What does pitting of nails indicate?
Nail pitting is when you have tiny dents in your fingernails or toenails. It can be a sign of psoriasis, eczema, or joint inflammation.
What causes deep pits in fingernails?
Pitting of the nails, typically the fingernails, is characterized by depressions in the surface of the nail. Nail pitting is caused by defective development of the layers of the superficial nail plate. It is common in patients with psoriasis and can affect up to 50% of people suffering from this condition.
What vitamin deficiency causes dents in fingernails?
Iron deficiency anemia can also trigger vertical ridges and changes to your nails that make them concave, or spoon-shaped.
What systemic diseases cause nail pitting?
Pitting usually is associated with psoriasis, affecting 10 to 50 percent of patients with that disorder. 13 Pitting also may be caused by a variety of systemic diseases, including Reiter’s syndrome and other connective tissue disorders, sarcoidosis, pemphigus, alopecia areata, and incontinentia pigmenti.
What autoimmune disease causes nail pitting?
Nail pitting can also be related to connective tissue disorders, such as Reiter’s syndrome, and alopecia areata — an autoimmune disease that causes hair loss.
Should I worry about nail pitting?
Nail pitting is often a sign of another condition that can include: psoriasis, which causes skin inflammation. eczema, a long-term skin condition that makes the skin red, itchy, and cracked. reactive arthritis or inflammation caused by an infection elsewhere.
Can nail pitting be caused by vitamin deficiency?
Important Conditions Associated with Abnormal Nail Exam Can manifest with nail pitting, leukonychia, and an oil drop sign on the nail bed. Look for cutaneous psoriasis as a coexisting feature. Classically associated with subacute bacterial endocarditis; they can be seen with vitamin C deficiency as well.
Can iron deficiency cause nail pitting?
The nail has raised ridges and is thin and curved inward. This disorder is associated with iron deficiency anemia. Leukonychia is white streaks or spots on the nails often due to drugs or disease. Pitting is the presence of small depressions on the nail surface.
How do I fix pitting nails?
Treating nail pitting is often a long-term process that doesn’t always have the best results. You may want to cosmetically repair already pitted nails by scraping, filing, or polishing. In rare cases, you may opt to have them removed through surgery so that the nail tissue can regrow.
Can vitamin D deficiency cause ridges in fingernails?
Nutritional deficiencies, such as a lack of vitamin A, vitamin B, vitamin B12 or keratin can result in fingernail ridges. Hormonal changes can also cause ridges to appear.
What is nail pitting and what causes it?
This is called nail pitting. It can happen for a number of reasons and is often related to nail psoriasis. You may also have discoloration of your nails or abnormal growth with this condition. Here’s more about nail pitting, what causes it, and what treatments are available. Nail pitting may show up as shallow or deep holes in your nails.
What does nail pitting look like?
Here’s more about nail pitting, what causes it, and what treatments are available. Nail pitting may show up as shallow or deep holes in your nails. The pitting can happen on your fingernails or your toenails. You may think the pitting looks like white spots or other marks. It might even look like your nails have been hit with an ice pick.
What is the best treatment for nail pitting?
Common treatment methods for nail pitting include: Corticosteroid injections into the nail bed of affected nails. Phototherapy or light therapy on the affected nails. Supplements for vitamins that you may be deficient in. Vitamin D3 is known to be a nail strengthener that may be prescribed.
Is there a link between nail pitting and psoriasis?
Nail pitting is more common in people who have psoriatic arthritis. It is also more common in people who are over age 40. Researchers have recently uncovered that there may be a link between nail pitting and the severity of psoriasis in general. In one 2013 study, 34.2 percent of people who had mild psoriasis also experienced nail pitting.