Nail psoriasis is a type of psoriasis that affects the nails on your fingers and toes. It is an autoimmune disease that causes your skin cells to reproduce quickly, which alters the way your nails look. Nail psoriasis can occur with or without psoriasis on the skin. Some common signs of nail psoriasis include tiny dents in the nails (nail pits), white, yellow, or brown discoloration, crumbling nails, nail(s) separating from your finger or toe, build-up beneath your nail, and blood under your nail. Nail psoriasis can also cause ridges or grooves in your nails, pitting (small pinprick holes) on the nail surface, debris buildup, and thickening of the nails.

Nail psoriasis is not contagious, and treatments can help improve symptoms. Good nail care is the best way to treat nail psoriasis, and some prevention tips include keeping your nails trimmed short, using a nail file to keep nail edges smooth, and wearing gloves to clean and do other work with your hands. The same treatments used for skin psoriasis can also treat nail psoriasis, but improvement from treatment happens slowly because nails grow slowly. Some treatment options for nail psoriasis include topical corticosteroids, intralesional corticosteroids, psoralen plus ultraviolet light A (PUVA), topical fluorouracil, topical calcipotriol, and phototherapy.

It is important to check your fingernails and toenails for signs of nail psoriasis if you have psoriasis. If you notice changes in your nails, contact your healthcare provider as soon as possible.