Marti, You seem to be the one to ask so here goes. I have had some sort of fungus or something with my nails for many years and am ready to get rid of it(took long enough huh?) I have these white lines running from the beginning of the nail(where it starts to grow out from my finger) to the end of the nail(tip of the finger) The nails don't seem to be thinner than normal but they seem very dry and I can scrape off these white lines, but they come back. I have one particular nail that will sometimes split at the tip of the nail if I don't trim them when the white tips start showing. I have this on all fingers and all but 2 toes. I have tried Penlac, Sporonax to no avail but I must admit I'm not that religious about taking meds. My latest Derm Dr. didn't know what it was and did some blood work and everything was normal. He said I may have to live with it but I really want to see if there is something thta can be done. Let me know if there is an email address that I can email you pix of them to. Please advise on what to do.

I really am sorry that you have spent so much time and money on trying to find a diagnosis for your problem. In all reality, it is VERY simple. What you are seeing as "white lines" that are dry and easily scraped from the surface are actually the 'rails and grooves' upon which the nail plate rides forward. In some persons, and for unknown reasons, these rails and grooves become more prominent with age. When the nail plate becomes dried out from outside sources such as using household cleaning solutions without wearing gloves, having your hands in water a lot, or having 'sweaty hands/feet', the ridges become flaky.

Since the nail plate is constantly being 'bathed' by an upward tidal flow of oils and moisture from the nail bed, it normally remains flexible and strong, and the nail plate cells lie flat and bind tightly together. When there is not enough oil and moisture bathing the nail plate, the ridges become prominent, and the nail plate becomes dried out and will easily break -- especially at the crest of the ridge.

You would do good to drink plenty of water everyday to help the internal flow of oils and moisture as well as to apply a good quality cuticle and nail oil to the nails at LEAST twice daily. I use, and recommend, either Solar Oil or Botanical Oil. Solar Oil is available in fine nail salons or through Ulta Cosmetic Outlets nationwide. Botanical Oil is available in the nail department of Sally Beauty Supply. Both oils contain, among other essential conditioning and moisturizing oils, Jojoba and Vitamin E. The molecular structure of Jojoba oil is so tiny that it is the only known oil that is able to penetrate the molecular structure of the skin and nails, open up the cells/pores and then draw the large molecular structure of the vitamin E and other esential oils in after it.

Solar Oil is about $10.00 for 1/2 oz and Botanical Oil is about $10.00 an ounce. Expensive? I think it it a little bit - especially since you will be needing to use a LOT of it for the first couple of months on a daily basis. You can also make your own if you are into it. Go to your local health food store and purchase Jojoba oil, Vitamin E oil, Sweet Almond oil and Rice Bran Oil. To 4oz. of jojoba oil, mix 1oz each of vitamin E, rice bran and sweet almond oil. If you do not like the scent of almond, you can use any other aromatic cojditioning oil that you may prefer. The Botanical oil uses Passion Flower oil as the fragrant conditioning oil, so the choice is yours.

Apply a small amount to the nails and surrounding cuticular skin and massage into the nail plate and cuticle. Do this at least twice daily, but ALWAYS before bedtime. You can apply a little more at night while watching TV and alow it all to soak into the nails before you go to bed.

Let me know how you are doing in a couple of months!

Marti, Hey thanks for the advice I'll get some this weekend and give it a whirl. I'm 32 and have had this for a few years so I guess your right about the age factor. I'll try to be religious about the applications and will updtae you in a couple months when I may start to see some progress. I'm sure the entire nail will have to grow out to see them completely normal again. Thanks again, you really do a great service here! DD

I just read this post and need some help also. I have this fingernail that is infected, red and inflamed. It is very similar to a plantar wart (I had one on my foot many years ago and removed it myself). The problem area is on my ring finger and is attached to my nail and cuticle. I have picked and pulled and cannot get the last bit of skin out from under the nail. Have you ever heard of this? Any suggestions?

It could be a nail mole - especialy if it is growing from between the nail plate and the cuticle. I would suggest NOT pulling, nipping or cutting it in any manner. You should see your dermatologist to rule out a nail mole as they can be malignant and may require surgery to remove.