If you’ve ever noticed small white spots on your fingernails or toenails, you’re not alone. These tiny marks often lead people to wonder if they have a calcium deficiency or another health problem. Fortunately, in most cases, the answer is much less concerning.
The medical name for these white spots is leukonychia, and they are usually harmless. Most disappear naturally as the nail grows and are often caused by minor injuries to the nail rather than an underlying illness.
Let’s take a closer look at what these white spots may mean and when they might deserve medical attention.
What Is Leukonychia?
Leukonychia refers to white spots, lines, or patches that appear on the nails. They can affect one nail or several and may vary in size.
Your nails are made of keratin, a strong protein produced in the nail matrix beneath the cuticle. If this area experiences a small injury while the nail is forming, tiny air pockets can become trapped within the nail plate, creating the white spots you see later.
Because nails grow slowly, you may not notice the spots until several weeks after the minor injury occurred.
The Most Common Causes
Minor Nail Injuries
The most frequent cause of white spots is minor trauma to the nail.
Examples include:
- Bumping your finger
- Closing a finger in a door
- Aggressive manicures
- Picking or biting your nails
- Pressure from tight shoes on toenails
Many people don’t even remember the injury because it was so minor.
