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Onychoschizia

Splitting of the free-edged tip of the nail

Summary

Splitting of the free-edged tip of the nail

Onychoschizia, also known as nail splitting and brittle nails, is a splitting of the free-edged tip of the nail. There is also often a longitudinal split in addition to the separation of keratin layers.

Cause

Frequent hand-washing is the usual cause, but it is also part of normal ageing. Manicures, nail polish and remover, nail biting, and repeated trauma such as typing, can contribute to nail splitting. Dehydration likely plays a role. Nutritional deficiencies that can result in nail splitting include iron, selenium, and zinc. Some skin diseases such as psoriasis and lichen planus may feature such nails.

Diagnosis

Diagnosis is by its appearance, but sometimes blood tests are required to look for iron deficiency, thyroid problems, and kidney problems.

Treatment

Treatment is by discontinuing nail polish and applying moisturiser. An acceptable alternative is gel nails. Some favourable response has been reported with biotin if the person is deficient in vitamin B7. It is not routinely given.

Epidemiology

It is common among women and occurs in almost a third of newborns.

Other animals

It also occurs in hooved animals such as horses.

References

References

  1. (2022). "Dermatology for the Primary Care Provider". Elsevier.
  2. (2020). "Andrews' Diseases of the Skin: Clinical Dermatology". Elsevier.
  3. Johnstone, Ronald B.. (2017). "Weedon's Skin Pathology Essentials". Elsevier.
  4. (December 1990). "Treatment of brittle fingernails and onychoschizia with biotin: Scanning electron microscopy". Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology.
Wikipedia Source

This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page.

conditions-of-the-skin-appendages
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