Why do my fingernails...

My nail growth is a bit like my hair growth not al that good suppose the two are related

Healthy diet too, dreadful nails tho' Probably because I don't take care of them. Ring finger nail always splits in the same place..... spooky!

Which I knew anyway.

Oh well, it looks as if I have a healthy diet then.

Of course I trust you, jeni. You're a doctor.

Well it's way past my bedtime!
Not working tomorrow!

Goodnight all

Where is my [crescent moon?]

Trust me!

NO!!!

In my teens and early 20s, I frequently used a dandruff preparation called Selsun, that contained selenium. Would this have affected my nails to the extent that I got those splinter haemorrhages?

Wouldn't give selective blackening on one nail only?
In Bristol,we would ask 'have you been handling a lot of money?'

As on 'cash on th nail?'

We have the original nails in Bristol, outside the old corn exchange!

Agree jess
We would be hard pressed to find any selenium in the vegetables we eat now a days.
Chemicals and intensive farming have just about depleted the soil of any nutrients really. And selenium particularly.

eeeuw - too many antioxidant supplements? too many brazil nuts? Quite tricky to get an excess of selenium otherwise I would think!

Blackened nails may be caused by an excess of selenium. On the other hand (as it were), not enough selenium can result in ridges. Good sources of selenium are offal, grains, cereals and brewer's yeast. Ridges may also be the result of interrupted growth of the nail during an illness.

POGS I've just about every ailment going...with the exception of psoriasis.

soop.

Do you by any chance have psoriasis, I think in some cases it can be attributed to it but be assured not in all cases.

anno

jeni

jeni - I always knew there would be a rational explanation.

I had terrible nails from the age of 17 when I'd had a bad attack of Asian Flu. They became very ridged and pitted and had massive spaces underneath which looked unsightly to say the least. I wore nail varnish for years. I then heard about OPI Nail Envy and decided to have a go. Now I have no spaces and much less pitting. I don't know why it worked when all the stuff doctors had given me over the years didn't, but it did!

It's the evil coming out

Was a nail biter for years so have had poor quality nails as a result but for the last 5-6 years stopped biting..do not know why /how! Now have professional manicures as they are so weak they split easily. I use an almond oil to strengthen.

I've had them too for about 50 years. None there at the moment. My medical sister says they are called splinter haemorrhages which can be a sign of heart trouble but in my case obviously not or I probably wouldn't be here by now. They are more likely to be caused by a minor trauma that you didn't even notice.

Annobel nothing different I don't think, I am right handed so I would use the right thumb more than the left. Can't blame using a mobile phone or the mouse for my pc as I have had these black lines on and off for about 15 years !

Annika, what do you do with your right thumb that you don't do with your other digits?

Every now and again I get a short black vertical line in my right hand thumb nail any ideas any one ?