It often happens that a person, doing the usual thing, suddenly discovers something incomprehensible. In the morning, the girl carefully applies varnish on her nails, and notices a strange white speck on the nail plate. Or a man washing his hands with a brush after a long dig in the engine of his favorite car, and notices a strange spot on the nail of one of his fingers. What's happening? Where did they come from, and what do white spots on the nails mean?
White spots - small air bubbles formed in a multi-layered nail plate
medical look
If white spots appear on the nails of the fingers, then there may be several explanations, from a medical point of view:
- trauma to the nail plate;
- chemical damage;
- fungal infection;
- imbalance of nutrients and vitamins;
- stressful situations;
- kidney damage.
The medical name for the disease that causes dots on the fingernails is leukonychia. In fact, spots are small air bubbles formed in a multi-layered nail plate.
The easiest way to deal with whitened places, resulting from injuries, chemical damage and stress. In this case, the simplest recommendations will help restore the beauty of your hands:
- balance the diet and add vitamin complexes to it;
- eliminate stress, learn to relax and switch attention;
- strengthen nails with salt baths;
- use medical complexes for nail growth, and special varnishes to strengthen them;
- temporarily refuse gel length extension.
If everything is done correctly, then the white dots on the fingernails will gradually disappear.
Folk omens
White spots on the nails of the fingers gave rise to many different signs. People say that single and multiple points speak of future changes in life. These signs have been tested and supplemented for decades, but the most interesting thing is that they still inspire confidence today. Various superstitions apply to the location of spots, their number and shape.
The appearance of spots on the nails is most often considered a good omen.
Single and multiple spots
The appearance of spots on the fingers is most often considered a good omen. So in the old days, such a stain meant that a new thing would soon appear in the house. It could be a useful thing in the house or something beautiful from clothes. A particularly good omen was considered a quick opportunity to cut off the edge of the nail along with the stain. This meant that the new thing will appear very soon.
Today, women like to associate the appearance of white spots with shopping. The white dot on the nail is especially appreciated before a major purchase. Superstitious people are sure that things purchased after the appearance of the stain will serve well and be worn for a long time.
But if several things were bought, and after that several white spots appeared on the nail plates of the fingers, then this is a sign that you need to stop and wait with the next new thing.
A good sign is the appearance of a white spot on the nail of a seriously ill person. This means that you can expect a speedy recovery or relief of symptoms. Doctors are very skeptical about this sign, but people believe and hope for the best.
white stripes
If not dots, but white stripes appeared on the nails, several signs also apply to this case. When they are located on one nail, you should expect good luck in all matters. They say that any undertaking will be successful. But those with stripes appeared on three different fingers at the same time, must prepare for failure. First of all, a career and complex service combinations can be hit. At this point, you should not ask for time off and extraordinary leave, the authorities will refuse.
Location of spots
In addition to general signs, there are also separate explanations among the people about the white dots on different fingers:
As you can see different interpretations will accept promise opposite events: victories and defeats, joy and sadness, love and parting. But, someone drew attention to the relationship between leukonychia and life events, so completely denying this sequence may be a mistake.
Signs related to children
In relation to children, there are no bad signs among the people associated with dots and stripes on the nails. Any white bubble in the thickness of the nail plate promises the baby joy and good mood. Most often, the spots on the fingers of children speak of gifts and new clothes. And if there are several of them, then there will be the same number of gifts.
Superstition has never singled out the location and number of dots and stripes in babies. Maybe this is due to the fact that in relation to children, to believe in bad omens and expecting illness and failure is very scary. Positive signs in this case bring more joy, so stripes and dots promise kids fun, travel, new friends and interesting games.
Each person decides for himself whether to believe or not to believe folk signs. Superstitions can lead to excessive nervousness in anticipation of the promised troubles, or they can improve mood and bring joy. However, any doctor will say that the appearance of a white dot on the nail is a reason to consult a doctor. Especially if you are sure that there were no traumatic effects on the plate. It is better for the doctor to say that you are worrying in vain than to miss the first symptom of a complex disease or fungal infection.
White spots on the nails, along with modern methods of research, can say a lot about the state of health and its recent changes for the worse. Of course, if you periodically have a couple of spots, there is no need to worry. If the situation is diametrically opposite - the spots practically do not disappear and cover most of the nail plate, this is a reason to be alarmed and consult a doctor.
Causes
White spots on the nails are called "leukonychia" by doctors. The reasons for their appearance range from the most harmless to the most serious. Most often it is:
Treatment
Analyze the above reasons. If you reasonably believe that there is no reason to see a doctor, you can try to deal with the problem yourself. 
For the entire duration of treatment, you should refrain from sticking artificial nails and building them up. Manicure is also not recommended. You can cover your nails with special products sold in pharmacies to strengthen and nourish.
If all of the above does not bring a noticeable result, consult a general practitioner. He is more likely than you to be able to identify one or more of the most likely causes and refer you to a narrower specialist or prescribe appropriate vitamins and complexes of micro and macro elements.
In any case, it’s better to be safe, because spots can be one of the most harmless symptoms of several serious diseases. Therefore, it is strongly not recommended to neglect the instructions.
What do they mean depending on the type
How exactly the spots look and how they are located can tell a lot about the cause of their appearance and the nature of the disease.
According to the degree of distribution of leukonychia, it happens:
The appearance of the spots also matters, allowing you to judge the most likely cause.
Signs and superstitions
Folk wisdom claims that spots on the nails 
means joy and happiness, change for the better. Accordingly, if they appear, this means a pleasant surprise or a welcome gift in the near future. In order for the sign to be guaranteed to come true, cutting a piece of a nail with a stain is not recommended until the specified event occurs. You can cut off only when the white area completely remains on the cut piece. It is not necessary to "share" the spot.
Another interpretation - a new acquisition awaits you. Therefore, if the stains do not leave your nails, think about whether you go shopping too often, and whether it develops into a shopping mania.
The place where the stain appeared can also tell a lot. If this is a thumb, you are waiting for a wardrobe replenishment (the more stains, the more new things you will have) or new job, middle - big happiness, little finger - life happiness or new love. Spots on index finger portend sad events, anxieties and worries, on the nameless - they warn of impending misfortune or misfortune. How larger size white area, the larger the event will be.
Prevention
To avoid problems with whitened areas of the nails, it is enough to undergo a medical examination at least once a year and take timely measures to preserve your own health.
If any alarming symptoms and complaints appear, it is also better not to hope that everything will go away on its own, but to consult a doctor in time.
To prevent fungus, pay more attention to personal hygiene, especially in in public places(baths, saunas, swimming pools). Once again, washed hands have never harmed anyone. If this is not possible, at least wipe them with special disinfectant wipes or antiseptics.
When working with aggressive substances, do not forget about rubber gloves, do a manicure by trusted specialists, and use only high-quality varnishes and other products during the home procedure.
White spots may not mean anything, especially if there are very few of them. Otherwise, you need to immediately analyze your health, lifestyle, and if the cause cannot be identified or all the measures taken have failed, consult a doctor.
Healthy well-groomed nails are one of the indispensable attributes of female beauty. And it is no coincidence, because according to the condition of the nail plates on the hands and feet, one can judge the health of the whole organism, so any flaws in them make some women think of some kind of hidden disease.
What do white spots on nails indicate? Of course, this minor defect is easy to hide under a layer of opaque varnish, but the question of why nails sometimes “bloom” still remains. Let's look into this in more detail.
White spot under the nails - injury, fungus or something else?
Hands always attract attention, and observant people often draw conclusions about a profession, a person’s well-being, and even judge what chronic diseases he suffers from manicure (or lack of it). Therefore, in order to avoid unpleasant conclusions, women, less often men, try to keep their hands and nails clean.
And suddenly you notice that a bright white spot has “crawled out” on the nail, opaque, suspiciously similar to a fungal infection. What to do? It is curious that some people are quite calm about these unaesthetic manifestations, do not try to hide them, find out what the reason is, and even believe that the appearance of white spots on the nails of the hands is something akin to accept, to wealth, a gift, a letter from distant relatives etc. Is it worth worrying about painless spots that do not require treatment and are cut off over time during a manicure, growing along with the nail? Of course, this is not a reason to panic or suspect a particular disease.
Doctors never consider white spots as a clinical symptom. However, an attentive doctor, based on such a seemingly insignificant detail, can conclude that there is a slight failure in the formation of the nail plate and ask you more about your diet lately, suspecting hypovitaminosis.
What could be the causes of white spots on the nails
The lack of certain substances in the body is sometimes expressed not in fatigue or malaise, but in such insignificant things. Most likely, the matter is in the local lack of minerals and vitamins: the most important organs and systems take everything nutrients essential for the life of an organism.
But peripheral tissues receive less of these substances, which, in the end, leads either to a decrease in local immunity, as happens on the mucous membranes, or to minor defects in the structure of the tissue, as is the case with spots on the nails.
Some other less likely reasons:
- cut or puncture of the cuticle during a trimmed manicure;
- slight bruising of the nail without hemorrhage;
- toxins and aggressive acids of household chemicals;
- ingrained dirt leads to microcracks and bubbles under the nails (machine lubricants, thin metal shavings, construction varnishes and dust);
- nail biting creates pressure and irritation in the nail bed, leading to defective plate formation.
Eat vitamins for beautiful nails!
So, the main reason for "blooming" nails at any age is the lack of one of the main vitamins or trace elements that are responsible for the formation of healthy plates. This problem is solved simply - by adding several useful products to replenish the body's reserves with the necessary substances.
Unless you are considering taking a course of multivitamin preparations containing 20 or more substances, pay attention to the following recommendations:
- Restore iron losses: women constantly lose iron due to heavy menstrual bleeding, sometimes insufficient absorption of this essential element is due to chronic gastritis or gastroduodenitis, a monotonous diet also does not contribute to its intake in sufficient quantities for the body. Lean on fresh cabbage, baked potatoes, salad greens. If you are not on a vegetarian diet, eat about 100 g of stew beef liver few times a week. For lovers of fruits, the source of iron will, of course, be apples;
- A white spot on your nail almost always indicates a lack of zinc - an element thanks to which we can show off beautiful shiny hair, clean smooth skin and strong "claws". Zinc is present in many foods, but the problem with getting it from the diet is that it is negligible. You can make a choice in favor of a pharmacological preparation, where zinc is presented with minerals and vitamins that improve its absorption, or you can still reconsider your diet. In the latter case, you will have to try to diversify the menu as much as possible in order to introduce sesame seeds, pumpkins, peanuts, lamb, cocoa and chocolate into it;
- Calcium strengthens nails and prevents the appearance of microcracks in them, turning into spots. To enrich the bones and joints, significant doses of calcium in tablets are required, but to take care of the beauty of the nails from the inside, it is enough for some time - 4-5 months - to lean on dairy products. In order not to get better, choose fat-free cottage cheese, kefir, low-fat milk or yogurt. Resist the temptation to make calcium "pills" at home from chiseled eggshell- coarse particles of the shell injure the intestines and can even cause inflammation;
- Vitamins A, C and E are essential for good nutrition cells in all tissues of your body. Nails, in comparison with skin and hair, react to hypovitaminosis later. If they are already covered with white spots, then it's time to forget about the on-duty pasta and boiled potatoes and fill the refrigerator with fresh berries and fruits, cabbage, dill, parsley, tomatoes, young carrots, etc. butter a day will help you get vitamin E. Diversify your salad with vegetable oils: corn, linseed, peanut, sesame. Foods such as liver, egg yolk, valuable varieties of fish will also help you get a vitamin recharge.
Unlike the treatment of nail fungus, no external means are required to remove unpleasant spots - new nails cease to form, and old ones grow back.
Many diseases make themselves felt with characteristic symptoms: a change in well-being, a deterioration in the appearance of the skin, hair and nails. If you do not attach importance to these symptoms, there is a risk of the disease developing into chronic stage. Therefore, it is important to find out the cause of the changes in time and, if necessary, start appropriate treatment.
Causes of white spots on the nails of the hands and feet
Spots on the nails are a pathology of the development of the nail plate: small air bubbles form inside it, which are visible to the human eye as white stripes or specks. The appearance of light dots sometimes indicates the development of certain diseases. If the white dots cover the nail completely, treatment should begin. Light spots may appear for the following reasons:
- Injuries. Blows, sharp or blunt pressure on the nail plate cause damage to the stratum corneum of the nail plate, as a result of which light spots form in it.
- Wrong nutrition. Nutritionists associate the appearance of spots with a lack of nutrients. Pay attention to this if you are on a diet.
- The lack of protein is reflected in the form of white stripes located across the nail plate.
- Poor metabolism, problems with the heart, blood vessels, the gastrointestinal tract works with disorders.
- Wrong manicure, exposure to harmful household chemicals makes itself felt by the appearance of several small dots scattered over the entire area of \u200b\u200bthe nail.
- Stress, psychosis, depression are common causes of white spots on the nails.
- Skin diseases worsen the condition of the nails, causing spots on them.
- Fungal diseases provoke the appearance of microscopic bubbles in the nail plate, visible as white dots on it.
Why do white dots appear on the nails in children
Parents often pay attention to the white dots on the nails of their kids. It is necessary to observe such spots: if they disappear over time, there is no reason for concern - there was a temporary imbalance of substances in the child's body. The constant presence of light spots on the nails should be alarming, the causes of this pathology are as follows:
- Lack of certain trace elements, vitamins. The baby grows quickly, the child's body requires continuous replenishment of nutrients.
- Protein deficiency (transverse white stripes on the nail).
- Weak lung function, hormonal failure.
- Increased blood sugar, carbohydrate imbalance.
- Severe stress, fear, nervous excitability.
- Problems with the stomach, intestines, impaired metabolism.
Medical treatment
Whitish spots on the nails are only symptoms of some ailments, so it is not the nails that need to be treated, but the disease itself. The doctor should deal with the diagnosis. In many cases, the cause of problems is a deficiency of vitamins, calcium, potassium, and other trace elements. Restoring the appearance of the nail plate is not a quick process, it takes several weeks and even months for the nail to grow back and its damage was not noticeable. If necessary, the doctor will prescribe a medical varnish, thanks to which the white spots will quickly disappear.
Folk recipes
If you know exactly the cause of the appearance of white spots under the nails, proceed to fix the problem. So, if you think that stress is the main source of stains under the nails, you need to have a good rest, improve your sleep, and restore your daily routine. Take a vacation (nerves are no joke). The lack of vitamins must be eliminated by including fruits, vegetables, vegetable and animal fats in the diet. If necessary, start taking vitamin complexes. Also useful procedures that are easy to do at home:
- Vitamin rubs. Make rubbing liquid vitamins into the nail plates. Oily solutions of vitamins A and E are suitable.
- Bath with potassium permanganate. Dilute a few crystals of potassium permanganate in a container with warm water, keep your fingertips in the container for five to seven minutes. After the procedure, grease your fingers with olive oil.
- Garlic rubs. Grind a few cloves of garlic, steam your fingers, spread the base of your nails with garlic gruel. Keep the mixture for 20-30 minutes.
- Rubbing with a mixture lemon juice and olive oil. Mix lemon juice and olive oil in equal proportions. Spread the fingertips with this mixture, rinse with water after a quarter of an hour. After the procedure, treat your fingertips with castor oil or fish oil.
- Salt bath. Dissolve two tablespoons of sea salt in 500 grams of boiling water. Soak your fingers in salt water for a quarter of an hour, then rinse with a stream of cold water. Lubricate your fingertips with castor oil or fish oil.
- Tea bath. Brew two tablespoons of green tea in a glass of boiling water, dip all fingers in turn into a warm tea solution - from the little finger to thumb. This procedure will take only 5-7 minutes.
- Rubbing fish oil. According to popular belief, fish oil can quickly cure a nail. Rub fish oil into your fingertips, rinse with warm water after five minutes.
- Restorative massage. Lubricate your fingertips with any vegetable oil, gently massage the nail of each finger for two to three minutes.
There are many ways to diagnose diseases. External examination, patient questioning, radiography, ultrasound diagnostics and others modern methods(up to computed tomography) can tell a lot about our health. But this is only in the case when the disease has already developed or is in a stage close to the beginning of development. But what if you don’t have an ultrasound machine or a CT scanner at hand? Or the disease is still imperceptible? For example, cancer, which a person does not even suspect until a sufficient number of cancer cells accumulate.
The way out is very simple: look ... at the nails
Yes, nails (as well as hair and skin) are the first to signal that not everything is fine in the body. A change in the shape, color and general condition of the nail plates can tell an experienced doctor a lot. Yes, and a simple man in the street will worry if the nails become without apparent reason exfoliate, break, or holes of blue, red color will appear on them.
Chinese physicians have used the method of examining nails, hair, and skin for centuries as a foundational method of diagnosis. Modern doctors, although they do not consider it the main one, still use it as additional way determining the nature of the disease.
Nails report those changes in health that have occurred over the past six months. This happens because this period is required for the complete renewal of the nail plate. Nails can also report a genetic predisposition to the disease. Knowing this, it is possible to carry out the prevention of many hereditary diseases.
The presence of hepatitis, tuberculosis, bronchial asthma, and oncological disease is determined by the nail plate. This list can include pathology of the kidneys and diseases of the spine, disorders in the circulatory system, and even a fungus.
White spots on fingernails
In medicine, the appearance of white spots on the nails of the hands is called leukonychia. In this case, not only the very fact of the presence of spots is important, but also their shape, size, location relative to each other and the nail plate. Seeing white spots on your nails, do not rush to paint over them with varnish: you should try to find out the cause of their occurrence. So, white spots on the nails: causes.
- White spots can appear as a result of malnutrition. The lack of vitamins and microelements plays an important role. Here, both the shape and size of the spots will be very diverse. Under suspicion, you can immediately put a lack of iron, a deficiency of zinc and calcium. You also need to pay attention to vitamins C, A, E. Beware if you are on a strict diet. Most likely, white spots are the result of prolonged starvation.
- Protein deficiency is more specifically manifested: in the form of white stripes located in pairs across the nail. With a lack of protein, hair also begins to actively fall out, immunity decreases, and the level of hemoglobin in the blood decreases. Nails will not only become covered with white stripes, but will also become brittle. This problem should be dealt with immediately, otherwise a violation of protein metabolism will develop, which in the future threatens with serious health problems. Protein is the main building block of our body. Irreparable damage is caused to bones, joints and other important organs and organ systems with protein deficiency. The composition of the cells of the immune system also includes protein: hence the decrease in immunity occurs when there is a shortage of the latter in the diet.
- White spots at the bottom of the nail plate are a sign of chronic kidney failure or other kidney problems. Protein plays a certain role here too - it is the kidneys that help process protein foods, filtering and removing the first from the body. The type of nails for this pathology is very specific - the upper parts of the nail plates are healthy pinkish in color, the lower ones are either in white spots or completely white.
- Metabolic disorders, problems with the stomach and intestines, problems in the cardiovascular system - all this can cause white spots. Why these particular diseases? All the nutrients we get from environment, can be deposited in the nails and hair. Harmful ones too. Therefore, dysbacteriosis, indigestion, other problems with gastrointestinal tract will not be slow to affect the condition of the nails. Here you can add infections and other intoxications. The cardiovascular system is responsible for transporting blood and oxygenating tissues throughout the body. And in the nail bed, there are just a lot of tiny capillaries that are responsible, by and large, for the color of the nails. White spots appearing under the nails may be the result of vascular damage.
- Chaotically located spots of white color in a small amount can occur as a result of microtrauma of the nail plate. This can happen due to poor-quality manicure, constant contact with household chemicals. Often, by the nature of their profession, people have to come into contact with chemicals and other harmful production factors that can affect the condition of the nails.
- Stress, a strong emotional experience can be the culprits for the appearance of single white spots. different shapes and size. Depression, melancholy are their frequent companions.
- Fungus. Very common cause development of changes in the condition of the nails are fungal diseases. The fungus may not show any signs of its presence for a long time. And when appearance nails begin to deteriorate, it is already too late - the fungus has firmly and reliably settled into new positions.
- Skin diseases are also on the list. possible causes the appearance of white spots on the nails of the hands. Spots can also occur on the nail plate that grows after an injury.
In the event of a sudden a large number white spots on the nails or in case of frequently recurring leukonychia, be sure to consult a doctor. You will be prescribed the necessary tests and conduct a complete examination to identify the causes of leukonychia.
How to get rid of white spots on nails
So, you have a white spot on your fingernail. Before you go to the doctor, think about what reasons from the above could be the impetus for the development of leukonychia? Thus, you will indescribably facilitate the work of the doctor, because the cure for white spots on the nails of the hands is to eliminate the cause, not the symptom.
Get rid of stress, relax. Take a vacation. Restore the daily routine, make your nutrition more complete. Vegetables, fruits, vegetable and animal proteins are what you need in this case. Fermented milk products, spinach, parsley and celery are useful. Drink a course of vitamins, micro and macro elements.
Fungal diseases can be recognized by the accompanying itching and burning, the appearance of cracks in the skin. This is the hypostasis of a dermatovenereologist - it is he who should pay a visit in the coming days. You can go to a regular clinic or a private institution. Treatment of the fungus should not be trusted by masters in beauty salons.
Injury to the nail is not subject to treatment. You should wait until the nail grows. But you can help the regrowth process with the help of castor oil, tea tree oil or special healing creams. Oil solutions of vitamins A and E are also used.
Microtraumas resulting from poor-quality manicure, damage caused by chemicals, can be corrected at home. Hot therapeutic baths should be done daily, followed by the application of nutritional formulations.
The following recipe is used: a tablespoon of sea salt is diluted in a glass of hot water. ethnoscience also suggests using the following compositions:
- 65 milliliters of olive oil, 5 drops of vitamin A and three drops of iodine;
- decoction of oak bark and chamomile flowers;
- dissolve five drops of lemon juice in one hundred milliliters of warm vegetable oil;
- add a tablespoon of sea salt to the warm parsley broth.
Before going to bed, you can apply fish oil or an oil solution of vitamin A (E) to your nails for fifteen minutes. Then make a salt bath by dipping your nails into it for twenty minutes. After removing your hands from the bath, gently pat them dry with a towel. Then you should rub a nourishing cream into your nails.