Why do white spots appear on nails? What does this mean? How to treat it?

INNA CODRU , JULY 23, 2018

Many things can ruin a first impression. For example, bitten and untidy nails. But even if everything is in order with neatness, then the white spots that appear out of nowhere on the fingernails reduce your self-confidence to nothing. Although these white spots on the nails can usually be a sign of vitamin and mineral deficiencies, these spots can also be the result of a fungal infection. Would you like to know if there are any natural remedies for this problem? Read on and we'll tell you everything.

LEUKONYCHIA, OR WHITE SPOT ON THE NAIL

White spots appearing on the fingernails or toenails are a sign of a condition commonly called leukonychia. Such spots usually appear on the nail plates of the fingers or toes. They are not painful, but can disturb a person in an aesthetic sense.

Some people have white spots that appear as small dots all over the nail area, while others can have large spots that cover almost the entire surface of the nail.

White spots on the nail beds of fingers or toes is a common occurrence and is often the result of any of the following factors, which we will look at.

WHY DID WHITE SPOT APPEAR ON THE NAILS?

The unexpected appearance of white spots on the nails is due to:

• Allergic reaction to any product you use for your nails


• Fungal infections (eg, white superficial onychomycosis)


• As a result of physical injury to the nail


• Lack of certain minerals, namely zinc and calcium

These white patches vary in appearance and can appear in a variety of forms. The most common of them are listed below.

MANIFESTATION OF LEUKONICHIA

White spots have several types:

• Tiny, "scattered" points on the nail


• Large lines across the entire surface of the nail


• Large, isolated spots

Depending on the causes of the appearance, these white spots may differ in their appearance:

• A bruised nail can also result in large white spots in the center of the nail plate.


• Allergies often cause small dots all over the nail.

If the white spots that have appeared begin to bother you, and you want to immediately start getting rid of them, then you have come to the right page. Here are some great home remedies to help get those white spots off your fingernails.

HOW TO REMOVE WHITE SPOTS FROM NAILS AT HOME

1. ESSENTIAL OIL

a. Tea tree oil

You will need:

• 6 drops tea tree oil


• 15 ml olive oil

What should be done:

• Mix six drops of tea tree oil with 15 ml of olive oil.


• Apply this mixture on your nails and massage well.


• Leave it on for 15-20 minutes, then wash off the residue with warm water.

How often?

You should do this 1 or 2 times a day for one week.

Why should this help?

Tea tree oil has a strong antimicrobial property that helps eliminate white spots from your nails. This remedy will be especially needed if the white spots are the result of a fungal infection.

b. lavender oil

You will need:

• 6 drops of lavender oil


• 15 ml olive or coconut oil

What should be done:

• Add 6 drops of lavender oil to 15 ml of carrier oil (olive or coconut oil).


• Apply the mixture on your nails and massage well.


• Leave the mixture on for 15 minutes before washing it off with water.

How often?

Do this, preferably twice a day, until you notice improvement.

Why should this help?

Lavender oil has wonderful anti-fungal properties that help in treating stubborn white spots caused by fungus infection. The anti-inflammatory properties and analgesic properties of this oil can speed up healing and reduce pain if white spots appear as a result of any injury.

2. VITAMINS AND MINERALS

A lack of vitamin C, as well as calcium or zinc, can lead to white spots on your fingernails or toenails. So you need to replenish the required amount of these nutrients by adding the necessary foods to your diet.

This includes citrus fruits, leafy vegetables, seafood, nuts, chicken, milk, yogurt and sardines. The listed products will be an excellent source of nutrients necessary for nails.

3. LEMON JUICE

You will need:

• 1-2 tsp lemon juice


• A few drops of olive oil

What should be done:

• Mix lemon juice with a few drops of olive oil.


• Apply this mixture on your nails.


• Wash it off after 20-30 minutes.

How often?

You must do this once a day.

Why should this help?

Lemon juice is a great remedy to help you get rid of those white spots on your nails. It is rich in vitamin C, which gives you those healthy nails you want, without stains and other discolorations of the nail plate.

4. COCONUT OIL

You will need:

• A few drops of organic coconut oil

What should be done:

• Take a few drops of coconut oil and rub it into your nails in smooth motions.


• Leave it on all night.

How often?

Do this daily for best results.

Why should this help?

Coconut oil has many benefits, especially when we start talking about treating white spots on your nails. This oil has anti-fungal and anti-inflammatory properties that will help treat both fungal infections and injuries that may have caused white spots.

5. FOOD SODA

You will need:

• Half a glass of baking soda


• 50 ml regular 9% apple cider vinegar


• 50ml warm water

What should be done:

• Take half a glass of baking soda and mix with 50 ml of apple cider vinegar.


• Add warm water and mix well.


• Pour the mixture into a large bowl and place your fingers in it for 15 to 20 minutes.

How often?

You need to do this once a day for a week.

Why should this help?

Baking soda has disinfectant properties that can help treat the infection responsible for white spots on fingernails or toenails. Its alkaline environment will aid in removing the stains themselves, and also help prevent new white spots from forming.

6. YOGHURT

You will need:

• 1 small bowl of classic yogurt

What should be done:

• Place your fingers in a bowl of yogurt for 15-20 minutes.


• Then wash your hands with warm water.

How often?

Do this once a day for 10 days.

Why should this help?

Yogurt exhibits antifungal effects due to the naturally occurring microbes present in it. This is an excellent remedy for treating white spots caused by a fungal infection.

6. GARLIC

You will need:

• Minced garlic, few cloves

What should be done:

• Grind a few cloves of garlic and apply it on the surface of the nails.


• Cover your fingers with a clean cloth and let the garlic work on them.


• Once the paste dries, remove the cloth and rinse with warm water.

How often?

It is necessary to carry out such a procedure once a day for a week.

Why should this help?

Garlic has very strong anti-fungal and anti-inflammatory properties. This remedy can also work well against white spots that have arisen both as a result of injury to the nail and as the consequences of fungal infections.

6. ORANGE OIL

You will need:

• 6 drops of orange essential oil


• 15ml any carrier oil (olive or coconut oil)

What should be done:

• Add six drops of orange oil to 15 ml of any carrier oil.


• Apply this mixture on your nails and leave it on for 15 to 20 minutes.


• Rinse everything off with clean water.

How often?

Use this once a week until a positive result is achieved.

Why should this help?

Orange oil helps in the treatment of any (!) fungal infections on the nails. This is due to its strong anti-fungal properties, which also helps to achieve a positive result in the fight against white spots on the nails.

Keep using your chosen remedies until you get the results you want. Here are some tips to prevent these white spots from appearing.

While you can continue to use all of the remedies we have discussed above until you get the desired results, it is also advisable to follow some additional tips to prevent the recurrence of white spots on the nails. These tips include:

• Avoid direct contact with questionable nail products (they may cause irritation).


• Avoid excessive use of nail polish.


• Keep your nails clean and well groomed.


• Moisten your hands after washing dishes or after any other prolonged exposure to detergents.

White spots can be easily avoided by taking good care of your hands and nails. Don't let them ruin the look of your hands! Try the suggested remedies and say goodbye to white spots on your nails forever.

ANSWERS OF EXPERTS TO READERS' QUESTIONS

Which nutrient deficiency causes white spots on the nails?

Lack of vitamins such as vitamin C and minerals such as zinc and calcium. It is their lack that can lead to deterioration in the condition of your nails and can cause white spots or lines to appear on your nails.

White semicircles on the base of the nail, what is it?

The white semicircles at the base of your nails are called lunules. The lunula is an integral part of a healthy nail and is an indicator of proper nail growth.

How long does it take for white spots on nails to disappear?

White dots on nails, especially those caused by a fungal infection, may take several months to heal before disappearing as your nails need to completely renew themselves.

Many people have met with such a phenomenon as white spots on the nails of the hands. If there are few spots and as the nail grows, they disappear, then there is no reason to worry. With the constant appearance of white spots or stripes, you should not hide them behind a manicure, thinking that this is just a small problem. In this case, we can talk about such a pathology as leukonychia.

White spots are formed in the nail plate at the time of its keratinization. They are microscopic air bubbles and signal a malfunction or disturbance in the body. The state of external human organs, such as skin, hair, nails, depends on the work of internal organs. Therefore, a violation in the body after a while is manifested by problems that are visible.

It is important to note

Diagnosis of human diseases by the external condition of the integument has long been used in China. In modern medicine, this is taken into account during the examination. An experienced doctor can tell a lot about the condition of the patient's skin, hair, nails.

White spots on the nails of the hands can be of different shapes and sizes. They can occupy a certain place on the nail plate, have a different arrangement in relation to each other. Based on this, we can talk about a particular problem with which they were caused. The spots on the nails themselves do not harm them in any way, but are a symptom of various diseases. It is these diseases that need to be treated to eliminate white spots on the nails.

Leukonychia can be expressed in the following ways:

• limited: partial damage to the nail plate;
• total: staining of the entire nail;
• striped: in the form of white stripes;
• pinpoint: dotted white spots.

Spots or lines on the nails may be the result of an injury. In this case, they pass as the nail grows. If there are no external damaging factors for their manifestation, then it is necessary to be examined by a doctor to identify the cause. White fingernails can be caused by a number of diseases that require mandatory treatment.

White spots on the nails: causes and treatment

Healthy nails are pink and have white semi-circles at the base of the nail called the lunula. A well-developed and clear lunula speaks of a healthy body. If it is thin and mild, then this may indicate problems in the work of certain organs. With age and aging of the body, the white semicircles at the base of the nail begin to thin and gradually disappear. This happens in sequence from little finger to thumb.

If a well-defined white lunula speaks of health, then the white spots that are constant companions, on the contrary, are about serious violations. It is difficult to diagnose the disease that caused the spots on the hands. You can help with this by understanding the main reasons for their appearance. To do this, you need to analyze your lifestyle, identify shortcomings.

Causes of white spots on the nails:

1. Lack of vitamins and minerals in the body is most often considered as the cause of this disease. Especially often white dots under the nails occur in children and pregnant women. To eliminate this reason, it is necessary to take a vitamin-mineral complex and include healthy foods in the diet.
2. Gastrointestinal and metabolic disorders. Especially if it is associated with strict diets or irregular meals. With a protein deficiency, white stripes may appear under the nails, arranged in pairs. In this case, the nails become not only striped, but also brittle. During digestion, all substances, including harmful ones, are deposited in the hair, nails, and skin. Therefore, such digestive problems as dysbacteriosis, indigestion and others affect the condition of the nails.
3. White stripes under the nails can appear as a result of liver disease. This also includes a number of infectious diseases. Intoxication of the body is often clearly manifested on the external organs of a person.
4. Appeared white dots under the nails may indicate vascular disorders. The nail bed contains a large number of capillaries. Their damage can cause discoloration of the nail plate.
5. Frequent stress and climate change can cause changes in the nail plate. In this case, the spots are usually single, having a different shape and size.
6. Injury to the nail or damage to it by chemicals can lead to numerous specks that are randomly located. Poor quality manicure often causes injuries to the nail plate. Nail damage also contributes to constant contact with chemicals.
7. White spots on the nails are due to a fungal nail disease. The fungus may not manifest itself for a long time. Sometimes it is detected when the deformation of the nail plate occurs and spots appear.

As can be seen from the above, if white spots appear on the nails, the reasons may be different. Treatment of leukonychia will be successful with an accurate diagnosis.

Leukonychia treatment:

• Lubricate the nails with an oily solution of vitamin A or E (you can use fish oil). After 15 minutes, put your hands in a warm bath with saline. Take a hand bath for about 20 minutes. Dry your hands with a towel. Apply a nourishing cream to the nails.
• Take hand baths with decoctions of chamomile, parsley, oak bark.
• Use a healing varnish that contains calcium and minerals.

If the stains on your nails were caused by injury, stress, or poor nutrition, you can restore their healthy appearance yourself.

Treatment of leukonychia with lifestyle changes:

• intake of proper and balanced food;
• saturation of the body with microelements and vitamins;
• proper sleep and rest;
• walks in the open air.

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There are many ways to diagnose diseases. External examination, questioning the patient, radiography, ultrasound diagnostics, as well as computed tomography can tell a lot about our health. But only in the case when the disease has already developed or is in a stage close to the beginning of development. And what to do if there is neither an ultrasound machine nor a tomograph at hand? Or the disease is still imperceptible? So, many people think about the causes of white spots on the fingernails. Where do they come from and what do they signal?

Take a look at the nails

Nails, as well as hair and skin, are the first to signal that not everything is fine in the body. If you change the color, shape and general condition of the nail plates, a reason to consult a doctor.

In China, for example, examining nails is the main thing when a patient comes in, because. the energy channels of the hands are directly connected with the internal organs.

Nails tell us about the changes in health that have occurred over the past six months. This happens because this period is required for the complete renewal of the nail plate. The appearance of inclusions on it can also indicate a genetic predisposition to the disease. Knowing this, it is possible to carry out the prevention of many diseases.

The nails determine the presence of hepatitis, tuberculosis, bronchial asthma, cancer. This list can include pathology of the kidneys and diseases of the spine, disorders in the circulatory system, and even a fungus.

The main causes of white spots

Before you go to the doctor, still try to figure out on your own what is the cause of the poor condition of the nails. Thus, you will facilitate the work of the doctor, because the treatment of the disease is to eliminate the cause, not the symptom.

What can you do yourself? First, restore your daily routine. Take a vacation or just try to rest more often. Review your diet, make nutrition more complete. Vegetables, fruits, vegetable and animal proteins are what you need in this case. Fermented milk products, spinach, parsley and celery are useful. Drink a course of vitamins, micro and macro elements.

Fungal diseases can be recognized by the accompanying itching and burning, the appearance of cracks in the skin. This is the hypostasis of a dermatovenereologist - it is he who should pay a visit in the coming days. You can go to a regular clinic or a private institution. Treatment of the fungus should not be trusted by masters in beauty salons.

Injury to the nail is not subject to treatment. You have to wait until it grows back. But you can help the regrowth process with the help of castor oil, tea tree oil or special healing creams. Oil solutions of vitamins A and E are also used.

Microtraumas resulting from poor-quality manicure, as well as damage caused by chemicals, can be corrected at home. Hot therapeutic baths should be done daily, followed by the application of nutritional formulations.

Of the drugs, fluconazole, levorin are effective, among antifungal drugs - nizoral and clotrimazole. When choosing vitamins, pay attention to the compatibility of some of them. For example, calcium cannot be absorbed without vitamin D.

Here are some tips for nail care at home:

1. Salt baths. Add a little table or sea salt to a container of warm water. Dip your hands in there and hold for about ten minutes. Repeat this procedure at least twice a week.
2. Herbal infusions. Buy oak bark and chamomile flowers at the pharmacy. Mix in equal proportions and brew. Make the same bath as in the case of salt. At the end of the procedure, lubricate the nails with nourishing oil.
3. Iodine. They can lubricate the affected areas, as well as add to hot baths.
4. Lemon juice and various oils. Did you know that nails love acid and grease the most? If not, then here are some great remedies for preventing breakage and other problems. After cutting the lemon in half, place your nails directly into the lemon pulp and hold for a while. Lemon juice, among other things, also whitens. Take whatever oil you have at home, whether cosmetic or vegetable, and lubricate your nails and cuticles as often as possible throughout the day. The appearance of the hands will return to normal very quickly.

You can also use compositions of several ingredients:

• 65 milliliters of olive oil, 5 drops of vitamin A and three drops of iodine;
• dissolve five drops of lemon juice in one hundred milliliters of warm vegetable oil;
• add a tablespoon of sea salt to the warm parsley broth.

Remember that the presence of white spots on the nails is not a happy omen, as some people think, but a signal that your body needs help. Don't ignore him.

A pathological change in the nail plates, the symptoms of which are white spots on the nails of the fingers of the left and right hands, sometimes including discolored stripes on the nails, has the medical name leukonychia.

The disease affects not only the fingers, white spots on the toenails are formed for the same reasons, and are associated with keratization (keratinization) of the plates.

Causes of the disease

What do these changes mean? The most common cause of white spots on the nails of the fingers is a slight damage to the nail matrix - the base from which it begins to grow.

Damage to the matrix causes the formation of microscopic air bubbles between the layers of the nail and propagating along the nail plate.

Symptoms of leukonychia associated with damage to the nails disappear as they grow. Most often, these changes are harmless and occur in healthy people.

Usually, white spots under the nails are not associated with a lack of nutrition or any disease. However, nutritional deficiencies can trigger the development of leukonychia.

Other reasons why white spots appear on the nails include health-related disorders:

• deficiency of zinc, iron, or protein in the body;
• psychological stress;
• heart diseases;
• cirrhosis of the liver;
• avitaminosis;
• pneumonia;
• ulcerative colitis;
• psoriasis and eczema;
• kidney failure;
• arsenic or lead poisoning;
• general deterioration in human health.

Frequent and occupational finger injuries also contribute to the development of the disorder.

Types of leukonychia

In medicine, several types of leukonychia are distinguished. It can be total, limited, strip-like, longitudinal and point types of the disease. Each has its own symptoms.

Leukonychia total

This condition is associated with damage to the entire nail plate. Leukonychia totalis may be a clinical sign of hypoalbuminemia, a pathological condition associated with a low level of albumin protein in the body, occurring in several disorders:

• liver failure;
• enteropathy (loss of plasma proteins through the gastrointestinal tract);
• nephrotic syndrome (a form of renal failure);
• protein malabsorption, or protein-energy malnutrition.

Genetic factors, as well as the side effects of sulfonamides (antimicrobial agents) can also cause damage to the entire plate area.

Leukonychia limited

This condition causes whitening of part of the nail plate, and is diagnosed when small white dots appear on it.

There are several variants of limited leukonychia, the signs of which include the formation of dots, transverse and longitudinal stripes on the nail.

Changes in the state of health in leukonychia limited can lead to leukonychia total.

Leukonychia striate

This type of leukonychia causes discoloration of the nail in the form of white stripes that form parallel to the lunula (the crescent at its base).

The condition is usually caused by physical damage or destruction of the matrix. Typical examples of such injuries include excessive pressure or pinching of the nail with doors, or the frequent use of manicures in women.

In addition, it can be caused by metal poisoning (most often lead), as well as cirrhosis of the liver and chemotherapy.

Sometimes this pathology is inherited genetically in an autosomal dominant manner. The cause of this condition is also associated with a large number of systemic diseases. Serious infections that cause fever, measles, or herpes also cause this disease.

Leukonychia striatum can also develop on the big toe nail as a result of a shoe injury.

In many cases, there is no obvious reason for the disorder, but the streaks usually resolve on their own.

There is a similar condition to streak-like leukonychia, which differs in that the streaks disappear when the plate is pressed and do not migrate with nail growth.

Leukonychia punctata

This condition is its most common form, in which small white spots appear on the nails. The structure and number of spots often change as the nails grow.

Most often, if white spots appear on one or more fingers or toes, the cause of punctate leukonychia is damage to the base (matrix) of the nail.

In addition to keratinization of the nail layer, the cause of the condition can also be air trapped between the nail layers or injury to the plate itself.

In a child, symptoms of punctate leukonychia are often caused by nail biting as they grow.

If leukonychia punctata is caused by damage to the plate itself, the white spots disappear after about eight months, which is the time period in which the plate is completely replaced as it grows.

Longitudinal leukonychia

This nail condition develops much less frequently than other types of leukonychia and involves the formation of white longitudinal lines less than 1 mm in size visible under the plate.

Common causes of longitudinal leukonychia are beriberi, micronutrient deficiencies, poor circulation, bowel problems, and arthritis.

Longitudinal leukonychia is also associated with Darier's disease, which is said to be caused by keratinization of the cells of the epidermis of the skin.

Diagnosis and treatment

When establishing the causes of leukonychia, the medical history is carefully studied, and blood tests are prescribed to identify which vitamins are lacking in the human body.

Liver and kidney function tests are also done to find out what the symptoms of the disease mean in a particular case.

When determining the causes of the disease, the analysis of intracellular blood cells is considered more accurate than tests that measure plasma levels of blood.

When a disease is detected, its special treatment is usually not carried out. However, a decrease in the symptoms of leukonychia is often noted with improved nutrition, which compensates for the deficiency of essential trace elements in the blood.

It is recommended to eat more foods rich in protein, zinc, as well as vitamins and minerals. Nuts, as well as leafy vegetables, are rich in zinc, and with regular use of them, the symptoms of the disease usually decrease significantly.

If the nail problem is caused by anemia, treatment includes taking folic acid tablets and iron supplements. If symptoms appear due to kidney failure, the underlying disease is treated.

Appropriate remedies are also used if there are liver problems or an ulcer.

Prevention of leukonychia

You can reduce the likelihood of developing pathology by taking better care of your fingers and protecting them from excessive physical impact and injury.

What does this mean in practice? Prevention that reduces the number of nail problems includes a number of tips:

1. Do not bite or pull burrs, always use special wire cutters.
2. Keep them dry and clean. It is better to trim your nails after bathing, when they are still quite damp and soft.
3. Using sharp nail scissors, cut them straight across, rounding the tips neatly.
4. If there are problems with brittle or weakened nails, keep them short to avoid breaking them.
5. If a professional manicure or pedicure is being performed, you need to make sure that the nail salon is certified, which means that they use the correct methods of sterilization and care.
6. Active use should be avoided. It is important to apply lotion to moisturize nails and nail cuticles.
7. It is necessary to consult a doctor if there are additional problems with the development of the disease in order to rule out any serious complications.

If there is no improvement in symptoms within 2-8 months, it is best to consult with your doctor to determine if the disease is the result of any health problems or an undiagnosed infection.

Conclusion

Symptoms of leukonychia can be associated with damage to the base of the nail or nutritional deficiencies in the body, and only in rare cases is it caused by systemic diseases.

Before the disappearance of pathological symptoms, the use of nail polish is recommended to hide the resulting white spots. However, varnish sometimes causes similar symptoms and should be used with caution.