Psoriasis around fingernails: what to know

Nail-area psoriasis may cause pits, grooves, ridges, colour change, crumbling, thickening, or separation of the nail from its bed. The skin around a nail can become dry, red, scaly, cracked, or tender. A fungal infection, injury, or allergic reaction can produce similar changes, and both conditions can occur together. Nail growth is slow, so improvement may not be visible immediately even when inflammation is settling. Fingernail changes can also accompany psoriasis elsewhere or joint symptoms.

Keep nails trimmed to a comfortable length and file rough edges instead of tearing them. Wear gloves for wet work, cleaning, and contact with detergents; dry hands carefully afterwards and moisturise the surrounding skin. Avoid biting, cuticle cutting, pushing back cuticles, and picking under a lifted nail. Remove artificial nails or polish if they cause soreness or trapping of moisture. Do not share nail tools, and clean tools between uses. A clinician can recommend a treatment that reaches the nail bed or surrounding skin safely.

Book an assessment if a nail is persistently changing, lifting, painful, or interfering with daily tasks. Prompt care is needed for spreading redness, warmth, swelling, drainage, or throbbing pain around the nail. Mention morning stiffness, swollen fingers, or pain in a finger joint, because these symptoms may need evaluation alongside the skin and nails. A clinician may examine several nails and test for infection before choosing treatment.

Could this be nail psoriasis, infection, or trauma? Should the nail be tested before treatment? Which hand-care products are suitable? What signs of joint involvement should I report?