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Striations on the finger nails do not necessarily indicate any problem. These mild longitudinal ridges appear as you grow older, and are nothing to worry about as they are a normal part of the aging process. If you are very young, in your teens or twenties, it may be a bit too early for such signs of aging, but as long as there are no other unusual symptoms, you can relax.
However, if the ridges are too prominent and are accompanied by a thinning of the nails and a loss of sheen, this may be an indication of a condition known as trachyonychia. In addition to the dullness and development of striations, the nails tend to become weak and brittle, developing rough surfaces and often splitting at the end. If all the nails are affected, the condition is known as twenty nail dystrophy.
This condition is more common among children than among older people, and is in itself quite harmless, without any other complications.
However, twenty nail dystrophy often accompanies other medical conditions, such as vitiligo (leukoderma), psoriasis, eczema, alopecia areata (an autoimmune disorder involving hair loss), and certain types of dermatitis. Still, as mentioned before, if you have no other symptoms, then the striations are only part of aging.
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