Hi all,
Thanks in advance for any advice you can give. I am a professional guitar player with growing concerns over the health of my fingernails. Over the past 5 years, I have practiced guitar daily on average of 3-4 hrs a day, with 1 hr a day minimum on "off" days. Since the start, I've noticed that the nail bed (and subsequently the overall length of the nail) of my ring finger on the left (guitar fretting) hand has gradually shortened. I believe that the trauma of fretting notes has introduced a stress point between the edge of the nail bed and the meat of the tip of my finger. This, in turn, is causing the nail to "uproot" from the nail bed. Currently, the nail bed on my left hand is approximately 2mm shorter than the nail bed on my right hand. It is only mildly painful, but the pain is long lasting, maybe even chronic. If I stop practicing, will my nail bed eventually grow back to size? Or is the condition and overall length of nail bed permanently separated from the nail? Is there any dietary supplement that can alleviate the wear and tear? One thing I forgot to mention, my fingernails have vertical ridges. People I've talked to have surmised that it is psoriasis I've inherited from my dad. Anyways, thanks for the advice.