How do you remove them? There’s no cure: once the stain appears, you have to wait for the nail to grow back for it to disappear. But you can take preventative measures by slowing down and being careful with your movements. You can also “wear gloves during activities that could cause micro-impacts, to lessen the impact on the nail .” Keep this in mind when washing dishes or working in the garden. Finally, to ” make the nail more flexible ,” the professional advises applying a vegetable oil or balm daily, as a flexible and nourished nail better withstands impacts.
Horizontal ridges on the nails: what does this mean?
Ridges can have several origins. The first is genetic. If you have had vertical or horizontal lines on your nails since adolescence and your parents have the same thing, the cause may be hereditary.
The second cause is quite simply… old age . “The ridges on the nail are the equivalent of wrinkles on the face , ” explains Alexandra Falba. “The older you get, the more likely you are to see these ridges appear.”
Finally, there are some whose appearance is “solely linked to excessive dryness of the nail” . When it is dry, “the keratin layers have difficulty finding coherence with each other, so the ridges appear” , notes the expert.
Whatever their cause, there are solutions to lessen the appearance of these marks. First, apply an emollient balm, a nourishing balm, or a vegetable oil daily to the surface of the nail, massaging it in to restore its suppleness and flexibility, thus reducing the appearance of ridges . This massage also nourishes the nail matrix (the area surrounding the nail).
To smooth the nail surface, the professional suggests another solution: a filler base coat. “It dries clear and fills in the gaps between the ridges .” You can find it starting at around 8 euros in pharmacies; it can be applied instead of a regular base coat.
Using anything that can remove or abrade them, such as files or pumice blocks, is strongly discouraged, as it will weaken the nail even further. “It’s a drastic solution in the short term, but it makes the nail soft and brittle ,” warns Alexandra Falba.
