Well, after much comparison and after realizing that pictures online are usually on the dramatic side, it looks like my nails are “Terry’s nails”. I WAS able to get rid of the white spots with extra zinc, but the nails are still flattening.
Yes, I read that longitudinal ridging can come with age (thank you for reminding me about AGE, mother1991. hee-hee), but I was suspicious because it seemed like the ridging, spotting, flattening and red line came on simultaneously and suddenly. It seemed too coincidental. Here’s a link to a Terry’s nail that looks almost exactly like mine:
http://bit.ly/rc7c6e Scroll down to “Terry’s nails” (And be glad you don’t have some of the other ones you’ll see on the way down. Eeks.) :)Diana