What causes black vertical lines on fingernails?

Another cause of black lines on the nails is a splinter hemorrhage, which occurs when blood vessels under the fingernail are damaged, often due to injuries, such as hitting. More seriously, a black line or lines on the nails can indicate the presence of melanoma, a dangerous form of skin cancer.

What are black marks on nails?

Red or black spots may be splinter hemorrhages associated with endocarditis. The spots may be subungual hematomas from trauma or a fingernail injury. It can also be a skin cancer like melanoma or squamous cell cancer.

What is nail melanoma?

Toenail melanoma is another name for subungual melanoma. It’s an uncommon form of skin cancer that develops underneath the fingernail or toenail. Subungual means “under the nail.” Toenail fungus is a more common condition that occurs from the overgrowth of fungi in, under, or on the nail.

What do lines in your nails mean?

The bottom line Ridges in the fingernails are often normal signs of aging. Slight vertical ridges commonly develop in older adults. In some cases, they may be a sign of health problems like vitamin deficiencies or diabetes. Deep horizontal ridges, called Beau’s lines, may indicate a serious condition.

What does melanoma on finger look like?

This may look like a brown or black band in the nail — often on the thumb or big toe of your dominant hand or foot. However, this dark streak can show up on any nail. Dark skin next to your nail. When the skin around your nail becomes darker, it could be a sign of advanced melanoma.

Why do my nails look like they have splinters?

Splinter hemorrhages are tiny blood spots that appear underneath the nail. They look like splinters and occur when tiny blood vessels (capillaries) along the nail bed are damaged and burst. The nail bed is the skin underneath the nail.

What do the vertical lines on your nails mean?

Having vertical (longitudinal) ridges on the fingernails refers to the presence of tiny raised lines or ridges that run up and down the length of the nail. Ridges are among the different kinds of nail abnormalities that can develop due to aging, nail injury, or trauma, or underlying medical conditions.

What causes black lines under toenail?

Black lines on the nail can be the result of many conditions. Trauma is one of the most common causes of splinter hemorrhages. This can occur when something hurts your nail bed and bursts a blood vessel under your nail.

What do the horizontal lines on my Nails mean?

These white, horizontal lines on nails are a sign of low protein levels in your blood. They can occur due to health problems like malnutrition or liver disease. In most cases, ridges on your nails are a sign of more severe issues.

What do vertical lines on nails mean?

If the skin around the nail appears red and puffy, this is known as inflammation of the nail fold. It may be the result of lupus or another connective tissue disorder. Infection can also cause redness and inflammation of the nail fold. Dark lines beneath the nail should be investigated as soon as possible.