I have got ridges running down my nails - is something wrong?

Lengthwise (vertical) ridges are usually a normal part of ageing and rarely a concern. Deep grooves running across the nail (Beau's lines) often follow an illness or stress and simply grow out. Get a check if they keep recurring, or if a nail changes in a way you cannot explain.

There is a dark line down my nail - should I panic?

No need to panic - dark streaks are common and often harmless (a knock, or a normal finding in people with darker skin, where several nails may be affected). But a new streak that is widening, is in one nail only, or where the colour spreads onto the surrounding skin should be shown to a doctor promptly, just to be safe.

My toenail is thick and yellow - is that serious?

Usually this is a fungal infection - a common nuisance rather than a danger, and a GP or pharmacist can advise on treatment. It is the pigmented (dark) or shape changes, such as spooning or clubbing, that point elsewhere and are worth a doctor's check.

My nails are pale and I feel tired - is that linked?

It can be - pale or spoon-shaped nails alongside tiredness may suggest iron deficiency or anaemia, which a simple blood test can check. It is worth booking a GP visit rather than guessing, especially if you are also breathless or run down.

Nail Changes: What They Mean and When to See a Doctor (SG)

Written & reviewed by the BestDoctors.sg editorial team · Last updated 29 Aug 2026 · General information, not medical advice

Quick answer. Nails change for all sorts of everyday reasons – a knock, footwear, ageing, a past illness growing out, or a fungal infection – and most changes are harmless and slowly self-correct. A few patterns are worth a check: a new dark streak or band down a nail (especially in one nail, widening, or with pigment spreading to the surrounding skin), new clubbing (fingertips becoming rounded and bulbous), spoon-shaped or persistently pale nails (possible iron deficiency), or the skin around a nail becoming red, swollen and painful (infection). Nail changes are rarely a 995 emergency but some deserve prompt assessment. This is general information, not a diagnosis.

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In a medical emergency, or for severe or sudden symptoms such as breathing difficulty, chest pain, fainting or stroke signs, call 995 immediately.

What to look for

Nails can change in colour (a new dark streak or band, or pale, yellow or blue nails), in shape (clubbing, spoon-shaped nails, pitting, or ridges), in texture (thickening, brittleness, crumbling or splitting), or by separating from the nail bed. The skin around the nail can also become red, swollen or sore. Most of these have ordinary explanations, but the pattern worth the most attention is a new pigmented (dark) streak, and the ones worth a routine check are new clubbing and spoon-shaped or pale nails. Knowing what is normal for your nails helps an unusual change stand out.

Common, harmless causes

Most nail changes are benign. Injury – a knock or repeated pressure from tight shoes or sport – can bruise a nail dark, lift it, or make it fall off and regrow; fingernails take around six months to regrow and toenails longer. Fungal infection is a common cause of thickened, yellow, crumbly nails – usually a nuisance rather than a danger. Ageing naturally thickens nails and adds harmless lengthwise ridges. Habits and exposures – nail biting, varnish, frequent water or chemical contact – play a part. Beau’s lines (deep grooves across the nail) often follow an illness, fever or stress and simply grow out. Skin conditions such as psoriasis can cause pitting. Most of these need no more than gentle care or simple treatment.

Changes worth a closer look

A few nail changes can flag something systemic. A new dark streak or band under or along a nail – especially one that is widening, is in a single nail, changes over time, or where pigment spreads onto the surrounding skin (a feature doctors call Hutchinson’s sign) – can rarely be a melanoma under the nail, so the NHS advises seeing a doctor about a dark area under a nail not caused by injury. Clubbing – fingernails curving over rounded, bulbous fingertips – can be linked to lung, heart, liver or bowel conditions. Spoon-shaped nails and persistently pale nails can accompany iron deficiency or anaemia. Nail changes can also reflect thyroid disease, diabetes and circulation problems – usually managed routinely, but a reason to see a doctor rather than self-diagnose.

How urgent is it?

Nail changes are almost never a 995 emergency, so the usual step is to book a doctor rather than rush to A&E. See a doctor promptly for a new dark streak or band with no injury to explain it – especially if it is widening, in one nail, or the pigment is spreading to the skin around the nail; for new finger clubbing; for spoon-shaped or persistently pale nails; for a nail that has changed shape or colour and you do not know why; or for a fast-growing or bleeding lump at the nail. Seek same-day care if the skin around a nail becomes red, swollen, warm and painful, or oozes pus (an infection) – more urgently if you have diabetes or poor circulation, or the redness is spreading with fever. Rarely, heavy bleeding after a nail injury, or a spreading infection with feeling very unwell, needs emergency care.

Checking your nails safely

Look over all your nails, fingers and toes, in good light now and then. For a dark streak, note whether it is in one nail or several, whether it is getting wider, and whether the colour reaches the skin or cuticle – a dated photo helps track change. Protect your nails with well-fitting shoes, gloves for wet or chemical work, and gentle nail care, and do not dig out or self-remove a lifting nail. Thickened yellow nails are usually a harmless fungal infection, but a pigmented change is a different question and warrants a look. Get a professional check for any of the patterns above, or if a change persists or worries you.

Getting it checked

A doctor will examine the nail and the skin around it, ask how the change came on, and look for signs pointing elsewhere in the body. Many changes – ridges, a bruised nail, a fungal infection – are diagnosed on sight. Where a pigmented streak, clubbing or another systemic sign is present, a doctor may arrange blood tests, imaging or a referral; a suspicious nail pigment may need a sample taken. In Singapore, a GP or polyclinic is a good first stop and can refer to dermatology or another specialty as needed. If pale or spoon-shaped nails come with tiredness, a simple blood test can check for iron deficiency or anaemia.

The bottom line

Nails change for many ordinary reasons, and most changes are harmless and settle with time or simple care. The patterns worth acting on are a new dark streak in a nail (especially widening, in one nail, or spreading to the skin), new clubbing, and spoon-shaped or pale nails – and any nail change you cannot explain or that worries you. These are checks to book rather than emergencies, but they are worth not sitting on, because a nail can occasionally be the first place a wider condition – from iron deficiency to, rarely, a melanoma – shows itself.

Related “when to see a doctor” topics

Sources

NHS – Nail problems: nhs.uk
NHS – Melanoma skin cancer symptoms: nhs.uk
NHS – Iron deficiency anaemia: nhs.uk

General information only. This guide helps you decide when a change is worth getting checked – it does not diagnose you or replace advice from a doctor. Most such changes have ordinary causes, but some need assessment, so if a change is persistent, unexplained, or worrying you, see a doctor. Call 995 or go to A&E for any sudden change – sudden face, arm or leg weakness or numbness, sudden trouble speaking, sudden loss of balance or vision, or a sudden severe headache – as these can be signs of a stroke, and act FAST even if the symptoms pass. Also seek emergency care for a severe, rigid or very painful abdomen, or for sudden confusion with fever. This guide does not give medication doses; never start, stop or change prescribed medicine without medical advice.