Homemade recipes for white spots on the nails. Causes of white spots on fingernails

Often an indicator of the overall health of the body is the condition of the nail plate.

Changes in the appearance of nails can indicate health problems.

That is why, when monitoring your health, it is important to identify any nail disorders as early as possible, including white fingernails, and to seek qualified medical advice in a timely manner.

What can cause nail whitening?

Nail injuries. White spots on the nails, which may appear as dots or lines, are medically known as leukonychia. Very often they are caused by mechanical damage to the nail plate (for example, due to a hammer blow on the finger). White spots usually appear in the middle part of the nail. Keep in mind that nails grow very slowly, so the injury that caused the white patches to appear on the nails could have taken place several weeks before they occurred. Regardless of the source of the injury, these spots usually do not require treatment and disappear as the nail grows. And they shouldn't come back unless you hurt the nail again.
Allergic reaction on a nail care product or on acrylic nail extensions.
zinc deficiency. A lack of zinc in the human body is a common cause of white spots or stripes on the nails. Adding crabs, beef, nuts and other zinc-rich foods to your diet, as well as taking appropriate vitamins, will solve this problem.
protein deficiency. White fingernails can be the result of low doses of protein in the diet. A visible sign is horizontal white streaks running across the nail bed. After the protein level normalizes, these lines, as a rule, simply disappear.
calcium deficiency. Leukonychia is often associated with a lack of calcium in the body. There are even nail products on the market that contain the word "calcium" in their name. To treat calcium deficiency, it is enough to add orange juice or any other calcium-fortified food to your diet.
Onychomycosis of nails. This disease is characterized by opaque superficial white or almost white spots on the nail plates. If the disease affects the entire nail, it becomes brittle and deformed. Onychomycosis usually occurs in people who work hard physically, experience chronic emotional stress, or have metabolic disorders such as diabetes. It is important to see a doctor to diagnose the disease and rule out other conditions for the appearance of white nails.
Serious illnesses. If most of the nail plate is white, and not because the nail has separated from the nail bed, it is likely due to reduced blood flow to the nail bed. This condition is known as "Terry's nails". It was first described by the British physician Richard Terry, who studied this anomaly in a study of patients with cirrhosis of the liver. With Terry's symptom, white fingernails are a sign of serious problems in the body. That is why it is extremely important to see a doctor if you notice any changes in the color of your nails. The sooner you visit a specialist, the more effective the treatment will be.

Liver diseases such as hepatitis and cirrhosis are among the most serious causes of white spots on the nails.
Nails may partially turn white due to heart or kidney failure.
Anemia can lead to discoloration or whitening of the nails.
Nails that are half white and half brown are common in people who have undergone chemotherapy.

The nail on the hand turns white: how to deal with it

To hide the white spots, you can use pink nail polish or go for a manicure with yellow nail polish.

It is important to moisturize not only fingers, but also nails.

Massage your hands with vitamin E cream or lotion.

If you see that the nail on the hand is turning white, do not panic.

Patience and a balanced diet are paramount when dealing with this condition.

Consume calcium-rich foods and drinks.
Eat more fruits and vegetables rich in vitamin C.
Your diet should include foods high in sulfur, zinc, and iron.
Dry your fingers and fingernails and toenails after showering or bathing.
Some people suffer from the bad habit of biting their nails several times a day. This should be avoided at all costs, otherwise damaged nails become easy prey for a fungal infection. If you're unable to kick this habit, try clear nail polish. Few people like to bite their nails, while feeling the unpleasant taste of varnish in their mouths.

If the nail on the hand turns white as a result of Terry's symptom, then, first of all, it is necessary to eliminate the root cause of the disease.

Systemic disorders that are associated with Terry's nails include:

diabetes;
kidney failure;
cirrhosis of the liver;
pulmonary tuberculosis;
hyperthyroidism;
heart disease;
Reiter's syndrome.

It is worth noting

In some cases, Terry's nails may just be an age-related phenomenon.

Vinegar can be used to treat onychomycosis. Acetic acid is effective against many fungal organisms. A simple and side-effect-free vinegar compress can be used in combination with other treatments.

Apple or white vinegar is diluted halfway with water (or dark beer and probiotic powder) and nails are kept in this solution for 20-30 minutes a day.
This solution can be reused within three days.

There are many ways to diagnose diseases. But most of them “show” their symptoms to the patient already at very serious stages. But sometimes it is enough to look at the nails. Many are familiar with the white "speck" on the nail plates, which is called in medicine - leukonychia. And by its shape, quantity and even location, one can draw conclusions about health. Understanding the issue...

Types of leukonychia

There aren't many of them.

The classification by type is as follows:

Limited. That is, a partial lesion of the nail.
Striped. In this case, the manifestation of the disease is white stripes. May also contain white dots. Often appear after poisoning, for example, thallium or arsenic.
Spot. This species is identified by the formation of tiny white dots. The most "popular" type, usually associated with mechanical damage to the nails.
Total. The most difficult case, affecting the entire nail. Most often it is formed in the hole of the nail and at a very young age. Possible causes include fungus, kidney disease, infectious diseases, etc.

The main causes of white spots on the nails

In medicine, they are classified into several types.

Exogenous causes:

Illiterately executed.
Various nail injuries.
Factors of a chemical nature. That is, frequent contact with reagents, varnishes / paints, solvents, etc.

Endogenous causes:

Disturbed metabolism.
Various diseases of internal organs.
Diseases of an infectious nature.
Pathology of the gastrointestinal tract, liver or endocrine system.
Problems nervous system.
Skin diseases.
fungal infection. In this case, as a rule, there is a normotrophic type of onychomycosis. Of the symptoms, total leukonychia or white stripes / spots are usually distinguished.

Other reasons:

Avitaminosis.
Improper nutrition (diet).
Protein deficiency (paired stripes across the nail).

Treatment of leukonychia - which doctor should I contact?

Healthy nails should be smooth and pink. When spots or even stripes appear, it makes sense to consult a specialist in order to exclude serious diseases.

Who to contact? Gastroenterologist, dermatologist, mycologist, nephrologist, cardiologist and further as needed.
What examinations are needed? First of all, a general blood test. Further spectral analysis of the nail plate for trace elements. Analysis for the presence / absence of fungus (scraping). Checking the hepatobiliary system and the level of hormones in the blood.
How to treat? The doctor will prescribe treatment according to the cause of leukonychia. One scheme - with a fungus, completely different - with a disease of the kidneys or gastrointestinal tract. And if the cause is a nail injury, then treatment is not required at all - folk recipes (baths, creams) are enough.

Take care of your nervous system. No stress and depression!
Pay attention to sleep and nutrition.
Drink vitamins. Consult with your doctor - what kind of complex of vitamins or elements you need.
If you have fungus, follow your doctor's advice. Long-term treatment - up to six months. And you can't interrupt it. Do not be lazy - follow all the recommendations, because the fungus can spread to healthy nails.
Protect your hands from injury. Be careful with your manicure.
When using household chemicals, wear gloves.

Homemade recipes for white spots on nails

If you have already visited a doctor and made sure that there are no serious reasons for the appearance of spots, then you can use folk recipes to quickly fix the problem.

Rubbing liquid vitamins into nails. For these purposes, vitamin E or A is used.
Baths with potassium permanganate. We dissolve several crystals of the drug in warm water and lower the fingers into the container for 5-7 minutes. Then lubricate the nails with olive oil.
Rubbing garlic. We steam the fingers and spread gruel of fresh garlic on the nails. The time of such a mask for nails is about half an hour.
Mix olive oil with lemon juice (one to one) and smear the nails with the mixture along with the skin around them. After 25 minutes, wash off and treat with fish oil.
Bath with sea salt. Dissolve 2 tablespoons of salt in 500 ml of warm water. Soak your fingers in the solution for 25 minutes. After - rinse with cold water and lubricate with castor oil.
Bath with tea. In a glass of boiling water - 2 tablespoons of green tea. Dip your fingers in warm tea for 5-7 minutes.
Fish fat. An old recipe. Just rub this tool into the nails, massage the nail plates for about 5 minutes and then wash off the fat with water.
Healing cocktail. We mix 3 drops of iodine with 5 drops of vitamin A and with 60-65 ml of olive (can be almond) oil. We rub into the nails.

You can also use baths with chamomile and oak bark or a decoction of parsley with sea salt.

The human body is a unique system where all organs are interconnected. The disease of any organ affects others. Even in ancient China, they said that everything that happens inside a person is reflected outside. Skin, hair and nails are the first to react to adverse psychological conditions or changes in health. The nail plates of a healthy person are strong, uniform in color, even with a slight sheen. Often they give the first signal about a change in the state of human health. The appearance of white spots on the nails of the fingers is the reason due to the weakening of the immune system and other factors.

Brief description of the problem

The formation of snow-white stains and dots on the nails of the fingers is called leukonychia in medicine. This disease is a pathology that occurs when air spaces form between the layers in the keratinized nail plate. The problem can occur in men and women, in infants and the elderly.

There is an erroneous opinion among the people that this cosmetic defect is a sign of speedy luck, happy circumstances in a person's life. For example, the appearance of white spots on the nails of the middle finger means unexpected joy. Do omens matter? Everyone decides this question for himself.

Official medicine distinguishes several stages of this disease:

Small patches of milky color begin to appear on the nails. Several fingers are affected, the points are barely noticeable.
The appearance on the surface of the nail of a cluster of whitish marks or their combination into one large dotted formation.
Light dots form noticeable stripes on the surface of the nail plate. The longitudinal or transverse arrangement of the stripes helps the doctor determine which internal organ is affected by the disease.
Complete damage to the nails with white spots. At this stage, it is urgent to start therapy.

Important! In no case do not let the disease take its course, especially if the nature of the damage to the nail plates has become total. If the question arose of which doctor to contact with this problem, then it should be a dermatologist with extensive experience.

Often the culprits for the occurrence of leukonechia are external factors:

Frequent finger injuries. They lead to improper manicure, neglect of protective equipment during physical work.
Acrylic and gel nails popular with ladies can also seriously damage the plate.
The use of low-quality decorative varnishes, frequent contact with household chemicals without rubber gloves.
Fungal diseases are also often the cause of the lesion. In this case, in addition to the appearance of light dots, the nail may change shape or color.

However, nail health is affected not only by lifestyle, the specifics of work, but also by endogenous factors:

Lack of vitamins and minerals in the body. Improper nutrition, frequent diets, lack of protein foods deplete the body. With such an etiology of the problem, the nature and direction of the spots will depend on which vitamin the body lacks. For example, a lack of protein is expressed by the appearance of longitudinal paired whitish bands.
Problems of the kidneys, gastrointestinal tract. With kidney disease, protein is excreted from the organs, white spots form on the nails.
Frequent stressful situations, psychological stress, chronic fatigue. Even a single situation that makes you nervous can lead to the formation of large white spots. Nervous constant tension can cause a total defeat of the hands.
Transferred infection.

There are many factors that cause leukonychia. Some diagnose themselves based on the information they read in books or on the Internet. However, even an experienced doctor cannot identify the etiology of the disease on the basis of an external examination. To select a method of therapy, tests may be needed, as well as an examination by narrow specialists.

At-risk groups

As mentioned earlier, everyone is at risk of developing leukonychia, but certain populations deserve increased attention.

Very often, white pigmentation of the marigold appears during pregnancy, in nursing mothers. First of all, this is due to an acute shortage of iron in the body of the expectant mother. Low hemoglobin is the first sign of possible anemia. Having noticed these signs in herself, a woman in position should ask the doctor to prescribe a detailed blood test to identify which trace elements are missing. Based on the analysis, the doctor prescribes a vitamin complex, recommends a list of products, and tells how to treat this cosmetic defect.

Young children also often suffer from this disease. Parents can ask the pediatrician what is the reason for this phenomenon. In infants without signs of internal illness, eating well and actively awake, the source may be an incorrectly drawn up baby's daily routine.

In older children, the causes of whitish dot formations and stripes on the nails may be the following factors:

lack of protein;
hormonal disorders;
avitaminosis;
metabolic failure;
elevated sugar levels;
strong fright.

Treatment of signs of leukonychia in mothers and children requires a special approach, since their bodies are very vulnerable.

Remember! A minor cosmetic defect is a likely sign of a serious illness.

Treatment of leukonychia

For the treatment of problem nails, drugs prescribed by the attending dermatologist or traditional medicine can be used.

Drug therapy

Timely contacting a medical institution in the last stages of leukonychia is a very right decision. External manifestations of the disease may be the result of an internal disease or a whole complex of diseases. You can determine them by going through an extensive examination and passing the necessary tests. An experienced doctor, based on the results of the analysis, will prescribe medication to the patient.

In most cases, the main cause of the disease is a vitamin deficiency, which is easily eliminated by a course of vitamins.

Note! When choosing vitamins, consider compatibility. For example, calcium cannot be absorbed by the body without vitamin D.

If other diseases are detected, the doctor will prescribe tablets (flucanosole, levorin), antifungal drugs (nizoral or regular clotrimazole) or sedatives (motherwort extract, novo-passit, afobazole). As an addition to drug treatment, therapeutic cosmetic preparations are prescribed - fortified varnishes, creams and oils for nails and cuticles. For example, you can use smart enamel or a special cuticle oil enriched with vitamins.

The fight against leukonychia folk methods

It is possible to eliminate the lesion not only with medicines, treatment with folk remedies is also very successful.

First of all, determine what was the root cause of leukonychia. If this is frequent overwork, lack of sleep, nervous work, or chronic fatigue, try to get more rest, change your lifestyle for a while, review your diet, try to abstract yourself from problems. If possible, take a vacation.

A number of caring procedures will be effective in combating this problem and as a preventive method of caring for hands. Consider the most popular.

Baths for hands with sea or table salt will fill the nails with the necessary calcium. To prepare them, sea salt is dissolved in 500 ml of warm water and hands are held for at least 10 minutes.
Herbal infusions of oak bark and chamomile flowers, mixed in equal proportions, are also excellent for this preventive measure. After completion of the procedure, the surface of the nail is lubricated with nourishing oil.
Rubbing oil A and E, apricot kernel oil, olive oil or fish oil into the nail plate and cuticle can restore nail health.
Lemon juice is known as a bleaching agent. Regular use can make the white spot on the thumbnail less noticeable, for example.
Rubbing with iodine and adding it to baths and oils enriches the affected nail plates with these trace elements, removes harmful substances and leads to a decrease in the number of white spots.

To successfully combat the manifestations of leukonychia, it is desirable to use all available methods and drugs in combination. A measured way of life, following the recommendations of a doctor, a balanced diet and preventive measures of traditional medicine can save not only the appearance of whitish spots, but also cure and prevent the appearance of a number of serious ailments.

The condition of the nail plates directly depends on the health of the whole organism, which is an integral system. They should have a smooth surface and a pleasant pink tint, as the capillaries of the skin are visible through the transparent texture.

Any changes in the color, structure and relief of the horny plate, including the appearance of white spots on the nails of the fingers and toes, increased fragility, thinning and delamination at the tips, are a signal of disturbances in the functioning of internal organs and systems.

Nail pigmentation is most often associated with the appearance of small or large whitish spots, stripes, dots, single or multiple, on the legs or arms, and sometimes on all limbs at the same time. This phenomenon can be observed at any age and does not depend on the gender of the person. Today's article is devoted to the topic "White spots on the nails, what does this mean, the main causes of their occurrence, as well as possible methods for solving the problem."

White spots on the nails of a photo in women

In medical practice, there is the term leukonychia. This pathological condition progresses due to keratization of the nail plate - keratinization of the nail with the formation of microscopic air bubbles between the layers.

Scientists have not fully studied the etiology of leukonychia, but several main causes of it are reliably established, both exogenous (exposure to external factors) and endogenous (exposure to internal factors).

The most common disorders in the body that cause white spots on the nails include:

fungal infections (onychomycosis);
lack of certain compounds in the body: proteins and amino acids, trace elements (iron, calcium, copper, iodine and zinc) and vitamins (A, C, E, D);
an excess of ascorbic acid and retinol in the body;
unbalanced diet, strict diets, starvation;
anorexia;
dysbacteriosis;
anemia;
prolonged depression, nervous exhaustion, mental disorders;
violation of metabolic processes caused by various reasons;
poisoning with salts of heavy metals, such as mercury or arsenic;
pathology of the liver and gallbladder (cirrhosis, viral hepatitis, cholecystitis);
chronic kidney disease;
arthritis;
disorders in the work of the cardiovascular system.

External factors can also cause white spots on the nail, including:

injury to the nail as a result of impact or pinching;
mechanical damage to the stratum corneum due to illiterate manicure, traumatic removal of the cuticle;
regular wearing of false or gel nails due to lack of breath under synthetic coatings;
constant contact with toxic substances, including detergents and cleaning agents, paints and varnishes without protective gloves;
bad habit of biting fingernails;
wearing squeezing and uncomfortable shoes, especially made of synthetic materials, can provoke the appearance of white dots on the toenails;
white spots on the nails of the fingers (cause in women) - the use of low-quality base, coating and nail polish removers with a large amount of acetone or the use of solvents for these purposes that are not intended for external application;
stress, chronic fatigue, being in a constant sense of anxiety and despondency.

White spots on the nails of the hands or feet - what does it mean?

spots on the nails in children and adults

For example, with a lack of amino acids and protein compounds in the diet, dots and spots are located across the growth of nails.

Multiple white dots and stripes are the result of a lack of trace elements.

Existing malfunctions of the kidneys (renal failure) provoke the appearance of spots in the lower part of the nail plate (near the bed).

Vertically located spots may indicate the development of arthritis.

During pregnancy, white spots on the nails that appear are causes and consequences of a lack of trace elements, especially iron and vitamins.

Paired strips located across - a consequence of starvation and malnutrition.

Seasonal hypovitaminosis can provoke the formation of single white dots of a small size, and chronic beriberi is manifested by multiple spots (at the same time, there is a decrease in efficiency, drowsiness, excessive fatigue, drying of the skin, absent-mindedness).

A few small dots or 1-3 narrow strips that do not exceed the thickness of the hair - the consequences of injuries or burns from aggressive chemical substances.

On large toenails, white spots are most often caused by malfunctions in the digestive system and diseases of the digestive tract. Total leukochinia, when pink gaps are literally not visible on the nails, also speaks of problems in the intestines and stomach.

Brittle nails and the appearance of multiple vertical stripes are a sign of low hemoglobin in the blood and the development of anemia.

A single white spot on the nail of the thumb (less often on other fingers) of an impressive size - often appears as a reaction of the body to the effects of stress, disruption of the central nervous system, neurosis or depression. The larger the area of the round spot, usually located in the center of the nail, the closer you are to nervous exhaustion. As the psycho-emotional background normalizes, the spot grows along with the nail.

Fungal lesions most often begin with the appearance of white spots along the edges of the plate. In the future, their color changes to yellow, an unpleasant odor appears, the surface of the nail thickens, and an uneven, bumpy surface relief appears.

The blue or lilac shade of the horny plate with the simultaneous formation of one or more large spots located in different parts of the nail may indicate problems with the heart and blood vessels.

Which doctor should I contact?

Large white spots on the nails of the hands and feet are not just a cosmetic defect that can be hidden by covering the plates with colored varnish, but a reason to pay attention to the state of your health.

In order to establish the true cause of the appearance of white spots, a functional diagnosis of the whole organism is required with a mandatory visit to a specialist in diseases of the skin and its appendages - a dermatologist.

Treatment of nail diseases, folk remedies and tips

Based on the information provided, it becomes clear that the problem can be eliminated only by determining its cause. Adequate and timely treatment of internal pathologies will help to quickly restore the body, and when the underlying disease goes away, then the color of the nails normalizes on its own.

If the cause of trouble is a deficiency of trace elements, proteins and vitamins, then you should enrich the diet with food rich in them. Best of all, fresh seasonal vegetables and fruits, dried fruits, cereals, bran, nuts, seeds, seafood, seaweed, legumes, avocados, vegetable oils (corn, walnut, pumpkin, linseed, sesame, grape seed), fish fat, lean meat and offal.

Vitamin and mineral complexes suggested by the doctor will also help. To prevent the leaching of useful substances from the body during the recovery period, it is advisable to stop drinking alcohol and caffeine-containing drinks and junk food (fast food, sausages, margarine, sweets, smoked meats, canned food).

If the cause of trouble is onychomycosis, then local forms for and the use of antifungal drugs for internal use, which are prescribed by a dermatologist, will help. A nail treatment option is also possible, however, it should be understood that this natural remedy is effective only in the early stages of the disease.

If the appearance of dots on the nails is provoked by external factors, then it is enough to eliminate them so that the plates are fully restored. Micro air bubbles located between the layers of the nail will gradually grow back, and the new stratum corneum will be healthy.

The first result becomes noticeable after 3.5 months after the complete regrowth of the nail on the hands and after 6 months - on the legs.

As part of complex treatment it is possible to use folk remedies for the treatment of nails:

Local baths - foot or hand with the addition of (40 g of salt is taken for 400 ml of water);
from 100 ml of olive oil heated in a water bath, 1 capsule of vitamin A, 3 drops of iodine and a teaspoon of lemon juice;
Rubbing the plates with a slice of lemon - an ideal biological bleach and supplier of ascorbic acid;
Application of medical varnishes and transparent bases on the nail plates;
Massage of the limbs to improve blood circulation in them;
Wrapping nails with fish oil or, to which fat-soluble vitamins A and E are added (they can be purchased in encapsulated form at a pharmacy); after applying the nutrient, put cotton gloves on your hands or cotton socks on your feet and go to bed;
Lubrication of nails with tea tree essential oil.

For the entire period of treatment, it is advisable to abandon gel nail extensions, overlays, the use of varnish and the use of acetone removers.

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

So is it possible to get rid of stains or not? Today, social networks are actively discussing the transformation of a student who completely got rid of the spots that covered her body from head to toe in 30 days. How is this possible?

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:

Do not bite or pull burrs, always use special wire cutters.
Keep them dry and clean. It is better to trim your nails after bathing, when they are still quite damp and soft.
Using sharp nail scissors, cut them straight across, rounding the tips neatly.
If there are problems with brittle or weakened nails, keep them short to avoid breaking them.
If you are getting a professional manicure or pedicure, you need to make sure that the nail salon is certified, which means that they use the correct methods of sterilization and care.
Active use should be avoided. It is important to apply lotion to moisturize nails and nail cuticles.
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 may be due to 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.