So I am sitting in front of the TV at my Mom’s* house reading the internet to her. So she asked me to ask you:
“What does it mean when your fingernails get vertical ridges?”
(I almost remember there is in fact some medical condition like high blood pressure that causes this, can anyone remind me?)
*Mom? She loved Vegas, thanks for asking.
Find a doctor.
According to this site, vertical ridges are normal, but horizontal ridges could indicate serious problems. Hope this helps.
Thank you FairyChatMom, I will bring this to her attention.
I’ve asked the dermatologists I work for about this, and the consensus is- the aging process. Getting old can be hard on the nails.
Well, if I’m correct in my understanding of what you’re describing, the condition could be from aging per se, psoriasis, or a condition called lichen planus. I suppose a fungal infection could do it also. I’m sure there are other causes (memorizing lists of potential dermatological diagnoses was never my strong suit)!
Mrs. Fear gets horizontal ridges after her chemotherapy.
Remarkable how much your fingernails tell about you. Bad diet, aging, chemo and all sorts of stuff impact on your nails.
^Then there’s that whole zinc thing. 
I never had ridges in my nails until I hit my mid-40s. They suck but it’s all part of gettin’ old.
Could also be a result of damaging the cuticle.
Slammed my finger in a door when I was small, and that nail has had vertical ridges for as long as I can remember (worse than in the picture, and prone to tearing straight down if it gets too long).