My nails turned white 2 years ago. A dozen doctors a hundred tests and they’re all stumped
Thursday, 13 Mar 2025
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I know it sounds stupid, but are they firmly attached to the skin? They look like they are about to pop-off
Are they brittle? They look very brittle
Congratulations. You have been dead for two years and are now immortal. I’ll check on you in 50 years.
He says it’s Lupus
OP here. From my doctors explanation, my nails turned white because they have come slightly off the nailbed. But they have no idea why. They grow at normal speed, every test has come back normal, even tried me on anti fungal for 9 months with zero effect. My thumbs are normal as are all my toe nails. I don’t work in or near any industrial site or have any kind of exposure to anything. Everyone else in my house is fine and I have no family history
Can’t you just get a new Edgar suit?
Psoriasis…maybe
Have you done heavy metal or mold testing? Any other symptoms? Are you exposing these nails to something you aren’t exposing your thumb to?
Have you asked about psoriasis?
leukonychia! There are so many causes, can even be a genetic condition. Did you have any genetic testing done? Might want to get genetic tests for Darier disease, Hailey-Hailey disease, or Bart-Pumphrey syndrome.
Was hoping to find someone correctly diagnose it so I could say,
This is a [case study](https://ijdvl.com/idiopathic-acquired-persistent-true-partial-to-total-leukonychia/) I found from 2012. Seems to be pretty rare if it truly is idiopathic. It even has an NIH rare diseases [page.](https://rarediseases.info.nih.gov/diseases/9759/leukonychia-totalis)
Drank too many White Claws.
Have you tried turning off and back on?
Reddit medic here – do you have a carbon monoxide detector?
!remindme 2 years
Do you have high calcium? I was told once the white spots that appear in my nails sometimes is excess calcium but i dunno if thats true
Maybe you were bitten by a radioactive critter. Have you noticed any strange super powers?
Find an endocrinologist who deep dives into immune issues.
By many standards my thyroid was normal but my symptoms were all there and she deep dived into thyroid tests.
My doctor found out I had Hashimoto’s and helped my hair, nails, skin and so much more.
I wish you luck.
RemindMe! 18250 days
Mine look like this. I figure it’s one of my autoimmune weirdnesses. I keep gel polish on the break like potato chips
You should be proud, patient zero!
It’s called leukonychia, and it has a whole bunch of potential metabolic causes, from vitamin deficiencies to kidney, liver or heart disease, to several types of poisoning, usually heavy metals.
I’d ask what also changed a year ago? (Or probably six months before that, because it takes a while for nails to grow). Did you move? Become vegan? Change your diet? And new hobbies? Etc…
My nails didn’t get quite this bad, but long covid did a number on them in the beginning and is hard to diagnose.
Might be an immunity thing. Are you sensitive to different foods or pollens etc? Perhaps it is linked to your diet or chemicals you are constantly in contact with. Even something as simple as the company hand-wash etc
could be affecting your health.
Is it constant or does it flare up worse after eating/drinking etc? Or using a certain brand of washing powder after a time of not using it etc?
With your nails being so brittle, are your joints affected by changes in the weather like a deep ache? Are you more likely to be clusmy or hurt yourself due to weak joints?
You don’t need to answer but I just wonder if it is linked to allergen sensitivity. Like did you move to a new house at the same time your nails were affected? If so perhaps it could even be something like the water you drink everyday running through lead/bad materiala for water pipes. Something you would never really think about.
have you seen a rheumatologist? do you have any joint pain or rashes or does anyone in your family have a history of such?
Look on the funny side, maybe they will name a new disease after you 🙂 I’m glad for you it’s at least not any cancer or other very serious problem.
I don’t know if anyone has asked this question but has anyone ran a biopsy test on the nails and surrounding skin to check ? Could possibly be fungus, psoriasis, autoimmune or cancer – I mean we could all guess but it’s always best to consult a doctor.
All they need is clippings of all the nails and the dry skin surrounding the nail, possibly from the cuticle. Ship it to a supporting lab like Labcorp or Quest Diagnostics and you’ll get the results within 72hrs.
I’m gonna echo the psoriasis suggestion, and also suggest psoriatic or rheumatoid arthritis. Those do some weird shit to nails including discoloration and brittleness.
When the entire nail turns white, it is often a condition known as Terry’s nails. In this condition, almost the entire nail plate appears white, except for a thin band near the tip. This is not just a cosmetic issue—it can be associated with systemic conditions such as liver cirrhosis, heart failure, nutritional deficiencies, or metabolic disorders. If you notice this change in multiple nails, it’s important to see a specialist for a thorough evaluation to rule out any underlying health problems.
Additionally, repetitive trauma or prolonged use of certain products can influence nail color, but a complete whitening of the nails is usually a sign of an internal cause that requires medical attention.
Have you tried painting them?
So ive been doing nails for 20 years and see allllll kinds of things. The most common nail issue that isn’t from general aging is some variation of arthritis. In certain types of arthritis it presents in the nails sometimes years before any other classic symptoms. And every type does something different to the hands and/or nails. Not to say that’s what it is for sure, but i hear the same story over and over of how people go to dermatologists, endos, their gp and they all just shrug their shoulders. The literal info is usually right on the NIH website lol. Basically try asking a rheumatologist if you havent already.
Possibly Terry’s nails? You’ve mentioned having had labs for nutritional deficiencies, but have you had liver and kidney function tests also?
Does anyone else in your family have this condition? Do you take any long-term, particularly health-hazardous medications (strong antibiotics, chemotherapy, etc.)?
I’ve seen this ailment before.
Ya got ghosts in your blood
RemindMe! 1 day
Have you had hormones checked? Hormones can affect nail production. Have you had amino acid levels checked? Because a person could have vitamin deficiencies, mineral deficiencies, amino acid deficiencies, hormone deficiencies. You can get checked for parasites, all kinds of fungal tests. Bacteria tests.