What your nails are trying to tell you

What do those white spots mean?

What your nails are trying to tell you
Stars Insider

19/10/18 | StarsInsider

HEALTH Nails

Have you noticed that your nails have white marks on them? You may have heard that this indicates a lack of fruit in your diet, but this isn’t necessarily the case. Here are some possible causes for the markings on your nails:

Damage
Usually, the white spots on our nails aren’t the result of some nutritional deficiency, but rather they are the result of damage to your nails. There’s a good chance you’ve unknowingly bumped into something. This damage can remain for a good six weeks, which explains why you may not remember damaging them in the first place. If the spots don’t go away, it may be a health issue.

Zinc, calcium
There is a lot of disagreement within the scientific community about the cause of white spots on your nails. There are experts who claim a deficiency of zinc, calcium or certain types of vitamins will cause the spots, but most theories remain unproven. You can freely experiment by ensuring that your diet includes the aforementioned nutrients and check if it makes a difference.

Protein
A lack of protein can be visible on your nails. If this is the case, you will see white horizontal stripes on your nails, which are called Muehrcke’s lines. The stripes are actually behind your nails, which is why they won’t grow out. If the stripes disappear when pressing on top of the nail, you indeed have Muehrcke’s lines. The lines will often disappear once your protein level is back on track. The lines may also show up for people who suffer from liver disease, but this is very uncommon.

Diseases
White spots and stripes can be indicative of serious diseases such as kidney failure, liver disease and more. If your nails turn entirely white, if the top half goes white or if you have white horizontal lines from top to bottom that aren’t on the nail bed (like Muehrcke’s lines), it may be wise to have it looked at by a medical professional.

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