Why fingernails grow downwards

If your nails turn yellow, thicken, and seem to stop growing, it could be a sign of something going on inside your body. Lung disease and rheumatoid arthritis can cause yellow nails. You may also have a serious nail infection, which requires treatment.

Deep groove in nail Medical name: Beau lines Deep grooves or gaps Lines that run the length of a nail are common and usually nothing to worry about. If you see deep grooves that run the width of your nail like the ones shown in this picture, it means that something slowed or stopped your nails from growing for a while. When something causes your nail s to completely stop growing for a while, you may see a gap. The medical name for this condition is onychomadesis on-ah-coe-ma-dee-sis.

A fever, injury, chemotherapy, or major stress can cause your nails to grow slowly or stop growing. If you cannot think of what could may have caused your nails to grow slowly or stop growing, see your dermatologist or primary care doctor.

Once you find and get rid of the cause, nails often start growing normally. Cutting and treating these nails requires help from a podiatrist or dermatologist. Spoon-shaped nails Medical name: Koilonychia Thin, spoon-shaped nails If you have thin fingernails that dip down in the middle and look like spoons, you may not be getting enough iron. People develop an iron deficiency for many reasons, including: Lack of proper nutrition A health problem with their stomach or intestines Sensitivity to gluten celiac disease High altitude Getting a proper diagnosis and treatment can help you feel better.

Washboard nails Medical name: Onychotillomania Washboard nails If you have grooves and ridges in the center of your thumb that look like the ones shown in this picture, you may have developed a habit of picking at or pushing back the cuticles on your thumbnails. Many people are unaware that they do this.

A dermatologist may be able to help you break the habit, allowing healthy nails to grow out. Clubbing causes nails to curve down Medical name: Clubbing Curved nails The curving can begin so gradually that many people are unaware it's happening. As the nails continue to curve downward, fingertips often swell and the nails start to feel spongy when pressed on.

Curved nails can be a harmless trait, which runs in the family. Curved nails can also be a sign that you have a disease in the: Lungs Heart Liver Stomach or intestine.

Color change A disease inside your body can cause your nails to change color. My nails curl also, I have actually gone to the doctor about it and been tested and what I found out is that it was a vitamin d deficiency.

I have only been taking the vitamin d for a couple of months now and I can notice a little change but not much as of yet. My fingernails have curled over the ends of my fingers most of my life.

One thumb nail is very strong and solid; the other one tends to separate and peel. Most of my nails have longitudinal stria lines and ridges. Most of the nails still curl over, though, either in the center ring fingers or to the inside medial sides of the nail. At least, now I understand the curling, so thank you! I have a very similar issue with my nails that Mystica talks about, so similar that I could have written her comment myself. I always thought I was alone in the world.

However, I was never diagnosed with any kind of breathing disorder. I do not have much of a half moon on my nails either except for the thumbs. The other nails have just a tiny sliver at the cuticle. My index finger nails curl on the thumb side of the nails while the other side grows straight.

My middle and ring finger nails are wide and flat and curl around the end of the finger tip. My nails also have the raised lines running the length of the nail from the cuticle to the end of the nail. I do not have any indentations in the nails however. My nails are somewhat strong but are also thin.

Thin enough that you can kind of see through them. I always thought they should be solid in color and not opaque. I am embarrassed by them at times. I usually keep them cut short but I do like to try to grow them out a little until I get frustrated with them only to cut them short again. I have tried several times to wear fake nails, but because of their width and the way they naturally grow, fake nails usually pop off after a few days.

Are these issues due to a vitamin deficiency as well? If so, which vitamins am I lacking? Or is this an indication of a more severe health problem thats been undetected for my whole life? My nails are strong but have recently started to curl as they grow out. I just had a baby about 10 months ago and I am breastfeeding him. I am not a smoker and do not have any know lung problems.

Do you think this is from breastfeeding? Any help would be super appreciated! I have always had soft nails, and unable to grow them very long. I am wondering! I have since learned by a professional Manicurist that said Never Ever let anyone use the electric sanding wheel on your finger nails. My nails grow brittle as in they break or splinter rather.

The rest of my nails. One edge of the fingernail curls in, the right side of all of them, so my index finger nail curls in on the thumb side and the middle fingers and little fingers.

I am prepared to post pictures. I also have some curling of my finger nails on one side, but only on my index fingers. The nails on all of my other fingers are fine and grow straight.

Though I do suffer from allergies and have a hole in my septum, which cause or aggravate nasal and sinus problems. I am prone to sinus infections, etc. I have a few fingernails on each hand that grow normal but begin to curve at a certain length. I just want to say that this can be caused by trauma, too. Mine are all fingertips that I have accidentally hit with a hammer before. Poulin says respiratory tract problems — such as nasal polyps and chronic sinusitis — can trigger yellow nail syndrome, which he describes as rare.

It can be corrected in some cases, depending on the cause. And he had a nose surgery and it all went away," Poulin says. Strangely shaped or marked nails are also indicative of a variety of conditions.

Thickened, misshapen and cloudy nails — sometimes on the fingers, but more often on the toes — are generally a sign of infection with a fungus.

Called onychomycosis, the condition is unsightly and makes the nails difficult to trim and maintain. Onychomycosis can and should be treated, Poulin says, and the earlier the better. The longer the problem festers, the harder it is to treat, he says. And while thickened toe nails may be merely an esthetic problem for a year-old, when that person is 80 and diabetic, toenails that can't be trimmed can trigger infections in the skin around the nail bed, erode foot health and threaten mobility.

People don't look too much at their toenails. A brown or black streak or dot under a nail that persists can be skin cancer — melanoma, which can be deadly if it isn't caught early. And if there is no evident reason for the change in pigmentation, it should be checked out, says Dr. And sometimes that can be quite difficult even for the dermatologist to decide. Melanomas under the nail aren't common, but they do occur.

But because people don't necessarily know of the possibility, such melanomas can go undetected, threatening chances of survival. Someone who has horizontal groves across all their fingernails has experienced an illness that has interrupted the growth of the nails.