Content

• Steps
• Method 1 of 3: Using Home Remedies
• Method 2 of 3: Changing Your Lifestyle
• Method 3 of 3: Medical Assistance
• Tips

In medical parlance, small white spots or stripes on the nails of the hands and feet are called leukonychia. They are usually benign and result from injury, allergies, or vitamin deficiencies. You can usually get rid of white spots yourself with a variety of natural home remedies. If they persist, see your doctor to determine the cause. In rare cases, white spots on the nails can be a sign of a medical condition.

Steps

Method 1 of 3: Using Home Remedies

1. 1 Moisturize your nails daily. Apply moisturizer not only to your hands, but also to your nails. Rub nourishing hand oil or vitamin E oil into your nails every night before bed. This will help your nails stay strong and healthy, and reduce the risk of whiteheads.
2. 2 Try essential oils. Essential oils are known to help get rid of white spots caused by nail injury or fungus. Typically, it is recommended to use tea tree oil or orange oil for these purposes. Mix a few drops of your chosen essential oil with a base oil such as olive oil and apply to your nails. The orange oil should be left on the nails for about 45 minutes for it to be absorbed, while the tea tree oil needs 15–20 minutes.
   • After the oil has been absorbed, be sure to wash your nails.
3. 3 Soak your nails in a water solution of white vinegar. Mix 1: 1 white vinegar and water in a bowl. Dip your nails in the solution and keep them in the liquid for 10 minutes, then rinse with clean water and pat dry. Do this about four times a week - you may notice that the white spots disappear after a while.
   • If you have sensitive skin, use more water and less vinegar.
4. 4 Rub your nails with lemon. Lemon is rich in vitamin C, and the appearance of white spots on the nails is sometimes caused by a deficiency of this vitamin.Just cut the lemon in half and rub your nails with it. Leave the lemon juice for 20-30 minutes, then rinse it off with water and dry your nails.
5. 5 Soak your nails in unsweetened yogurt. Unsweetened natural yoghurt, unflavored, promotes nail health and may help fade white spots. Place about three tablespoons (45 ml) of yogurt in a bowl and soak your nails in it for 10-15 minutes. Then wash your nails in warm water.
   • You can add a few drops of lemon juice or vitamin E oil to yogurt.
6. 6 Use Alka-Seltzer tablets. It is known that Alka-Seltzer tablets sometimes help to remove white spots on the nails. Dissolve a few tablets in warm water and keep your nails in it for five minutes.
7. 7 Wait for the white spots to come off as the nails grow. In most cases, it is enough to be patient and wait for the white spots to disappear by themselves. Typically, white spots will fade over time. While there are steps you can take to speed up this process, sometimes you just need to wait.

Method 2 of 3: Changing Your Lifestyle

1. 1 Change your diet. Sometimes white spots on the nails appear due to deficiencies in zinc, vitamin C, calcium and proteins. Increase your intake of these vitamins and minerals to get rid of white spots.
   • Eat fruits rich in vitamin C such as oranges, lemons, grapefruits, and apples.
   • The nutrients needed for healthy nails are also found in broccoli, cabbage and collard greens, turnips, poultry, fish and nuts.
   • You can also try taking a multivitamin that you can buy at your local pharmacy. This will help if food intolerances prevent you from getting all the nutrients you need directly from food.
2. 2 Do not gnaw or pick your nails. Bad habits such as biting and picking under nails can damage them. If you tend to mess with your nails, stop doing it. Try to bite and pick as little as possible, and soon you may notice that there are fewer white spots.
   • If you find it difficult to resist biting and picking your nails, try covering them with adhesive tape. You can also paint your nails - you probably won't want to spoil freshly applied nail polish.
3. 3 Choose the right footwear. If white spots also appear on your toenails, change your shoes. Tight, uncomfortable shoes can damage your nails and cause white spots. Choose looser, more comfortable shoes and see if the white spots on your toenails disappear.
   • This is especially important if you are jogging or doing other vigorous exercise. In this case, for the health of nails, it is simply necessary to use comfortable sneakers.
4. 4 Wear gloves when doing housework. Be sure to protect your hands when washing dishes, dusting, and other household chores. While it may seem unnecessary, doing this can damage and dry out your nails. Purchase rubber gloves to protect your nails and keep them healthy.
5. 5 Don't paint your nails too often. If you paint your nails regularly, try not doing it for two days in a row. The varnish can dry out and damage the nails, thereby contributing to the formation of white spots. Also pay attention to how your nails react to polish. If white spots appear after you use a certain nail polish, it could be due to an allergic reaction. Stop using this varnish immediately.
   • Also try to do manicure as little as possible. If you often have white spots on your nails, only do a professional manicure on special occasions.

Method 3 of 3: Medical Assistance

1. 1 If the white spots on your nails persist, see your doctor. If home remedies have failed to get rid of the white spots, make an appointment with your doctor. While white spots on your nails are usually harmless, they can sometimes indicate a health problem such as anemia or liver disease.You may also need medications for nail fungus.
2. 2 If your doctor prescribes oral antifungals for you, take them. If your doctor determines that the white spots on your nails are caused by a fungus, they may prescribe you an oral antifungal medication. Typically, these medications are taken for 6-12 weeks and will eventually get rid of fungal symptoms such as white spots.
   • Be sure to talk to your doctor about any health concerns you have before taking antifungal medications. Antifungal medications can cause rashes and liver damage.
3. 3 Try medicated nail polish or cream. The doctor may also prescribe an antifungal cream or nail polish. Usually, the cream is applied to the nails over a period of time. This period can range from several weeks to one year.

Tips

• If you want to hide white spots on your nails, you can use a neutral color polish.