There are many myths out there about what white spots on your nails actually mean, and most of the “reasons” for the spots that you hear from people are just not true. I’m not sure why there are so many myths out there, but the truth behind white spots on your nails is a lot less ominous than people tend to lead on!

What ARE white spots on your nails?

I was always taught that white spots on your nails meant that you had a calcium deficient diet. I’ve heard some people say that it means you are deficient in zinc, and others say that you have an unhealthy liver. The good news? It’s not as much of a predictor of poor diet as everyone thinks! Most often these white spots, which are technically called leukonychia, are really just a visual indication that you had some sort of trauma to your nails. Nails grow SO slowly, that it can take up to 6 weeks for the damage that you may have done to your nail protein to show up in the nail bed that you visualize. Sometimes it can be a reaction to various nail polishes or treatments that you put on your nails, but as you remove the polish (or other offending agent), the spots will eventually grow out. If your nails turn completely white, it can be a fungal infection or a sign of liver failure, but a fungal infection is more gradual, and that is a late stage symptom of liver failure (the other symptoms would’ve brought you to your Healthcare Practitioner, HCP, long before).

So, if you have some white spots on your nails, don’t fret, it’s most likely is related to the bumps and bangs your hands took while you were moving, or working out, or….whatever you do, but just weeks ago. Most likely you have forgotten the offending issue by the time the injury shows!  Keep eating a healthy diet and living that healthy lifestyle, and don’t start boosting your calcium intake ridiculously every time you see a spot!

Yours in Good Health

B