The medical name for the white spots that appear on the surface of the nail is leukonychia. To understand why they appeared, you need, among other things, to analyze their shape, size and location. So, why do white spots appear on the nails?
Malnutrition
This is perhaps the most common cause of the problem. Most often, specks indicate that your body lacks certain vitamins and minerals. The shape and size of the spots can be very diverse. Be sure to make sure that you get enough vitamins A, C, and E, and that you are not deficient in iron, calcium, or zinc. Often in this situation, fans of various diets (especially strict ones) find themselves. White spots on the nails may be the result of prolonged fasting.
Kidney problems
The presence of spots at the base of the nail plate, below, indicates kidney failure and other problems with this organ. Sometimes the lower part of the nail whitens completely. The upper part with this pathology always remains a normal pink color.
Lack of protein
This is another possible reason why white spots appear on the nails. In this case, they have the form of strips located parallel to the plate. As a rule, a protein deficiency in the body is accompanied by other signs: hair falls out, immunity decreases, and the amount of hemoglobin in the blood decreases. Nails not only become stained, but also become brittle. You should immediately deal with this problem: a chronic violation of protein metabolism is difficult to treat and has many unpleasant consequences.
Stress
Studies have shown that one of the reasons why white spots appear on the nails is strong emotional feelings. In this case, you can observe single spots on the nails that differ in shape and size.
Microtrauma of the nail plate
When asking yourself the question of what caused the appearance of white spots on the nails, think about whether you could have damaged your nails lately. Not always injuries can be seen with the naked eye. However, they can be obtained as a result of illiterate manicure or frequent contact with household chemicals. Sometimes contact with hazardous substances occurs during work, in the workplace. In this case, you should carefully consider protective measures.
Fungus
Changes in the condition of the nails can also provoke fungal diseases. For a long time, they may not declare themselves in any way. And when the appearance of the nails begins to deteriorate, as a rule, it is too late - the fungus is firmly fixed. Modern medicine can help cope with such diseases, but this is a slow and painstaking process.
Other possible causes
There are other reasons why white spots appear on the nails. Often their occurrence is due to a violation of metabolic processes, problems with the heart, blood vessels, gastrointestinal tract. All substances that a person absorbs from the environment are deposited on the nails and hair. Moreover, both useful and harmful. Therefore, many ailments, among which dysbiosis, infectious diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, indigestion and other disorders can lead to the appearance of white spots.
In turn, the heart and blood vessels are responsible for transporting blood throughout the body and for enriching all cells with oxygen. In the nail bed, as you know, there passes a huge number of small capillaries, which determine the natural color of the nails. And therefore, another possible reason why white spots on the nails is damage to blood vessels.
What to do?
Do not worry if you notice light areas on your nails. Most problems can be corrected by normalizing your diet and moving to a healthy lifestyle. If we are talking about microtraumas, you need to wait until the nails grow back, and at this time you can use various means that activate their growth, both folk and shop. And finally, if you observe other disturbing symptoms, it is worthwhile to see a doctor who will tell you exactly what the problem is and prescribe the appropriate treatment.