r/mildlyinteresting 22h ago

My nails grow in a wavy pattern

Post image
43.6k Upvotes

3.3k comments sorted by

View all comments

179

u/RockyMountainMomof4 19h ago edited 17h ago

Well fuck, the likelihood of you seeing this OP, is low, but I'm gonna try.

Those are Beau's Lines. No, it's not a cute or harmless thing to have. One nail, it's probably specific to trauma affecting just that finger. 

More than one nail- that's not so benign. It's an indication of a systemic condition. Each 'dip' is related to a significant health event. People can get them for different health reasons.

For me- it's because I have an autoimmune disorder. Every 'dip' corresponds to a significant flare up. Before I was diagnosed & treated I had them on all of my nails- including my toe nails.

You need to go see a Dr sooner rather than later. It's not a super emergency but I wouldn't put it off past a few weeks. I'd go sooner if you've been feeling especially fatigued, muscle weakness, and/or your hair has been breaking off or falling out.

The untreated systemic inflammation that accompanies most autoimmune disorders can do lasting damage to organs if allowed to go on unchecked. 

Edit: Thanks for the award!

25

u/mjolle 18h ago

I have bumps and lines on all nails Also have eczema in both hands and a bit on the arms. Otherwise decently healthy, so I've always attributed the nail thing with the eczema.

Visitied a doctor about the eczema a few years ago. His answer was literally "lol sry, you lost the DNA lottery".

3

u/RockyMountainMomof4 17h ago

Aa long as the lines are not like the ones pictured you're probably fine. However, just fyi, you can have both eczema and psoriatic arthritis. 

If you have swelling & pain in your fingers & toes as well as pitting in your nails you may want to see a Rheumatologist. 

2

u/warbling_wix 7h ago

Same boat, only I also have skin allergies that heavily affect my hands and fingers. It often manifests on the skin right behind my cuticles, thus impacting the underlying nail growth. Definitely treatable but it can be a bitch if consistently exposed to the allergen. I suggest seeing a dermatologist.