White Spots on Nails

White spots on the nails can develop mainly due to minor injury to the base of the nail or infection. The spots generally disappear on their own within a few days. Know what causes them by reading this article.
Leukonychia punctata is the medical term used to refer to the condition, where white spots develop on the nails. It is one of the several types of leukonychia, which is the term used to describe white discoloration of nails. The other types of leukonychia are, leukonychia totalis, leukonychia partialis and leukonychia striata. In leukonychia totalis, the entire nail becomes white, while eukonychia partialis refers to whitening of a part of the nail. On the other hand, leukonychia striata is the condition, where white or discolored bands appear on the nail. Out of all these types, leukonychia punctata, i.e. white spots on the nails is the most common form of leukonychia, which can be more commonly observed in young people and women.

Leukonychia
These white spots are still a mystery, and has remained surrounded by several myths, one of them being that, calcium deficiency is the main cause for the development of such spots. However, most of the time, such spots actually develop due to minor trauma or injury to the matrix or the base of the nail. This may be the reason why it is more commonly found among people who have the habit of nail biting and picking. However, the white spots do not appear immediately after a minor nail injury. They usually take time to develop and most of the time, people forget about the injury by the time these spots appear.

Many also attribute these white spots to the trapped air bubbles in the nail plate. Defective keratinization, which is the process of nail formation, can be another reason for getting those white spots. Sometimes, allergy to nail polish, remover or nail hardener, as well as a bad or aggressively done manicure can also cause white spots on the nail. Occasionally, mild infection, caused by bacteria or nail fungus can also result in the development of white spots on the nails. Apart from these, some other causes are, zinc deficiency (if the spots persist for a long time and appear in several nails) and intake of certain drugs. Most of the time, the spots disappear on their own within a few days. At the most, such spots can take eight weeks to disappear or grow out completely.

How to Get Rid of Leukonychia?
If there are only a few white spots and that too of very small size, then it is better to wait for some time and let them grow out on their own. When they grow past the end of the finger, just cut them off. In the meantime, regularly moisturize the fingers along with the nails. You can use vitamin E oil to nourish and moisturize the nails, as well as the skin around the nails. Also try to avoid aggressive manicure, and cutting or pushing the cuticles too harshly. Instead, try to go slow while manicuring the nails. At the same time, eat a healthy diet, rich in vitamins and minerals including, zinc to get rid of these white spots.

A few white spots on the fingernails found occasionally is not a major concern. However, if the whole nail becomes partially or completely white, then consider visiting a dermatologist. You can also consult a dermatologist, if you observe a large number of white spots on nearly all of the nails, for a prolonged time period. This can help to find out whether these white spots are caused by infection, nutritional deficiency or by minor injury. Proper nail care can help to reduce the number and frequency of these spots.
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