
White spots on nails are commonly believed to be a sign of calcium deficiency, but this is a myth. The white spots are actually caused by zinc deficiency, or by past injury to the matrix (base) of the nail. In rare cases, white bands on nails can be associated with severe malnutrition in children or people with low blood protein.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| White marks on nails caused by calcium deficiency | Myth |
| White marks on nails caused by | Zinc deficiency |
| White marks on nails caused by | Past injury to the matrix (base) of the nail |
| White marks on nails caused by | Manicure that put excessive pressure on the base of the nail |
| White marks on nails caused by | Severe malnutrition in children or people with low blood protein |
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What You'll Learn

White spots on nails are not caused by a calcium deficiency
White spots on nails can also be associated with severe malnutrition in children or in people suffering from low blood protein, but it’s nothing to do with calcium. Nails that turn completely white can indicate liver disease, but by the time this happens, you probably would have other symptoms.
Some people believe that white spots on nails are caused by a zinc deficiency, but this is also a myth.
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They are called leukonychia
White marks on nails are called leukonychia and are very common. They are not caused by a calcium deficiency, but by a zinc deficiency. They can also be caused by an injury to the matrix (base) of the nail, which can be caused by a manicure that puts excessive pressure on the base of the nail. In rare cases, they can be congenital, meaning that you are born with them. Nails that turn completely white can indicate liver disease, but this would likely be accompanied by other symptoms.
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They are very common
White spots on nails are very common and are called leukonychia. They are not caused by a calcium deficiency, but by a zinc deficiency. They are a sign of some past injury to the matrix (base) of your nails. By the time they show up (about six weeks after the injury) you’ve probably forgotten all about banging or knocking your fingers. Sometimes, the injury can stem from a manicure that put excessive pressure on the base of a nail.
White bands on nails can be associated with severe malnutrition in children or in people suffering from low blood protein, but it’s nothing to do with calcium. Nails that turn completely white can indicate liver disease, but by the time this happens, you probably would have other symptoms.
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They are usually a sign of past injury to the matrix (base) of the nail
White marks on nails are not caused by a calcium deficiency. Instead, they are usually a sign of past injury to the matrix (base) of the nail. This is known as leukonychia and is very common. By the time the white marks appear (about six weeks after the injury), you may have forgotten about banging or knocking your fingers. Sometimes, the injury can be caused by a manicure that put excessive pressure on the base of a nail.
White bands on nails can be associated with severe malnutrition in children or in people suffering from low blood protein, but it is unrelated to calcium deficiency. Nails that turn completely white can indicate liver disease, but by the time this happens, you would probably have other symptoms.
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They can also be associated with severe malnutrition in children or people with low blood protein
White spots on nails are not caused by a calcium deficiency. They are called leukonychia and are very common. They are usually a sign of some past injury to the matrix (base) of your nails. However, they can also be associated with severe malnutrition in children or people with low blood protein. Nails that turn completely white can indicate liver disease, but by the time this happens, you will probably have other symptoms.
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Frequently asked questions
No, white marks on nails are not a sign of calcium deficiency. They are called leukonychia and are very common. They are usually a sign of past injury to the matrix (base) of your nails.
White marks on nails are usually caused by a zinc deficiency. They can also be caused by past injury to the base of your nails, for example, from a manicure that put excessive pressure on the nail.
Nails that turn completely white can indicate liver disease, but by the time this happens, you will probably have other symptoms. White bands on nails can also be associated with severe malnutrition in children or in people with low blood protein.










































