratin can result in fingernail ridges.
What does Terry’s nails look like?
Terry’s nails are entirely white with a red or brownish band at the tip. They also have a unique appearance that resembles ground glass. Although this condition most commonly affects all the nails of your fingers, it can also occur in just one fingernail and has even been reported in toenails.
What is the white stuff on my fingernails?
Mineral deficiency You may notice white spots or dots along your nails if you are deficient in certain minerals or vitamins. The deficiencies most commonly linked to this issue are zinc deficiency and calcium deficiency.
Why is my thumbnail bumpy?
Fingernails are made by living skin cells in your fingers. So a skin condition such as eczema may lead to fingernail ridges. Skin dryness can also cause these ridges. If your body is low in protein, calcium, zinc, or vitamin A, a deficiency can sometimes be revealed by ridges in your fingernails.
Should I see a doctor for Beau’s lines?
Although Beau’s lines can be associated with some serious health problems, they’re not contagious in any way. Nail techs shouldn’t try to diagnose the problem, stresses McCormick; instead, they should recommend that clients ask their doctor about the nail abnormality if they aren’t already aware of it.
Is Muehrcke’s lines serious?
Muehrcke’s lines are a strong indicator of hypoalbuminemia, which can result from a variety of different causes. The lines are actually in the vascular bed underneath the nail plate.
What is hardened pterygium?
Pterygium is a disorder characterized by an overgrowth of the proximal nail fold onto the nail bed. Pterygium is derived from a Greek word, pterygion, which means “little wing” or “fin.” It is also referred to as wing-like. By definition, pterygium forms if there is scar tissue in the nail matrix.