| From | Message |
Sheila
IP: 146.126.61.241
6/27/2006 10:05:21 |
Subject: white marks on nails
Message: I have always had white spots on my nails. Does anyone know what these are and how I can get rid of them ?
|
cheryl
IP: 206.159.161.156
6/27/2006 10:08:25 | RE: white marks on nails
Message: they are bruises. we have all had them at one time or another. just the slightest bump can cause them. sometimes they go away, sometimes they don't. nothing much we can do about them.
|
Moi
IP: 66.215.185.202
6/27/2006 13:00:05 | RE: white marks on nails
Message: I had heard that the white spots were calcium buildup, but I don't know if that's correct or not.
Do they grow out with the nail? Mine always did.
|
Anonymous
IP: 146.126.61.241
6/27/2006 13:41:01 | RE: white marks on nails
Message: THEY KEEP RE-CREATING .............
|
debodel
IP: 72.15.64.60
6/27/2006 20:51:02 | RE: white marks on nails
Message: While there are many reasons for these white spots (called leukonychia), most of them are due to mild trauma -- such as hitting or slamming your fingernail on or into something -- and there's usually little cause for worry. The good news is they'll simply grow out with time.
Because a normal fingernail takes about eight months to grow out completely, you may not notice the mark of an injury for several months after the fact. If you see white spots about halfway up the nail, you can assume that the insult took place approximately four months earlier. But if you can' t remember slamming that finger keep in mind there are other causes for white spots.
If you use nail enamels, nail hardeners, or artificial nails, it's also possible that you're having an allergic reaction. Such products can cause nail fragility and very fine splitting or layering of the nail plate, which may result in whitish spots.
The white spots may also be something that you picked up at the gym or during your monthly manicure, namely a fungal, yeast, or bacterial infection that attacks the substance of the nail directly, leaving a whitish streak or spot behind. If you've forgotten to wear your flip-flops at the gym or if you're unsure about the hygiene at your nail salon, ask your doctor to take scrapings of nail tissue for fungal and bacterial cultures. If there's a pesky organism causing the spots, both topical and oral therapies can clear up this problem in a few weeks.
Two skin conditions that affect millions of Americans, psoriasis and eczema, could also be the cause. Both can occasionally leave whitish spots on the nails, either by disrupting normal nail production at the root or causing separation at the tip. Because both disorders typically involve the skin as well as the nails, they're almost always diagnosed as a result of the accompanying skin problems, so if you've got the spots alone, it's unlikely you've got psoriasis or eczema.
Finally, there are a number of total-body ("systemic") conditions that can leave white spots on your otherwise unblemished talons. Certain nutritional deficiencies, particularly a lack of zinc or protein in your diet, can cause a nearly total whiteout of your nail except for the tips or even a pattern of white bands across the width of the nail. Cirrhosis, a form of chronic liver disease usually brought about by alcoholism, can also result in nails that are almost completely white. Keep in mind, though, that white spots in that case are rarely the primary flag for diagnosis but usually occur well after this disease has made its presence known in other ways.
Given the number of conditions that can cause white spots, if you have a sudden crop of them on your nails (and you haven't caught your digits in the car door during the last six months), make an appointment to see your dermatologist.
|
|
| |