Do they look pale or white? This could mean you have a low red blood cell count. White nails also can signal trauma, liver disease, diabetes, an overactive thyroid, heart failure, heavy metal poisoning, chemotherapy, or a lack of nutrients in your diet.
Healthy nails are generally pink. Very pale nails may indicate illnesses, such as anemia, congestive heart failure or liver disease. Poor nutrition also may be a culprit. It's a good idea to get very pale nails checked by a doctor.
In the condition called Terry's nails, most of the fingernail looks white except for a narrow red or pink band at the top. Terry's nails sometimes develops because of aging. But in other cases, it may be a symptom of a serious medical condition, such as liver problems, congestive heart failure or diabetes.
Iron deficiency anemia (lack of adequate healthy red blood cells) can cause pale nails. Selenium also plays a role in keeping our hair and nails healthy and its deficiency can cause brittle nails.
Terry's nails is a type of nail discoloration. The nailbeds look “washed out,” except for a thin reddish-brown strip near the tip. Often, Terry's nails is a symptom of a chronic condition, such as liver failure or diabetes.
Koilonychia is indented nails. Instead of growing straight, your nails look concave, like spoons. In many people, koilonychia is a sign of iron deficiency. Usually, you can get rid of spoon nails by treating the underlying cause.
4 White/yellow/greenish discolouration and thickening at the end of the nail spreads gradually to involve the whole nail which may be thick and brittle. The distorted nail can become sharp or break off, and can dig into neighbouring toes.
Melanoma of the nail unit most often starts as a narrow brown to black pigmented band, visible on the length of a single nail plate (melanonychia). It is most prevalent in the nail of the thumb or big toe. It is not easy to differentiate from a benign lentigo or naevus (mole) in its early stages.
Nail changes in vitamin B12 deficiency present as hyperpigmentation of nails like bluish discoloration of nails, blue-black pigmentation with dark longitudinal streaks, and longitudinal and reticulate darkened streaks. The nail pigmentation associated with B12 deficiency is more frequent in patients with dark skin.
Raynaud's disease. Raynaud's disease causes smaller blood vessels that supply blood flow to the skin to narrow in response to cold or stress. The affected body parts, usually fingers and toes, might turn white then blue. Depending on your skin color, these color changes may be harder or easier to see.
What is the color of the nail in anemia? Anemia can cause a person's nail bed to become pale.
Pale Nails
The white color could be the result of several things such as trauma, anemia, dietary deficiencies, heart or kidney disease, or even poisoning.
A blue hue in the nails may mean low oxygen levels in the blood, which is a warning sign of COVID-19. Yellowish nails may indicate chronic bronchitis and other lung diseases or fungal infections.
It's usually brown or black and runs from top to bottom (vertical). In some cases, the line can be irregularly shaped and increase in length and width over time. If you have subungual melanoma, your nail may: Split, crack or deform in some way.
Nail fungus is a common infection of the nail. It begins as a white or yellow-brown spot under the tip of your fingernail or toenail. As the fungal infection goes deeper, the nail may discolor, thicken and crumble at the edge.
Melanoma signs include: A large brownish spot with darker speckles. A mole that changes in color, size or feel or that bleeds. A small lesion with an irregular border and portions that appear red, pink, white, blue or blue-black.
Fat-soluble vitamin deficiency (al. S. M., 2011) – Deficiencies specifically in vitamins A, D, E, and K typically will cause nails to be softer, termed hapalonychia. Yellow discoloration of the nails, not to be confused with onychomycosis, can occur with vitamin E deficiencies.
Half-and-half nails, or Lindsay nails, which are observed in patients with chronic kidney disease, have sharp demarcation of nail beds: the proximal portion of each nail is whitish; and the distal portion, which occupies 20% to 60% of the nail length, is red, pink, or brown.
Do they look pale or white? This could mean you have a low red blood cell count. White nails also can signal trauma, liver disease, diabetes, an overactive thyroid, heart failure, heavy metal poisoning, chemotherapy, or a lack of nutrients in your diet.
Zinc deficiency can cause Beau's lines and white spots on your nails. Iron deficiency can cause vertical nail ridges and koilonychia (spoon nails). Spoon nails have a depression in the middle, like the center of your nail was scooped out.
Horizontal ridges can be caused by trauma to the nail and may be deep or discolored. They can also indicate malnutrition, psoriasis or a thyroid problem. If you see horizontal ridges on your nails, check with your doctor; they may indicate a more serious problem.