What are the White Spots on My Nails?

White spots, or leukonychia, are actually very common. The most common cause for these white spots is some sort of trauma to the nail (like shutting your finger in a door or bending the nail backwards as examples.) Most of the time these spots will pop up as long as 6 weeks after the damage, so you may not even remember what caused them. Once they are there though, it will take a while for them to grow out, as it can take months for a nail to grow out completely.

There are two other less common causes for white spots on the nail. The first of which being an allergic reaction to a nail product you have used in the past. This could be from hardeners, polish, even the sort of file you have been using. The second, even less common, is caused by an infection under the nail. If you notice an abnormal amount of these spots popping up on your nails, and can’t remember banging them on anything in the distant past, your best bet is to have them checked out by a doctor.

Content Provided By: Hillary Hansen