White spots on nails

i always wondered why these appeared on the nail. and i bet you have wondered too ? well now you can find out the cause of these white spots.



Nails bless your hands with your beauty and also indicate good health. On average, your fingernails grow half an inch in a month. The color, texture and length of the nails determine the beauty of your nail.
The healthy nail beds should be pink in color because of the rich blood supply underneath them and should also be spotless. But this might have happened to you that you notice a white spot on your nails; you try to scrub it off but it wouldn’t come off and then you realize that it is not a spot, it is something that is a part of the nail.
Then someone tells you that you have calcium, zinc or some nutritional deficiency and you plan on seeing your doctor.

So wait! No need to see a doctor. Today we are going to tell you about the truth behind these white spots, so next time when you see one, you won’t panic.


The white spots can appear on both, the fingernails as well as the toenails and they usually appear in the middle section of the nail. The condition responsible for causing these white spots is called punctate leukonychia. Though the name might sound dangerous but it is not a serious condition. In medical term “punctate leukonychia” means “white spots”.

You can compare these white spots to the bruises that appear on the skin due to some injury. Usually the bruise appears sometime after the injury.

Similarly whenever some injury takes place in the nails, white spots appear. These white spots may not show up right away after the injury. In fact, it takes several days or weeks for the marks to appear.

What can be the causes of the injury? These white spots may result from mild to moderate trauma. For example, if your fingernails get banged against the wall, you might get these spots within a few days and by that time you may have forgotten about the banging finger.

Could there be any other cause of these white spots? Besides bruising nail beds, another cause of these white spots could be some sort of infection or they may take place due to some allergic reaction caused by nail products such as hardener, nail polish or a nail polish remover. These marks may also appear because of a side effect which can result from the use of a certain medicine.

Sometimes the use of acrylic nails can also cause fungal infections, which may result in white spots. You can also pick them while having a manicure or at the gym.

Now if you have these spots on one or two fingers it is ok. If you find these spots on all of your fingers then it is time that you get concerned and see a doctor. White spots on all the nails may indicate serious conditions like diabetes, anemia, cirrhosis, cardiac disease or kidney disease.

The most commonly associated myth with these white spots is that it is caused by calcium deficiency or because of eating a lot of mayonnaise. However, mild deficiency of zinc may cause these spots to appear, the zinc deficiency may take place due to hormonal changes or viral infections. It is also believed that dehydration can also be the cause of these spots.

If you have these spots on your nails there is no other way you can get rid of them. Just leave them as they will go away within 8 weeks. For an instant cover you can apply nail color.

What can you do to avoid these white spots? To prevent these white spots you can avoid using nail polish removers containing too much of toluene or formaldehyde. Also do not wear acrylic nails. If you believe that the spots appeared because of the side effects of a medicine consult your doctor. You can incorporate foods containing zinc to your diet such as beef, oysters, peanuts, dark chocolates and pumpkin seeds or you can use zinc supplements.

Don’t forget to keep yourself hydrated, therefore drink plenty of water. To promote overall health of your nails try to incorporate a lot of vitamins and minerals to your diet, especially vitamin A, B, C, D and E, iron, sulfur, calcium, zinc and fatty acids.

~MyHealthList

 This is awesome Nef!  Thanks for sharing this info.  I think this Health & Beauty site is great..  I've seen these in my nails at times, but not often.  I think my hubby has them, but he is diabetic, and anemic so that could be his reason.  You have some great info.