Yellow spots appeared on the nails

Common reasons

Healthy nails are distinguished by a slight shine, smooth surface, and transparency. Their pink color comes from the nail bed, which is visible through the plate.

Common reasons why nails turn yellow on the hands include improper use of decorative varnish, and on the feet - a fungal infection or onychomycosis. But other factors also lead to such changes. Let's take a closer look.

Smoking

Yellowing of the fingertips occurs in heavy smokers, and more often in men. Why do fingernails turn yellow from cigarettes? The fact is that tobacco smoke vapors are absorbed into the top layer of the skin and nail plate, disrupt tissue metabolism, and slow down cell renewal. The longer the smoking period, the more intense the color change.

As a rule, only the nails on the fingers with which a person holds a cigarette turn yellow. Such a cosmetic defect is considered the least of the troubles nicotine brings to our body. Smoking affects the heart, blood vessels, metabolic processes, increases the risk of developing chronic pathologies, and reduces immunity.

Smokers suffer from diseases of the bronchi or lungs, which also affects the color and structure of the nails.

Aging

Why do nails, especially toenails, turn yellow with age? In people over 50 years of age, nail growth and renewal slows down. There are already chronic diseases that lead to impaired blood supply to the lower extremities and nutrition in the area of ​​the nail plate. Elderly people take medications, the list of side effects of which sometimes includes yellowing of the nails.

Thickening, deformation, loss of transparency, and discoloration of the plate in older people are called a special term - senile nail.

Internal illnesses

Chronic pathologies of the liver, gallbladder, and biliary tract are another possible cause of yellowing of nails. Such diseases include chronic inflammatory processes, jaundice, hepatitis, tumors, which lead to an increase in the level of bile pigment bilirubin in the blood. As a result, it accumulates in the subungual space and stains the nail.

Yellow color of nails appears when lymphatic drainage is impaired and blood flow to the extremities is reduced. Retention of lymphatic fluid in the legs, edema, and peripheral circulatory disorders are observed with varicose veins, atherosclerosis, and elephantiasis.

Yellowing of the plate is also caused by pathologies of the endocrine system, including diabetes mellitus, hypothyroidism, and diffuse toxic goiter. With endocrine disorders, metabolic processes in the nail apparatus are disrupted. In addition to yellowing, slow growth of the plate, thickening, crumbling, and delamination are noted.

Decorative coatings

A common reason why women's toenails and fingernails turn yellow is a reaction to decorative varnishes that are applied to the plate without using a base coat or foundation. Yellowing is caused by dark or bright varnishes: red, orange, black, dark blue, dark green. And also cheap or expired.

Why do my fingernails turn yellow after polishing? Onychodischromia under varnish appears as a result of a chemical reaction between the dyes and proteins that make up the plate. If you use nail polish remover with acetone, the chances of yellowing will increase, since the solvent penetrates deeper into the polish.

Why do nails turn yellow under gel polish? This occurs when the gel contains bright pigments, errors in coating, or excessive exposure to a UV lamp.

Not only nails can change color, but also the gel polish or top coat itself. Why does the coating turn yellow? The reason is poor quality composition, violation of the technology for obtaining the product, expiration date or improper care. For example, the color of the coating changes when it comes into contact with household chemicals or coloring compounds.

Nail diseases and injuries

In case of injury, yellow spots form in the area of ​​the free edge of the plate. Such changes cause blows, bruises, pinching. Wearing uncomfortable shoes, shoes with heels higher than 5 cm or narrow toes leads to chronic microtraumas, changes in the shape, structure, and surface of the nail plate.

Among the diseases, onychodyschromia is provoked by:

• Fungal infection. It is 2–3 times more common on the legs of men. Why do nails turn yellow and peel due to fungus? The reason is clouding, thickening of the plate, and accumulation of debris. A nail affected by infection easily crumbles and breaks off;
• Psoriasis. Nails fade, turn yellow, and become brittle. The free edge thickens and peels off. The surface is covered with dotted depressions;
• Onycholysis or detachment of the plate from the bed from the side of the free edge. The separated part of the nail acquires a dull yellow tint and becomes opaque. Onycholysis is caused by trauma, psoriasis, and taking certain medications;
• Onychogryphosis. The nail becomes deformed, becomes very thick, looks like a bird's claw, and becomes dirty gray or yellow-brown. This disorder is a common reason why the toenails of older people thicken and turn yellow;
• Yellow nail syndrome. A rare systemic pathology affecting the fingers and toes. It causes problems with breathing, the lymphatic system, and swelling of the legs. The disease appears accidentally or is inherited.

Other reasons

In addition to the listed diseases, varnishes, age-related changes, and bad habits, yellowing of nails is caused by:

• taking certain medications (tetracycline, quinolone antibiotics, arsenic, carotene, quinolone);
• malnutrition, lack of vitamins and minerals;
• exposure to ultraviolet radiation or the use of self-tanning, when the product gets on the fingers in the cuticle area;
• genetic characteristics, when everyone in the family has nails with a yellow tint;
• drinking coffee and strong black tea in large quantities;
• contact with detergents, cleaning compounds for cleaning or washing dishes without protecting hands with gloves.

When should you go to a podiatrist?

If the color suddenly begins to change, you cannot ignore the problem. Yellowing of nails can be a temporary cosmetic defect, but can indicate the presence of serious diseases.

To understand the reasons, you need:

• see what decorative varnish or remover you use for manicure or pedicure;
• analyze what shoes you wear;
• remember if there were any nail injuries over the past month;
• remember what new medications you are taking, clarify side effects;
• assess what other changes in well-being have appeared.

If it is difficult to find out and eliminate the causes yourself, go to a podiatrist or dermatologist. The sooner you see a doctor, the faster your nails will recover.

Without special tests, examinations, consultations with specialized specialists, it is impossible to identify serious disorders in the body. We are talking about endocrine disorders, problems with the liver, gall bladder, vascular diseases, and respiratory organs.

The specialist will examine the color, structure of the nail, and changes in shape. Assess the condition of the cuticle, nail folds, bed, skin on the hands and feet.

If necessary, will prescribe:

• general blood analysis;
• blood test for glucose;
• test for thyroid hormones;
• biochemical blood test for liver tests;
• Dopplerography of the vessels of the extremities;
• examination to detect lung diseases.

If the nail plate cracks, crumbles, or smells unpleasant, the doctor will take a sample of the changed nail for microscopic analysis. After all, such symptoms indicate a fungal infection.

Treatment of diseases

You can try to cure only nail fungus yourself, and only if there is absolute confidence that the pathology is not associated with other problems in the body. It is much safer to consult a dermatologist and do a culture test for fungal flora.

Self-treatment is the use of antifungal drugs. You can buy without a prescription:

• "Loceryl";
• "Oflomil";
• "Ciclopiroxolamine";
• "Batrafen";
• "Clotrimazole";
• "Mikozan" and others.

The products are presented in the form of ointments, varnishes and serums.

In severe cases, an extended therapeutic regimen is required - the nails are removed and general antifungal drugs are prescribed in tablets.

If previously only surgical methods were used, now they have been replaced by medicinal ones. The preparations “Nogtimitsin” and “Nogtevit” dissolve the keratinized formation.

General antifungal agents:

1. "Fluconazole";
2. "Flucostat";
3. "Itraconazole";
4. "Lamisil";
5. "Terbinafine".

Drugs used by veterinarians, such as Creolin, can also be prescribed as therapeutic agents.

Folk remedies such as tea tree oil, lavender oil, apple cider vinegar, soda and alkaline baths effectively eliminate nail fungus.

Still, you shouldn’t make a diagnosis yourself. Find out the reasons and prescribe treatment for the appearance of yellow nails on the hands should be entrusted to a dermatologist.

If culture for fungal flora gives a negative result, then they give directions to donate blood for sugar, biochemistry, Wasserman reaction and to identify thyroid diseases.

The treatment of these ailments is carried out by specialized specialists.

What to do?

The treatment regimen depends on the cause. When identifying internal diseases, you need to go to specialized doctors: for diabetes, thyroid dysfunction - to an endocrinologist, for liver diseases - to a gastroenterologist, for problems with blood vessels - to a surgeon.

Varnish painting

If the reason is the varnish, the yellowing will go away on its own as the plate grows back. Fans of bright, saturated colors should apply a base coat under the varnish and use varnishes with a safe composition, without formaldehyde. But it is better to choose light, pastel or nude shades.

Wear the covering for no more than 4 - 5 days in a row, then take a break for 2 - 3 days. During this period, treat the plates with nourishing cream or oils, strengthening and restoring medicinal compounds.

If your nails have turned yellow from polish or smoking, but you urgently need to get them in order, try making a bath with lemon juice or hydrogen peroxide to neutralize the unsightly shade.

Lack of vitamins

If a lack of vitamins and minerals is detected, taking vitamin-mineral complexes or supplements will help improve the condition of your nails. The course of treatment lasts from several weeks to months. Specific medications are prescribed by the doctor.

If you are prone to hypovitaminosis, it is important to review your diet. Add more fruits, vegetables, herbs, cottage cheese, vegetable oils. A lack of vitamins affects not only your nails, but also your overall health.

Onychomycosis

Treatment of fungus consists of hardware cleaning of infected areas, taking local or systemic agents that destroy the pathogen. The nail plate grows slowly, so it lasts from 3 to 12 months. It is necessary for the affected nail to be replaced by a healthy one.

In the future, it is important to prevent re-infection. It is necessary to avoid increased humidity of the feet, prolonged contact of hands with water, and do not wear someone else’s shoes. Wear protective rubber slippers when visiting public showers, swimming pools, saunas, baths, and the beach.

Nail psoriasis

Psoriasis is a chronic pathology, from which it is still impossible to get rid of it forever. Its characteristic feature is red, scaly spots on the surface of the skin. The goals of therapy are to cope with exacerbations, prolong the period of remission, and improve the quality of life of patients. A dermatologist treats the disease.

Depending on the severity of the condition, the following is prescribed:

• agents that relieve inflammation;
• retinoids that suppress excess cell growth;
• immunosuppressants;
• vitamins;
• drugs that improve the condition of the skin and nails.

To prevent exacerbations of psoriasis, proper care is important, as well as the elimination of provoking factors. The latter include injury, stress, infection, exposure to the sun, cold or dry air.

Methods for eliminating yellowness on nails

The first thing a person should do when they discover yellowness on their nails is to visit a qualified specialist. Only a doctor will be able to correctly determine the cause that provoked the modification of the nail, as well as select the optimal course of treatment. If you don’t do this, but simply try to hide the defect with a manicure, then after a short period of time the problem will make itself felt again.

If the yellowness on the nails does not appear as a result of internal problems or diseases of the body, then an integrated approach should still be used to eliminate it.

It must include the following steps:

1. Going to a beauty salon. Here, experienced craftsmen will help you properly deal with the visual defect.
2. Changing nutrition principles. The diet should consist of proper and balanced dishes.
3. Replenishment of the level of vitamins and minerals necessary for the body.
4. Maintain personal hygiene, which necessarily includes careful hand care.
5. Eliminate all low-quality cosmetics, as well as decorative varnishes.
6. Give your nails a chance to rest. They have a porous structure. Therefore, you cannot constantly apply decorative varnishes to the surface of the nail plate. It is recommended to take short breaks every 5 days. At this time, you can make healing and restorative hand masks or baths.

If yellowness on the nails begins to appear, then measures should be taken immediately. Treatment can consist of pharmaceuticals or home recipes, which have long proven themselves to be exclusively positive.

Pharmaceutical preparations for yellow spots on nails

Regardless of the reasons that provoked the appearance of yellowness on the nails, you should not self-medicate. It is better to immediately contact a qualified specialist to know exactly what caused this cosmetic defect.

Today there are a large number of different products that can be easily purchased at every pharmacy. The dosage of medications, as well as the period of administration, is prescribed individually for each individual person. The doctor must take into account the cause that led to such consequences and the extent of the nail damage.

Whitening nails at home: effective recipes

In combination with pharmaceutical products, you can use effective home remedies. Their main advantage is the complete absence of contraindications. The only exception is individual intolerance or allergy to the components of the recipe. Home remedies will quickly remove the yellowness of the nail plate and also improve the condition of the skin on your hands. There are several main directions that are used in folk recipes:

1. Salt baths. It is a simple and affordable option for everyone. You don't have to buy any special or expensive ingredients. To prepare a salt bath you will need sea or regular salt (in the first case, the composition contains much more nutrients and minerals), 1 glass of warm water, 9-11 drops of tea tree oil. If you don’t have it at home, you can take regular sunflower oil, which every housewife has. To prepare a salt bath, you need to mix all the ingredients in a deep bowl. Then dip your clean hands into it and leave for 10 minutes so that all the beneficial microelements penetrate deep into the skin and nails. After the procedure is over, you should not wash off the remnants of the therapeutic bath. Its components will continue to have their positive effect.
2. Berry bath. It will help nourish the nail plate, as well as the skin of the hands around it, with the necessary nutrients. After the procedure, your nails will regain their natural shine and strength. To prepare it you will need: berries that are typical for a given period of time, 1 glass of mineral water. First of all, you need to make a puree from fresh berries. After this, add mineral water to the resulting slurry. Everything is thoroughly mixed. When the berry bath is ready, put your hands in it for 15 minutes. Upon completion of the procedure, they should be rinsed with water and lubricated with cream.
3. Fruit acids. They will help to quickly whiten the nail plate due to the vitamin C present in the composition. The use of this method guarantees a positive result only with long-term use.

• Lemon. It needs to be cut into small pieces. Each slice is applied to the nail plate and left for 5 to 8 minutes. This procedure is done with each finger.
• Grapefruit. Take ½ of the fruit and make a puree from it, which can be diluted with a small amount of water. Apply the resulting paste to your nails and leave for 10 minutes. After that, the remnants of the fruit mask are washed off with water, and the plate is wiped with olive oil.