What's With These Ridges In My Fingernails?

Trachyonychia

Trachyonychia is a condition of the nails that affects how an individual's nail matrix grows and functions. Patients affected by trachyonychia have finger and toenails that have a distinct texture to their surface. The texture of the nails in these individuals has been described as rough or similar to the feel of sand-paper. Nails of affected individuals also appear with long and straight vertical lines that are variable in their height, and they extend down the length of the patient's nail. The nails become weak and brittle as this condition progresses. This malfunction causes them to eventually split in the places where the ridges are located when the nail meets the free margin. This cause of nail ridges is a more common occurrence in males and school-aged children. Trachyonychia may occur in one or all twenty of the affected individual's nails. This condition has also been associated with diseases including psoriasis, atopic dermatitis, vitiligo, lichen planus, eczema, alopecia areata, ichthyosis vulgaris, and immunoglobulin A deficiency.

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