Why do I have wrinkled / wrinkly nails?

I'm a 17, almost 18 years old male and I've have wrinkled nails (kinda like vertical ridges that run up and down the top of my nail. I'm kinda worried because I'm afraid I might have a disease or something.. What causes these wrinkled nails? Am I malnourished? How do I get rid of these nails? What disease do I have? I have a pretty balanced diet.. I am a very active athlete and I eat healthy meals.. What's wrong?!?! :[

I have the same thing, so I just get one of those nail grinder things to scrape them off. I don't think that it's a disease, because MANY people I know have them.

It is caused by a fungus. Review the soaps and chemicals you use regularly. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for something to use on the nails.

I am a dermatology technician and it sounds like you have a nail fungus,as this is one of the symptome the other is yellowing of the nails. go to your doctor and have him confirm this and it can be treated with a prescription called lamosil.
you are not dying and the fungus will not spread to other parts of your body.

Your nails wrinkle because the growth rate is changing. Your nails are related to your hair in that the nail is actually composed of the same material as your hair and grows or not in exactly the same manner. The rate is determined by several things, your metabolism, your diet, your activities, your hydration. And it also could be a fungus as others have pointed out. It is most likely a fungus since you probably do not live in a 3rd world country where nutrition and water are prime suspects. Time to get a professional involved.

Instead of worrying just see a doctor it might be nothing

I'm not a doctor, this is not a diagnosis.....but my ex-wife had a condition on her finger-nails that cerated wrinkles and pitting......it was due to her contacting rhuemaic fever when she was very young.....also her nails didn't grow evenly across her finger-tips, they would grow from one side of her nail, faster than the other side.....there was nothing she could do about it...so she just lived with it....it didn't stop me from falling in love with her....everything else about her was beautiful to me.....no big deal......just keep them trimmed and polish them often.....you can cover the irregulatity with wraps if it really bothers you.....check with a dermatologist to determine if there is some kind of virus that may have cause your nail to have such a condition.....