White Spots on Nails?!

heyy everyone... ok so my question this time is...

does anyone know what those white spots are on nails that some ppl get bt nt others...?? i have thm.. n i hatee them! dnt know hw to get rid of them..

some ppl say its zinc or calcium deficiency  bt i dint think so  n thn someone else told me u get them by tapping ur nails on a surface... n cz i play the piano.. n sometimes tap on table..  it mite be that...

does anyone know for sure?

thanks! kansha x

My mum used to tell me that it was due to calcium deficiency and
i dunno if anyone seen that cheese string advert where the boy put white spots on his nails and says to his mum that people think he has calcium deficiency just so that his mum gives him cheese strings lol. That also made me think it was true but i thought i'd check it for sure.

http://www.wisegeek.com/what-causes-white-spots-on-fingernai ls.htm
That's what i found. It indicates how calcium deficiency is just a myth and it's mor to do with previous injury to the nail.

thanks teardrops!!! i saw tht cheesestrings ad too!!! bt dint think tht ws true...

i cheked the site.. thanks! it ws veryy helpful!! bt jst one ques.. loll i havnt had any injuries on my nails??! n iv had these white spots for aaages!!

I used to have them on my nails when i was younger and now i realised i never have them anymore. I really have no idea why it was but i believed it was calcium deficiency.

ooh ryt.. wel.. i hope they go away soon!!!  thers soo many myths about it.. its soo confusing!!!

thanks newys! xxx

I know what you mean, I just checked my nails I only have two but this is what I found >>

What Are These White Spots?

Should I be concerned about white spots on my fingernails? By Nelson Lee Novick, MD, FACP, FAAD


May 8, 2000 -- In most cases, no. While there are many reasons for these white spots (called leukonychia), most of them are due to mild trauma -- such as hitting or slamming your fingernail on or into something -- and there's usually little cause for worry. The good news is they'll simply grow out with time.

Because a normal fingernail takes about eight months to grow out completely, you may not notice the mark of an injury for several months after the fact. If you see white spots about halfway up the nail, you can assume that the insult took place approximately four months earlier. But if you can' t remember slamming that finger keep in mind there are other causes for white spots.

If you use nail enamels, nail hardeners, or artificial nails, it's also possible that you're having an allergic reaction. Such products can cause nail fragility and very fine splitting or layering of the nail plate, which may result in whitish spots.

The white spots may also be something that you picked up at the gym or during your monthly manicure, namely a fungal, yeast, or bacterial infection that attacks the substance of the nail directly, leaving a whitish streak or spot behind. If you've forgotten to wear your flip-flops at the gym or if you're unsure about the hygiene at your nail salon, ask your doctor to take scrapings of nail tissue for fungal and bacterial cultures. If there's a pesky organism causing the spots, both topical and oral therapies can clear up this problem in a few weeks.

Two skin conditions that affect millions of Americans, psoriasis and eczema, could also be the cause. Both can occasionally leave whitish spots on the nails, either by disrupting normal nail production at the root or causing separation at the tip. Because both disorders typically involve the skin as well as the nails, they're almost always diagnosed as a result of the accompanying skin problems, so if you've got the spots alone, it's unlikely you've got psoriasis or eczema.

Finally, there are a number of total-body ("systemic") conditions that can leave white spots on your otherwise unblemished talons. Certain nutritional deficiencies, particularly a lack of zinc or protein in your diet, can cause a nearly total whiteout of your nail except for the tips or even a pattern of white bands across the width of the nail. Cirrhosis, a form of chronic liver disease usually brought about by alcoholism, can also result in nails that are almost completely white. Keep in mind, though, that white spots in that case are rarely the primary flag for diagnosis but usually occur well after this disease has made its presence known in other ways.

Given the number of conditions that can cause white spots, if you have a sudden crop of them on your nails (and you haven't caught your digits in the car door during the last six months), make an appointment to see your dermatologist.

Nelson Lee Novick, MD, associate clinical professor of dermatology, the Mount Sinai School of Medicine, N.Y., and author of You Can Look Younger At Any Age: A Leading Dermatologist's Guide (Holt, 1999). His private practice is devoted primarily to the treatment of hair, skin, and nail conditions and to cosmetic dermatology.
2000 Healtheon/WebMD. All rights reserved.

wow lilyrose, that's awesome! thx a lot for the article, really very useful! thx Azzy you too for the link

even i'd heard form my mom that it has to do with calcium deficiency!!

then i read about getting them by hitting or slamming your fingernail on or into something and so i rather believed that, because it was true, after some time they were gone!

Thanks again

Love,
Gracella

thanks lilyrose for the article!!! i think they r jst bruises.. wher iv hit my nail... loll

thanks u guys for ur help!!!