I have these white spots on my fingernails....?

Question

I have a pretty good diet and exercise a few times a week. I'll admit it could all be better but anyway what are those annoying spots? And how can i make them go away and prevent them from coming back? Thanks.

Answer 1

Common Nail Disorders
Nail disorders comprise about 10 percent of all skin conditions. Due to their location, nails take a lot of abuse. Most of us have closed fingers in doors, suffered from ingrown toenails, or endured minor nail or nail fold infections. Sometimes, toenail injuries result from poor fitting shoes or athletic activity. Although they might be unsightly for a while due to the nail's slow growth rate, most minor nail injuries heal on their own. More serious injuries or disorders require professional treatment. Symptoms that could signal nail problems include color or shape changes, swelling of the skin around the nails, pain, the persistence of white or black lines, dents or ridges in the nail, and should be reported to a dermatologist.

White Spots are small, semi-circular spots that result from injury to the base (matrix) of the nail where nail cells are produced. They are not a cause for concern and will eventually grow out. White spots are very common and usually recur.

Protein deficiency may make the nail beds appear white. Protein (free form amino acids) helps aid in building materials for new nails. Free form amino acids are rapidly absorbed and assimilated by the body. Brewer’s yeast-contains all the needed nutrients high in protein.

If you notice white spots, also known as leukonychia, on your nails, they unlikely to have been caused by a vitamin or mineral deficiency. In a few cases, white spots on fingernails can indicate an underlying infection, but much more commonly, they are the result of injury. Similar to bruising, white spots on fingernails do not show up immediately. It may take several days or weeks before you notice the spots. Because they are generally the result of a minor injury, you are likely to have forgotten all about banging your fingernail against the car door.

White spots on fingernails are usually not the result of serious injury to the nail, such as being hit with a hammer, which would more likely result in dark blue to black spots and possible necrosis or death of the nail tissue. Fingernails grow at an average rate of half an inch per month, so most visible injuries to the nail take about eight weeks to grow out completely. Sometimes, white spots on fingernails fade before they completely grow out.

Answer 2

Leukonychia also known as white nails, is a medical term for white discoloration appearing on nails.It is derived from the Greek words leuko ("white") and onyx ("nail"). The most common cause is injury to the base of the nail (the matrix) where the nail is formed.The presence of leukonychia is not a sign of a lack of vitamin or calcium in the diet, is harmless and may be caused simply from a minor injury that occurs when the nail is growing and that it is much more common on fingernails than toenails. There is no effective treatment for Leukonychia although reducing minor injury to the nails prevents the white marks and spots that will gradually disappear as the nail grows outward from the matrix with the nail plate and eventually disappear,

Answer 3

I have them too, havew had for as long as I can remember. I am fit, healthy, slim etc I was told it is a calcium deficiency, but that cannot be because I eat heaps of cheese and drink milk daily. I wouldnt worry too much, I think they are just like freckles, you have them or you dont and I am sure no one else notices them.

Answer 4

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Acute deficiency may cause hair loss or thinning, dermatitis, and decreased growth. Both poor appetite and digestion are also experienced by adults with zinc deficiency. Loss of taste sensation may occur, as can brittleness of the nails or white spots on the nails, termed leukonykia. These and most other symptoms can be corrected with supplemental zinc. Sulfur may be helpful as well. Skin rashes, dry skin, and delayed healing of skin wounds or ulcers may result from zinc deficiency, and stretch marks, called striae, are also produced by this condition. Zinc and copper are both needed for cross-linking of collagen, and when they are low, the skin tissue may break down.
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Answer 5

This is lack of calcium!Try drinking 1pt of milk a day.They usually appear during times of stress or when your immune system is on a low ebb.

Answer 6

the little white spots are caused by a lack of calcium, you need to increase your intake by eating more dairy products eg milk and cheese. you cant make them go away you have to wait for them to grow out, increasing your calcium intake will prevent them comng back in the future. alternatively you can take a suppliment called calci-chew. xx

Answer 7

My Dietitian told me they were a B vitamin deffincy: (Vitamin B comes from a number of natural sources, including potatoes, bananas, lentils, chili peppers, tempeh, liver, turkey, and tuna. Nutritional yeast (or brewer's yeast) is an especially good source of Vitamin B. The iconic Australian spread Vegemite bills itself as "One of the worlds richest known sources of vitamin B". As might be expected due to its high content of brewer's yeast, beer is a good source of B vitamins,[1] although this may not be true of filtered beers.[2] In fact, beer is sometimes referred to as "liquid bread".[3]

Another popular means of increasing one's Vitamin B intake is through the use of supplements purchased at supermarkets, health centers, or natural food stores.)

If you improve your vitamin B the spots will go away and stay away.

Answer 8

YOU NEED TO DRINK MORE WATER. WHITE SPOTS OR WHITE LINES ON YOUR FINGERNAILS COMES FROM NOT DRINKING ENOUGH WATER.

Answer 9

It could be caused by a lack of zinc in your diet. Try taking a zinc supplement or eating more foods containing zinc. Ask your pharmacist or naturopath for confirmation of my suggestion.

Answer 10

haha hun chill its not a sickness or anything of the sort. all you have is bruised nail beds. all you have to do is tend to your nails better. all you do is aply a clear coat of nail polish to your nails and it will help it. there are some saly hands thing or somthing like that that will help it.