Pitted Fingernails

Information On Pitted Nails

Pitting nails are small depressions which look like they are on the nail surface, and affect your finger nail health.

What is causing pitted nails is a loss of keratin cells, these cells make up your fingernail.

Usually, this is a sign of psoriasis and many will experience small indentations on their fingernails and have no other symptoms on the body.

You may experience only one symptom, pitting of nails or other symptoms such as;

• Small yellow/red patches which can appear under the nail plate.
  

• Beau lines which run across the fingernail.
  

• Thickening of the skin under your fingernails, which can lead to the fingernail separating from the nail bed.
  

• The fingernail may crumble.
  

• White areas on the nail may appear due to air bubbles getting in, where the fingernail is detaching from the nail bed.
  

Treatment is advisable because it can spread very easily to other fingernails and toenails.

Pitted nails can also be associated with other conditions such as alopecia areata which is an autoimmune disease (an abnormality in the immune system), this will cause baldness.

Chronic dermatitis is another condition associated with pitted nails.

If you feel perfectly healthy, look after yourself by eating well, take plenty of vitamins for fingernails, such as a silica supplement, then there is a chance these small indentations on your nails maybe signs of psoriasis.

There are topical applications you can use. Two of the most popular are Dovonex (calcipotriene a synthetic form of vitamin D3) and Tazorac (tazarotene vitamin A derivative).

Studies have been done on patients with fingernails psoriasis using calcipotriene with much success. Both Dovonex and Tazorac have shown to reduce pitted nails, in some cases symptoms have disappeared completely.

Application of a topical cream (corticosteroids) has also been known to help improve pitted nails. Put recommended amount of cream on fingernails, wrap your nails in cellophane wrap, do this before bed.

It can be very frustrating, and I have heard many stories of people going to a doctor and not being diagnosed correctly. If your condition is not severe then try using a topical treatment.

Otherwise, if your doctor is not a great help see a dermatologist as they are trained in the area of skin disease.

Other remedies you can try is to keep your fingernails moisturized. Do this daily with an oil such as almond or olive oil. Always keep your fingernails short, and always wear cotton lined gloves when working around house, doing dishes etc.

By keeping your fingernails short you will avoid further complications. Long finger nails are more susceptible to tearing when the surface of the nail is rubbed on certain areas, which will only make matters worse.

If there is no change to your finger nail health after using a topical treatment, healthy eating and massaging, seek medical advice for your pitting nails.

Pitted fingernails can be embarrassing and take time to get rid of.

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