How To Get Rid Of White Spots On Nail In South Africa
What’s Nail White Spot?
Leukonychia is a condition where white lines or dots appear on the fingernails or toenails.
Medically speaking, those little white marks that sometimes appear as dots or lines on finger and toenails are known as leukonychia. They are usually benign and due to an injury, an allergy, or a vitamin deficiency. For the most part, you can treat white spots at home with a variety of natural remedies. If white spots do not clear up, see a doctor for evaluation. In rare cases, white spots on nails can indicate underlying medical issues.
How To Get Rid Of White Spots On Nail In South Africa
Method1: Using Home Remedies
1. Moisturize your nails daily. Make sure you use a moisturizer on your nails in addition to your hands. Rub a nourishing hand oil or vitamin E oil onto your fingernails every night before bed. This can help your nails stay strong and healthy and may reduce the appearance of white dots.
2. Try essential oils. Essential oils have been known to heal white spots caused by injury to the nail or nail fungus. Tea tree oil and orange oil tend to work best. Mix a few drops of your essential oils with a carrier oil like olive oil and then rub the oil onto your fingernails. Orange oil should be left to soak for about 45 minutes while tea tree oil should soak for about 15 to 20 minutes
- Always rinse and wash your nails after applying the oils.
3. Soak your nails in white vinegar and water. Mix one part white vinegar with one part water in a bowl. Dip your fingernails in the bowl. Soak them for 10 minutes and then rinse and dry your nails. Do this about four times a week and you may begin to see a reduction in white spots.
- If you have sensitive skin, use a higher water to vinegar ratio.
4. Rub lemon slices on your nails. Lemon has a lot of vitamin C and a deficiency in this vitamin sometimes causes white spots on nails. To use lemons, simply cut a lemon in half and rub the slice onto your fingernails. Leave the juice on for 20 to 30 minutes before rinsing and drying your nails.
5. Soak your nails in unsweetened yogurt. Natural, unsweetened yogurt without added flavors can bolster nail health and potentially reduce the appearance of white spots. Place around three tablespoons of yogurt into a bowl and dip your nails in the bowl for 10 to 15 minutes. When you’re done, rinse your nails in warm water.
- You can also add a few drops of lemon juice or vitamin E oil to the yogurt.
6. Use alka seltzer tablets. Alka seltzer tablets have been known to reduce white spots for some. Drop a couple of tablets in warm water and soak your fingernails in the water for five minutes.
7. Let them grow out. For the most part, patience is key to getting rid of white spots on nails. White spots will usually fade or grow out on their own with time. While you can take steps to speed up the process, sometimes you have just have to wait.
Method2: Making Lifestyle Changes
- Change your diet. Deficiencies in zinc, vitamin C, calcium, and protein can sometimes cause white dots on nails. Upping your intake of these vitamins and minerals can help reduce spots.
- Eat fruits like oranges, lemon, grapefruits, and apples for added vitamin C.
- Broccoli, cabbage, kale, turnips, poultry, fish, and nuts also provide the needed nutrients for nail health.
- You can also try taking a multivitamin, which you can buy at any grocery store or drugstore. This can help if you have food sensitivities that prevent you from gaining nutrients directly from food.
2. Avoid biting and picking at your nails. You can actually damage your own nails through bad habits like picking and biting. If you’re prone to fiddling with your nails, stop doing it. With less picking and biting, you may notice a reduction in white spots.
- If you have difficulty not picking or biting your nails, try wearing bandaids over your nails. Painting your nails may also help, as you may not want to ruin freshly painted nails.
3. Adjust your footwear. If your toenails tend to get white spots as well, change the shoes you’re wearing. Tight, uncomfortable shoes can damage toenails, causing white spots. Switch the shoes you normally wear for roomier, more comfortable varieties and see if you notice a reduction in white spots.
- This is particularly important if you engage in activities like running, jogging, or other vigorous exercise. Comfortable tennis shoes are vital to your nail health.
4. Use gloves when cleaning. Never do things like dishes, dusting, or other household chores with bare hands. While such activities may not seem taxing, they can actually damage and dry out your nails. For optimal nail health, invest in a pair of rubber gloves for use when cleaning
5. Do not paint your nails too often. If you paint your nails regularly, try not to paint them two days in a row. Nail polish can dry out and damage nails, leading to issues like spots. You should also pay attention to how your nails react to polish. If you tend to get spots after using a particular polish, you may have an allergy that’s causing that reaction. Stop using that polish right away.
- Also, minimize manicures. Try to only get a professional manicure on special occasions if you’re prone to white spots.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs).
How do I treat white spots on my nails?
There is no treatment for just white spots on their own. Those that have been caused by trauma will naturally grow out over time. If they are being caused by something other than trauma, the doctor will need to identify the cause and treat it separately.
Will the white spot on my nail go away?
Most nail injuries just need time to heal. As the nail grows, the damage will move up the nail plate. Over time, the white spots will disappear entirely.
Why do my fingernails have white spots?
Some experts say that white spots on your nails may be a sign that you’re deficient in minerals like calcium or zinc. “Because the nail plate is made of a variety of nutrients in certain proportions, a deficiency in nutrients can show on the nails,” Green says.
What are the white things on your nails?
The normal nail is pale pink with a whitish crescent called the lunula at the base. It is the most common color variation in the nails. Other names for this condition are white nails, fortune spots and gift spots.
Can iron deficiency cause white spots on nails?
Koilonychia is an abnormal shape of the fingernail. The nail has raised ridges and is thin and curved inward. This disorder is associated with iron deficiency anemia. Leukonychia is white streaks or spots on the nails often due to drugs or disease.
How do I get rid of Leukonychia?
If the Leukonychia is caused by a fungal infection then the use of an antifungal medication, topically or orally can be used to treat it. Leukonychia can also be buffed away with use of topical antifungal or nail solution.
Why do my nails have white half moons?
Most often, this is caused by an improper manicure or another kind of trauma to the fingernail. The moons may stay this way until the nail grows out and the tissue fully heals.
What are Covid nails?
COVID nails are nail changes that happen a few days or weeks after a COVID-19 infection. They’re either a sign that the infection stressed your body, or they could be a rare symptom of the infection itself, depending on your symptoms.
What color should be under your fingernails?
Your nails should generally appear to be a pale sort of pink or mauve. And it’s not actually the nails themselves that are the color, it’s the tissue underneath. “A nice healthy nail will have a pinkish or mauve hue as it reflects the color of the nail bed underneath,” Dr.
What causes leukonychia spots?
White spots, also called leukonychia, can have a variety of causes, including damage to your nail plate, certain medications, or a fungal infection. You may have white spots on your nails if you have a fungal infection or a mineral deficiency.