Skip to main content

Changes in Nail in the Aged

  • Living reference work entry
  • First Online:
Textbook of Aging Skin

Abstract

Nail abnormalities commonly affect the elderly population. These may represent either normal age-related nail changes or nail dystrophies that tend to be more common in the older population due to several factors. These factors, which include impaired circulation, faulty biomechanics, infections, neoplasms, and dermatological or systemic diseases, may affect the matrix, nail bed, hyponychium, or nail folds with secondary nail plate changes. These nail alterations may be symptomatic and may impair daily activities or may be associated with significant cosmetic problems leading to a negative psychological impact. Knowledge of these age-related nail changes and dystrophies as well as their underlying causes is important in order to effectively reach an accurate diagnosis and thus provide better care for the nail concerns of this large and growing elderly population.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Cohen PR, Scher RK. Geriatric nail disorders: diagnosis and treatment. J Am Acad Dermatol. 1992;26(4):521–31.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Singh G, et al. Nail changes and disorders among the elderly. Indian J Dermatol Venereol Leprol. 2005;71(6):386–92.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Horan MA, et al. The white nails of old age (Neapolitan nails). J Am Geriatr Soc. 1982;30(12):734–7.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Saraya T, et al. Terry’s nails as a part of aging. Intern Med. 2008;47(6):567–8.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Lynch MH, et al. Acidic and basic hair/nail (‘hard’) keratins: their colocalization in the upper cortical and cuticle cells of the human hair follicle and their relationship to ‘soft’ keratins. J Cell Biol. 1986;103:2593–606.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Ohgitani S, et al. Nail calcium and magnesium content in relation to age and bone mineral density. J Bone Miner Metab. 2005;23(4):318–22.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. van de Kerkhof PC, et al. Brittle nail syndrome: a pathogenesis-based approach with a proposed grading system. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2005;53(4):644–51.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Brosche T, et al. Age-associated changes in integral cholesterol and cholesterol sulfate concentrations in human scalp hair and finger nail clippings. Aging (Milano). 2001;13(2):131–8.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Lewis BL, Montgomery H. The senile nail. J Invest Dermatol. 1955;24(1):11–8.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Colombo VE, et al. Treatment of brittle fingernails and onychoschizia with biotin: scanning electron microscopy. J Am Acad Dermatol. 1990;23:1127–32.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Hochman LG, et al. Brittle nails: response to daily biotin supplementation. Cutis. 1993;51:303–5.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Gupta AK, Ricci MJ. Diagnosing onychomycosis. Dermatol Clin. 2006;24(3):365–9.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Gupta AK, Tu LQ. Therapies for onychomycosis: a review. Dermatol Clin. 2006;24(3):375–9.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Noel B. Surgical treatment of ingrown toenail without matricectomy. Dermatol Surg. 2008;34(1):79–83.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Baran R, Richert B. Common nail tumors. Dermatol Clin. 2006;24(3):297–311.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Andre’ J, Lateur N. Pigmented nail disorders. Dermatol Clin. 2006;24(3):329–39.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Holzberg M. Common nail disorders. Dermatol Clin. 2006;24(3):349–54.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. Dahdah MJ, Scher RK. Nail diseases related to nail cosmetics. Dermatol Clin. 2006;24(2):233–9.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. Rich P. Nail cosmetics. Dermatol Clin. 2006;24(3):393–9.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. Tosti A, et al. The nail in systemic diseases. Dermatol Clin. 2006;24(3):341–7.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  21. Piraccini BM, et al. Drug-induced nail diseases. Dermatol Clin. 2006;24(3):387–91.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Abdul-Ghani Kibbi .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2015 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

About this entry

Cite this entry

Rubeiz, N., Abbas, O., Kibbi, AG. (2015). Changes in Nail in the Aged. In: Farage, M., Miller, K., Maibach, H. (eds) Textbook of Aging Skin. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27814-3_23-2

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27814-3_23-2

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-27814-3

  • eBook Packages: Springer Reference MedicineReference Module Medicine

Publish with us

Policies and ethics