This article was reviewed by Dr. Emilija Ashtalkoska on August 22nd, 2018. Products listed therein are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease or health condition.
Overview
Have you discovered white spots on your nails? Are white spots suddenly spreading throughout your toenails, appearing as lines, blobs, or patches?
How did this happen? Where did it come from? Could it be something serious, or is it just one of those things that happen to people?
Don’t worry! This guide will tell you everything you need to know about white toenails, white spots appearing on the nail, and other forms of nail discoloration.
Continue reading to learn why your toenails are white.
It Could Be Nail Fungus!
One of the most likely culprits for white spots on nails is nail fungus.
Nail fungus, also known as onychomycosis, usually begins as a small yellowish or whiteish dot on the nail. As time goes by, the fungal infection feasts on keratin in your nails, and spreads throughout the nail.
If left untreated, nail fungus can spread to the remaining toenails, fingernails, groin, head, and skin.
Many people believe that nail fungus is just a yellowish or brownish color. However, there is a type of toenail fungus known as white superficial onychomycosis, where the toenail turns white.
Oftentimes, the nails also become weak and powdery. If you are reading this guide, there is a good chance you have this form of toenail fungus.
The good news is that if your nail fungus is just a white spot or two, you have most likely caught it at an early stage. Fungal infections are the easiest to treat at this stage, so do not worry!
Below we will highlight our three favorite treatment options for white spots on your nails caused by fungal infections.
Best Treatment For White Toenails #1 – EmuaidMAX
EmuaidMAX tops our list as the best nail fungus treatment for white nails.
EmuaidMAX is made from high quality, medical-grade ingredients such as Tea Tree Oil, Bacillus Ferment, Castor Oil, Vitamin E, and more.
The Emuaid formula does not contain any artificial ingredients, alcohol, petrochemicals, or any of the other scary ingredients that can have negative effects on your body.
These ingredients come together to help you treat the fungal infection causing the white spots on your nails, and will allow you to live fungus-free.
EmuaidMAX also treats 75 types of skin conditions, such as toenail fungus, athlete’s foot, hemorrhoids, acne, shingles, and more.
We think it is a fantastic addition to your medicine cabinet because if any other type of skin condition appears, you can start treating it immediately with this powerful, all-natural formula.
If you have white toenails due to nail fungus, we highly recommend utilizing EmuaidMAX.
Click here to view EmuaidMAX on Amazon.com
Best Treatment For White Toenails #2 – Purely Northwest Foot & Toenail System
The Purely Northwest Foot and Toenail System is an incredible, 3-in-1 foot and nail fungus treatment system.
The system harnesses the power of Tea Tree Oil, Jojoba Oil, Oregano Oil, and various other essential oils to treat your fungal infection with ease.
The system is great because it includes three distinct parts – the Antifungal Soap & Body Wash for cleaning your infection in the shower, ReNew topical treatment for direct application, and a Tea Tree Oil Foot Soak.
All of these elements come together to treat your white toenails.
We believe this is a great system for you to utilize because it treats both nail and foot fungus, which are both caused by the similar fungi and bacteria.
If you believe the white spot on your nails is nail fungus, there is a good chance that you also have athlete’s foot. By utilizing the Purely Northwest System, you can treat both of these infections with ease today.
Click here to view the Purely Northwest Foot and Toenail System on Amazon.com
Home Remedies
There are a variety of home remedies that can be used to treat nail fungus.
Some of the most popular ones include vinegar, Vick’s Vaporub, garlic, Listerine, Tiger’s Balm, and more. Some people even report using bleach to treat their fungal infections. Please, never put bleach on your skin.
While home remedies can work, there are definitely a number of downsides to using them.
First of all, they only work for the mildest of fungal infections. Even when used to treat these mild conditions, they take a long time to work.
For example, Vick’s Vaporub can take months or even a year to clear up your fungal infection, even with daily use. Because of this, we recommend utilizing one of the treatments listed above for faster results.
Other Reason For White Spots On The Nail
Along with fungal infections, there are a few other conditions that can cause white spots on the nails.
These include leukonychia, allergic reactions, deficiencies, illness, and more. Below we will outline some of these major causes.
Damage To The Nail
Damage to the nail, also known as punctate leukonychia, is one of the main reasons for small white spots on the nail.
This is oftentimes caused by trauma to the nail or nail bed. “Trauma” may be a little bit misleading here – these little white spots can pop up from a nearly endless amount of reasons.
Did you accidentally jam your toe? Are your shoes too tight? Did you trip while wearing sandals?
For most of use, these little traumas just happen in life, and stubbing your toe can be enough to cause a white spot to appear, usually a little more than a month later – long after we have forgotten about the incident.
Fortunately, these white spots are not harmful and will go away on their own after eight or so months.
These white spots tend to be small and isolated unless there has been excessive force on all of the nails. However, if you have white spots that are growing and possibly spreading to the other nails, you probably have nail fungus.
Allergic Reaction
White spots can form due to your body experiencing an allergic reaction in the nail or nailbed.
This is usually caused by your body reacting to something in your nail polish, nail hardener, or another type of coating.
If you have been utilizing toenail products, we recommend taking a break from polishing your toenails to see if they clear up.
If so, you can be sure that it was due to an allergic reaction. We recommend taking a look at our list of the best anti-fungal nail polishes on the market today if you simply can’t live without nail polish.
Are your toenails white, but you haven’t been using any nail products?
In that case, there is a good chance that you are not having an allergic reaction. Instead, it is much more likely that you have nail fungus, or the nail has experienced trauma.
Other Reasons For White Toenails
Although damage to the nail, fungal infections, and allergic reactions are the three most popular reasons for white spots, there are some issues that can cause white spots.
These include more serious issues such as heart disease, liver failure, heavy metal poisoning, kidney disease, and diabetes.
Most of these are unlikely, and you there would probably be a significant number of additional effects you would already be experiencing that would tip you off.
If you have horizontal lines, it is usually caused by heavy metal poisoning. These are called Mees lines and are often experienced by chemotherapy patients or those experiencing renal failure.
Please keep in mind that this website does not provide any medical advice. Reach out to your doctor if you have any concern about any sort of serious health issue.
What About Calcium Deficiency?
One of the most common wives tales is that a lack of calcium or zinc will cause white spots to appear on the nails. This is simply untrue!
The white spots on your nails are most likely caused by either injury to the nail or nail fungus, and not a mineral calcium or zinc deficiency.
How Can I Tell If I Have Nail Fungus?
Initially, it can be hard to differentiate between small white spots that have formed due to trauma and the initial stages of nail fungus.
However, there are a few things you can do to be relatively certain that it is nail fungus. Ask yourself the following questions:
- Are my nails white, powdery, and dry?
- Are my nails thickening and discolored, or brittle and crumbling?
- Do I have athlete’s foot in the webbing or underside of my feet?
- Do my nails look yellow or orange under certain lighting conditions?
If you answered yes to any of the questions above, you can be relatively certain that you have nail fungus.
If this is the case, we recommend utilizing EmuaidMAX to destroy the fungi and get your life back.
Conclusion
White toenails can be due to a variety of factors, the most common being nail fungus, trauma to the nail, and an allergic reaction usually caused by nail products.
This guide has outlined what you need to do in each one of these instances, so we hope you can go forward with the assurance that you learned something about your nails.
Additionally, there more serious reasons for white toenails, even though they tend to be rare.
Please remember that this website does not provide medical advice, and we always recommend consulting a doctor before introducing any new treatment into your life, or if you believe you have a serious medical issue.
I am the founder of DestroyNailFungus, and I do my best to provide comprehensive guides on health and wellness.
When I’m not running the site, I enjoy spending time outdoors and drinking coffee.