How To Eliminate White Spots From Nails

Eliminate the White Spots from Your Nails

We’ve heard and read all kinds of stories on how the white spots on our nails appear. Some say it’s a vitamin deficiency, some say it’s zinc, others say calcium… Not knowing who to believe, we eat a lot of fruit, we take zinc supplements, we drink milk, and yet those pesky spots keep coming back every now and again. So are any of these theories true, and how do we make the white spots go away…?

There is an actual medical name for this condition – Leukonychia, with several subtypes. Leukonychia partialis is the discoloration of parts of the nail; it may be Leukonychia striata (if there are white lines appearing on your nails), or Leukonychia punctata (if there are white spots). The other subtype is Leukonychia totalis, where the entire nail appears white.

While there are many factors which may cause the appearance of either of these conditions, commonly it is simply that you have injured the base of your nail. You may argue that you have not recently hurt your nails, but it doesn’t take a hammer to do the trick (an injury like this would most likely result in large dark marks rather than white spots). A slammed door, or a hit countertop, or any other occurrence which seems small in significance to you, may actually be the reason for your Leukonychia. Also, keep in mind that nails grow slowly, the white spots may appear weeks after the accident. Given its insignificance you would have probably forgotten it by the time the discoloration appears.

You might not wish to believe it, but the regular love and care you provide your nails with may also be considered an injury, i.e. excessive manicuring performed by filing the nails and applying too much pressure may make your nails look beautiful on the top side, but actually hurt their matrix (base). Unfortunately there isn’t much you can do in these cases. The white spots will go as your nail grows so you might cover them with nail polish to hide them while waiting.

Another simple cause for the appearance of Leukonychia is an allergic reaction. A nail polish, hardener, remover, or the use of acrylic nails, may be the reason why you are experiencing this condition. There is a simple solution, though – just change your nail products and you might get rid of the white spots for good. Also, the use of antibiotics, which as we know are tough on the organism, may result in this condition but the problem should fade away when you stop taking the drugs.

Unfortunately, there may be a more severe underlying condition causing the Leukonychia. As we know, our body doesn’t have an indefinite number of ways to show us that something is wrong. There is no reason to panic, though, white spots are quite common and not every single one of them is telling you to run to the doctor! However, if you have eliminated all the above listed causes and the problem is persistent, or if you are observing discoloration on all your nails rather than just one or two, you may be suffering from liver or kidney dysfunction. Getting some tests done would probably not be a bad idea in this case.

All in all, the best way to eliminate the white spots on your nails would be to consider your habits and the products you use, and try to stop them one by one to determine the real cause so you can avoid it in the future. Until then, if they are bothering you so much, just cover them with nail polish and forget about them.

Rita Rova writes health and beauty articles for the Love My Vouchers discount code website; where all the latest beauty offers are listed to help you get the best beauty products for less money. Also check out the online cosmetics store Purplle for great products from best brands.