What do white spots on nails mean?

08.08.2018

Many people have at least once noticed white spots or stripes on their nails - these are leukonychia. This cosmetic problem is quite unpleasant, since it becomes necessary to hide stains under bright varnishes, and their frequent use makes the nail plate thinner due to lack of oxygen. White spots appear because air bubbles get stuck between the keratin plates that make up the nail. Typically, several of these white spots appear on one nail at once, although they can form stripes and cover the nail completely. In the latter case, the situation needs to be corrected with the help of a doctor , as well as in a situation where leukonychia increases in size or is located on several nails at once.

Causes of leukonychia

Mechanical damage . Impact, careless handling of the file, uncomfortable shoes, strong squeezing of the nails - all this causes the appearance of white spots. In this situation, a doctor's consultation is not necessary, as these white spots are similar to a bruise on the skin. You can deal with them using strengthening varnishes.
Chemical exposure . Applying low-quality nail polish, washing off the decorative coating with an aggressive composition, detergents and cleaning mixtures can also cause the appearance of leukonychia. This situation can be prevented by using gloves, which should not be forgotten when cleaning and washing dishes. If you are sure that the white spots are caused by a chemical, you can treat them with a salt bath for 15-20 minutes.
Fungus . If, in addition to leukonychia, the nails turn yellow, peel, crumble, thicken or are otherwise deformed, then most likely they are infected with a fungus. a dermatologist can solve this problem with special antifungal agents or laser procedures.
Lack of protein in the body . This situation can be recognized if the leukonychia accumulate in white stripes. They solve the problem by eating protein foods: meat, fish, eggs, seafood, legumes.
Kidney diseases . You can suspect this problem if leukonychia appears on many nails at once, and also if they are concentrated near the nail bed. A therapist or nephrologist will help kidney disease .
Stress . A neuropathological cause is indicated by large white spots in the center of the nail. A neurologist treat stress , but even without consulting a doctor , rest, soothing decoctions, quality sleep, proper nutrition, walks in the fresh air, and exercise will be useful.
Metabolic disorders and pregnancy . In this case, no special treatment is required; additional strengthening of the nails with special varnishes and baths is sufficient.
Reduced hemoglobin in the blood . A general practitioner will help confirm that the white spots are caused by this problem after a blood . Increase hemoglobin with the help of medications and consumption of foods rich in iron (apricot, liver , red meat, pomegranate, mushrooms, rose hips, tomatoes, citrus fruits).
Lack of vitamins and microelements (vitamins A, B, C, E, iodine, zinc, calcium). This is the case if there is little leukonychia and there are other symptoms of vitamin deficiency: dry skin, brittle hair, fatigue. The problem can be solved by taking vitamin complexes and diversifying your diet: eat more cereals, nuts, legumes, dairy products, seafood, fresh vegetables and fruits, seaweed, replace sunflower oil with olive or flaxseed oil, give up fast food. If the white spots do not go away, you should consult a doctor .

If leukonychia often appears on the nails, then it would be useful to visit a doctor (first you need to visit a dermatologist’s ), since they can indicate many internal problems. If you avoid stress, mechanical and chemical damage, eat right and protect your nails from fungus, this problem is unlikely to ever arise.

Published in Dermatology Premium Clinic

Pathogenesis

Pathological changes on the nail plates (on one or several at once) occur due to disturbances in the process of keratinization of the nail. Due to the influence of various factors, the functions of the nail matrix, which determines the formation of the plate and its growth, may fail. Such disorders lead to incomplete maturation of the cells of the nail plate, deterioration or absence of their keratinization. As a result, a layer of air appears in the thickness of the plate, which is then filled with fat and water. Such layers look like white spots on the nail.

Leukonychia, photo

Treatment with folk remedies

For those for whom white and sometimes brown spots on the nails are a problem, you can use effective folk methods to eliminate them and strengthen the plates:

Bath with sea salt. To prepare it, you need to prepare a decoction of oak bark (1 tbsp of raw material per glass of water), take 1 tbsp. l. sea salt and 1 tsp. lemon juice. Mix everything (the broth should be warm), keep your hands in this bath for 20 minutes. After completing this procedure, it is advisable to rub your nails with a solution of vitamin E or fish oil. This procedure improves blood circulation and effectively strengthens nails. You can do it every day for 3 weeks.
Bath with potassium permanganate. Dissolve 1 tsp in 1 liter of warm water. potassium permanganate. Keep your fingers in this bath for 5 minutes, wash and dry your hands. Apply a layer of olive oil to your nails.
Bath with tea. You can keep your fingers in a strong green tea solution. The bath should last 15 minutes, after which the nail plates are lubricated with castor oil .
Beer bath. Mix a strong chamomile decoction and dark beer in equal proportions, heat until the solution is warm. Keep your hands in it for 30 minutes. After completing the procedure, rub in olive oil.
“Mask” of oils. To carry out this procedure, the nail plates are lubricated with linseed or olive oil, adding a little lemon juice to it. You can do this before going to bed, wearing gloves after lubrication. Also suitable for this procedure is olive oil, to which a few drops of iodine vitamin A solution . This procedure accelerates regenerative processes.
“Mask” with garlic. You need to crush a few cloves of garlic. Steam your hands by holding them over the steam for several minutes, then rub the garlic pulp into the nail plates. Rinse thoroughly after half an hour. This remedy should not be used if there are open wounds on the hands, or if the person cannot tolerate garlic.
Massage. You can use vegetable oil or fish oil with the addition of a few drops of vitamin A or E to massage the nail plates. The product should be slowly rubbed into them for several minutes, massaging the fingers.

Tests and diagnostics

If white spots appear on your nails, you should definitely contact a dermatologist and undergo the tests he prescribes. First, the specialist examines and interviews the patient. In addition, the following examinations are required:

Analysis of scrapings to determine fungal infection.
Spectral analysis of the plate for the determination of microelements.
General and biochemical blood tests to determine the presence of pathological processes in the body.

Based on the data obtained, the doctor prescribes other studies or consultation with specialists.

It is important to carry out differential diagnosis with the following diseases:

Onychomycosis - develops when infected with a fungal infection.
May's stripes are a symptom indicating thallium or arsenic poisoning.
Brittleness and delamination are a consequence of the dryness of the plate.
Violation of shape - the nail may grow in and have a pathological shape.

Leukonychia

To understand why white stripes are found on nails, you need to understand. The nail itself is a horny plate lying on the end parts of the fingers and toes in a specially designated place - the bed. The inside of the nail plate has grooves and ridges, the pattern of which is repeated on the surface of the bed.

The part of the bed located at the very base of the nail is called the matrix - the place responsible for the formation of new horn cells and the growth of the nail plate in length. And it is precisely the disruption of the functional ability of the matrix that is one of the reasons that we find white stripes on the nails.

Doctors call the white horizontal stripes on the plate themselves leukonychia. The sizes and shapes of such stripes can be very diverse - from small dots to wide stripes that occupy almost the entire surface of the nail plate.

There are false and true leukonychia. True white stripes mean that the work of the matrix itself has been disrupted, which is extremely rare.

Much more often we have to deal with false formations, the causes of which are very diverse and require special attention.

Prevention

Those for whom the question of how to remove white spots on nails is relevant should follow these recommendations:

Eat well. The diet must include protein products, as well as fruits, vegetables, and herbs. It is advisable to eat nuts and wheat germ, which contain a lot of zinc.
Take proper care of your nails and hands. Do not overuse nail files or other manicure products. Moisturize your nails and constantly maintain their hygiene.
Get manicures and pedicures only from qualified professionals.
Avoid serious stressful situations.
Use nail polish removers without acetone.
Eliminate external aggressive influences. Wear gloves before using chemicals.
Provide a “rest” between painting the nail plates and applying other products.
Wear normal size shoes.

Diet

Protein diet

Efficiency: 3-4 kg in 1 week
Terms: from 3 days to 4 weeks
Cost of products: from 100 to 150 rubles. in a day

Calcium diet

Efficacy: therapeutic effect after a month
Terms: up to 3 months or more (depending on condition)
Cost of products: 1400-1500 rubles per week

It is very important that the diet is balanced, varied and nutritious. The diet must include the following products:

A variety of vegetables, fruits and herbs.
Sea fish, seaweed.
Protein products - meat, fish, eggs, dairy products.
Nuts, seeds.
Legumes.

You should adhere to the correct eating regimen and drink enough fluids.

Classification

There are several varieties of this pathology:

Limited leukonychia - in this case, partial damage to the plate is noted.
Stripe leukonychia - with this form, whitish stripes, vertical or horizontal, appear on the nail plates. Often a similar symptom appears if poisoning with thallium or arsenic has occurred.
Point leukonychia - this variety is characterized by the appearance of white dots. They can be small or large, single or multiple. This form is the most common today. It usually develops after various mechanical damages.
Total leukonychia - the entire plate is completely affected. The pathological process begins in the nail hole. Most often, such a lesion occurs in childhood or adolescence. It is associated with past infections, fungal diseases, liver and kidney diseases.

According to the size of the spots, the following forms of damage are determined:

Subtotal (limited) - appear if keratinization of the plate appears partially and does not occupy the entire surface. Typically, several nails are affected.
Total – lesions are located over the entire surface and can appear on all nails at once.