I have a question and can't find any answers from searching the net. I hope someone here can offer some insight.
On my left hand, my nail beds are shrinking. Not by much, but enough to notice. Praticularly with ring finger on left hand. There is 3mm difference between it and the same finger on right hand.
Not sure if related, but I have all kinds of digestive problems including malabsorption (need supplemental enzymes to digest food) and could be lacking some vital nutriant. If anyone has any ideas, I would appreciate hearing them.
Are you right handed? Our dominate side is minutely larger than our left if we are right handed -- Lefties are the opposite. Nail beds do not 'shrink' unless the nail plate has been removed for some reason. The nail bed lies under the nail plate and is the foundation on which the nail plate grows forward. The nail plate, on the other hand, can appear to 'shrink' if it is dry. In other words, if the plate lacks sufficient oil and moisture, it may appear to be smaller because there is nothing between the nail palte cells to keep it 'plump'. You might also consider taking a vitamin B complex suppliment, and to oil your nails at least twice daily with a good cuticle and nail oil. Botanical Oil from Sally Beauty Supply contains jojoba and vitamin E which will penetrate the surface of the skin and nails and draw the vitmain E in after it. Refrain from having your hands in excess amounts of water and always wear gloves whenever using household cleaning solutions as these chemicals are extremely drying to the skin and nails.
<A HREF="http://www.hooked-on-nails.com" TARGET=_blank>www.hooked-on-nails.com</A> <p>[This message has been edited by Marti (edited 04-14-2001).]
I really appreciate your response. This has had me very puzzled knowing nail beds don't normally "shrink", but this one is literally shrinking. Just in the past few days, the difference between left and right hands (on my left and I am a righted handed person) has gone a 3mm to a 4mm difference.
I don't expose my hands to a lot of chemicals or water. I work at a desk behind a computer and use hand lotion occassionally (aloe based - vitamin E). I do not have dry skin, never have and have not lost this nail before.
It is very possible I lack vitamin B12. I am waiting the results of a blood test for this deficiency. Had to do the blood test 3 times because the lab could not get it properly withdrawn. I should have the results back sometime this week. And will let you know if this turns out to be the case.
One other thing I wonder... Will it ever get back to "normal"?
<A HREF="http://www.med.jhu.edu/nps/hands.html" TARGET=_blank>http://www.med.jhu.edu/nps/hands.html</A>
Visit this website by clicking on the link or do a 'copy' paste' into your browser. I kept thinking after I posted my answer that it could be something else besides nail atrophy. It could very well be NAIL PATELLA SYNDROME. Look at the picture, and if your nails are atrophying in themanner described on this site, ask your doctor to test you for that as well.
Thanks to you I was able to find out more information on the net about this phenomenon. At least I have several things to ask the doctor about tmorrow. Some of the possibilities are Onychatrophia, Onychorrhexis, lichen planus
or it could also be caused by my pancreatitis.
Will let you what I find out....
Thanks Again
ReeAnn
