Get rid of white spots on your nails

White spots on nails; they can ruin an otherwise perfect manicure and they’re awfully difficult to get rid of. So why do they keep showing up? And more importantly, how can you keep them away?

Causes

White spots on fingernails are most commonly caused by injury to the nail bed. They can occur as a result of picking or biting at the nails, or as a result of banging the nail against something. Because white spots on fingernails work much like bruises, it’s often difficult to ascertain exactly what moment you may have injured the nail bed – as they start to show up days after the actual incident has occurred.

Myths

It’s a well-publicized myth that white spots on nails occur as a result of a deficiency in zinc or calcium. In actual fact, this is extremely rare and if you do indeed have a vitamin deficiency, it should show up in other areas of your body besides your nails – so unless you’ve started losing hair or your skin complexion has changed, white spots on your nails are not a cause for alarm.

Treatment

Unfortunately, the best form of treatment is patience. Much like a bruise, you need to wait it out and let the white spots heal and disappear in their own time. If you regularly wear false nails and have noticed the repeated occurrence of white spots on nails, it may be a sign that your artificial nails are causing trauma to your nail bed and it’s time to take a break.

Prevention

Keep white spots on nails away by adhering to proper nail care practices. Avoid biting, picking and ripping false nails off and where possible, try to avoid banging your nails against hard surfaces.