Quite often, nail plates change in relation to their appearance: they thicken or become thinner, fade, the color may become different, and much more. All these actions indicate the development of any problems with human health. Nails turn yellow for various reasons. Most often, experts here refer the influence of external factors or some kind of internal malfunction in the body, for example, kidney or liver diseases, as well as diseases of the central nervous system.
As for the fair sex, in most cases the cause of this symptom is the use of low-quality varnish. The fact is that such cosmetics contain a special coloring pigment, which, after reacting with a nail, changes its color. In this case, if the nail turns yellow, do not resort to someone special treatment. To restore the nail plate, it will take some time, sometimes up to six months.
If the toenails turn yellow and thicken, then this may indicate the development of a fungal infection. Moreover, this will not be the only symptom. In addition, the nails turn yellow, the plate begins to crumble, and tuberosity appears on it. Soft tissue also becomes inflamed nearby, reddens and swells. The nail can move away from the bed.
External factors
Yellowing nails is the result of many different reasons. Sometimes, as already mentioned, toenails turn yellow due to their poor-quality acrylic, shellac. The fact is that such cheap cosmetics contain such chemicals as camphor oil, toluene, as well as formalin resin.
Since these components adversely affect the functionality of the liver, this also affects the skin, other tissues, for example, nails. Of course, the reaction manifests itself only against the background of prolonged use of such varnishes. From several uses, nothing will change.
Many young girls have a question about why toenails turn yellow. The reason for this is gel polish, which is applied to the plates. The composition of such funds contains nitrocellulose, which changes the shade of the nail. In this case, other symptoms of any diseases will be absent.
The most common external reasons why toenails turn yellow and thicken:
- Systematic use of products containing acetone. It is on the basis of this substance that a nail polish remover is made.
- If the shoes are made of low-quality cheap material or too small in size, this can also lead to yellowing. In addition to the fact that in this case the nail thickens and turns yellow, dystrophy and ribbing also appear. In most cases, the little finger or thumb suffers from shoes.
- It should also be noted that if the nails turn yellow, the reason may lie in eating habits. The plates are adversely affected by coffee and black tea. These drinks contain special pigments that can change its natural shade.
- What causes nails to turn yellow if varnish is not applied? This can also happen due to the use of certain drugs for a long time.
In some cases, yellowness on the nail is the absolute norm. This phenomenon is most often observed in women and men of advanced age.
Disease
If the cause of yellowing of the nails is an external effect, then it is quite easy to overcome this problem. First of all, the main provoking factor should be excluded. For example, if the nail on the thumb turns yellow, then you need to change shoes.
But what to do if the cause of such an unpleasant symptom lies in the development of a disease?
Onychogryphosis and other pathologies
This is one of the frequent ailments that is inherited. With the development of this disease, the nails become yellowish, harden. In addition, they lose their natural shine, and also rise above the bed.
Sometimes the nail on the big toe turns yellow, and the rest are in a healthy state. But in most cases, this pathological process spreads immediately to all plates. Pathology is accompanied by a violation of their blood supply. The main reasons include the following diseases:
- Pneumonia, scarlet fever, measles.
- Sexually transmitted diseases.
- Multiple sclerosis.
- An excess or deficiency of minerals or vitamins.
- Atherosclerosis of blood vessels.
- Phlebeurysm.
With these diseases, yellowness of nails may be the only sign or supplemented by other symptoms. The plate begins to burst, exfoliate, change in thickness. The color can range from light yellow to dirty brown.
Dystrophic Onychia
Dystrophic onychia is manifested as follows:
- The nail plates on the legs became hard and thick.
- The nails became coarse and exfoliate.
- There is deformation.
- The fragility of the plates increases.
- Nails change color to a yellowish tint.
If these symptoms appear on only one finger, then the cause, most often, lies in the injury to the bed. This should include tight shoes, inability to trim nails properly.
Psoriasis
Psoriasis is not only a skin disease. This pathology often affects the nail plates on the legs and arms. Symptoms of psoriasis include:
- The appearance of ribbing, as well as tuberosity on the nail plates.
- Her clouding.
- Exfoliation of the skin near the nail.
- The formation of red and black spots under the nail plate.
These symptoms should be attributed to the initial stage of psoriasis. In more advanced situations, the shade of the nails becomes cloudy, dull, and to the touch the plate is rough, concave inward.
Fungal infection
For what reasons can toenails still turn yellow? If the patient has no history of injuries, as well as serious chronic pathologies, and the patient did not use dubious varnishes, the cause may lie in the development of the fungus. This pathology can develop in people at absolutely any age, as well as regardless of gender. The clinical symptoms of mycosis are very extensive. Most often, this includes thickening of the nail plates, as well as a change in their shade. In the most severe cases, when the activity of the fungus is high, the nail is able to completely deform, as well as twist.
Symptoms of mycosis are manifested by the following symptoms:
- With a hypertrophic fungus, the nails become thick, the color changes to brown or yellow. The surface of the plate is non-gloss, matte, the edges are pointed.
- Normotrophic fungus is characterized by a strong thickening of the nail. The shape of the plate does not change.
- As for the atrophic fungus, here, on the contrary, thinning of the nail is observed, it is destroyed.
Diagnostics
Before proceeding to any treatment, you should seek the help of a specialist who will conduct a diagnosis. To identify the main cause of yellowing of the nail plate on the legs, a dermatologist should examine it externally with a specialized lamp. Then biomaterial is taken for analysis to make a microscopic examination and identify the type of pathogen of mycosis or another cause of the disease. After this, scraping is done from the skin near the diseased nail, and blood is also taken to determine antibodies to syphilis and leprosy.
Therapies
If yellowness is a consequence of some transferred pathology or disease, then, most likely, nothing will have to be done. Over the course of some time, the nail itself will be able to grow and acquire a normal physiological hue. To speed up this process, you can additionally drink vitamin complexes, which the doctor will prescribe.
Drug therapy
As mentioned earlier, treatment will depend on the main cause of the appearance of the pathology. For example, with subungual melanoma , aggressive therapy is used, consisting in conducting chemo - or radiation exposure.
If the cause of yellowing of the nails is a disease of the central nervous system, as a result of which the patient independently destroys his plate, then the psychotherapist or neurologist will prescribe certain medications. In this case, sedative medications are used. In the most severe cases, antidepressants are used.
If the diagnosis of "onychomadesis" was made, then yellowness should be disposed of comprehensively. Most often, the following drugs are prescribed for this:
- Antifungal drugs in the form of ointments and tablets, for example, Mycosan, Clotrimazole, Terbinafine.
- Antibacterial drugs.
- Hormone-based drugs.
- Antihistamines.
If the cause of the resulting yellowness is a violation of blood circulation, then a special massage should be performed at home. It is best to ask a specialist how to do it correctly. Medicines are also prescribed to restore impaired blood flow.
Folk remedies
Alternative medicine recipes are not able to completely get rid of the main cause of yellowing of the nail plate, but they can bleach it. They can be used only after consultation with a dermatologist. It is also not recommended to combine decoctions of herbs and pharmacy ointments at the same time. The most recognized recipes are the following:
- In 100 ml of warm water add 30 ml of hydrogen peroxide. Pour the resulting solution into a metal container. Dip your legs into it for a couple of minutes, rub the yellow nails with a toothbrush. Then apply a moisturizer. Perform this manipulation once a week. As a rule, a positive effect is noticeable after a month of the procedure.
- Take juice from three lemons. On its basis, make a bath for nails, diluting with water in equal proportions. Dip your feet in the resulting solution. The duration of the procedure should be a quarter of an hour. Then the nails are rubbed well with a toothbrush. At the end of the procedure, the feet should be washed well with clean water.
Conclusion
It is worth noting that, as a wellness therapy, it is recommended to follow a diet. Experts advise eating more fresh vegetables and fruits. Also, olive oil should be included in the diet, as it is rich in vitamins and minerals. You need to eat whole grain bread, chicken liver and red meat. All these products make up for the deficiency of B vitamins, which are useful for nails, in the body.