White spots on nails are very common, everyone at some point in their lives experience them. These spots can indicate a few different things, because the different patterns of white spots may be symptomatic of different causative conditions, but the underlying¹ theme is that your body is trying to tell you that you are not healthy. It's essential to know the causes and take respective measures to treat them.

指甲上出现白色斑点是很常见的，几乎每个人都可能会遇到。这些小斑点因形状等的不同，会反映出我们身体可能存在的不同问题。无论哪一种，这其实都是再告诉我们：我们可能需要关注自己的身体健康状况了。所以我们有必要知道白色斑点出现的原因，以及针对不同原因而需要采取不同的措施。

Nail Injuries

指甲受伤

The white spots on the fingernails, which can appear as dots or lines, are called leukonychia. An injury to the base of the nail, which is also known as the matrix, can result in the appearance of these white spots on the nails.

指甲上的白色斑点，有时会成点状或线状出现，这叫做白甲病。可能会由于指甲根部（也叫基质）部分受伤而导致。

Due to the fact that these spots take some time to appear after the injury, you may have forgotten all about the injury. Some examples of the types of injuries that can cause these spots are banging the finger on the door or banging it on the countertop or with a hammer. Having manicures done frequently can cause injuries to the nails as well.

这类白色斑点可能会在受伤很长一段时间之后才会出现，所以你可能都不记得指甲曾受过什么伤了。导致这类斑点出现的指甲受伤类型包括指甲撞在门上或工作台上或被锤子砸到等。过度频繁的剪指甲也会导致指甲受伤。

Allergic² Reaction

过敏反应

There are times when white spots can appear on the nails due to an allergic reaction to nail polish, nail hardener or even nail polish remover.

有时因涂指甲油或者卸甲水时导致的过敏反应也会使指甲上长出白色小班点。

Zinc³ Deficiency

缺锌

Zinc is a metal that is normally found in the human body. A zinc deficiency in a person commonly causes white spots or streaks⁴ in their nails.

锌是人体所必须的一种微量元素。体内缺锌经常会导致指甲上出现白色斑点或白色细条。

A change in the person's diet can help to resolve this problem.

改善饮食能帮助解决这个问题。

Some foods that can help to add zinc to the person's diet are oysters⁵, baked beans, yogurt, crab⁶, beef shanks, pork shoulder, spinach⁷, nuts and whole grains.

富含锌的食物包括牡蛎、烤豆、酸奶、蟹肉、牛腱肉、猪肩肉、菠菜、坚果以及全部的谷物。

Protein Deficiency

缺乏蛋白质

A protein deficiency in a person will show as horizontal bands that extend across the nail bed. These lines are known as Muehrcke's lines. Due to the fact that these lines are on the nail bed and not on the nail plate, they will not simply grow out with your nails.

体内缺乏蛋白质在指甲上的表现就是甲床上会出现横条纹，这种横条纹叫做米尔克线。由于这些条纹是长在甲床而不是甲面上，所以它们不会随着指甲一起生长。

When the protein levels return to normal, these lines will usually just disappear. There are some rare cases in which these lines can be indicative of liver disease. There is a way to test to see if these lines are Muehrcke's lines or not. Just press down on the nail plate, and if the lines disappear then they are Muehrcke's lines.

当体内蛋白质含量回归正常，这些条纹一般就会消失。在一些罕见案例中，这种条纹还可能成为肝病的预兆。有一种方法可以检测这种条纹是否属于米克尔线：按住指甲甲面，如果条纹消失那么它们就是米克尔线。

Recommendations of protein-rich foods: Turkey beast, fish (salmon, tuna), pork loin, lean beef, tofu, beans, yogurt, soymilk, nuts and seeds.

富含蛋白质的食物包括：鱼类（三文鱼、金枪鱼等）、猪里脊肉、豆腐、豆类、酸奶、豆浆、坚果及种子等。

Calcium⁸ Deficiency

缺钙

Possibly because of the numerous calcium enriched nail strengtheners on the market, there is a widespread belief that calcium deficiency causes leukonychia.

也许因为市面上有很多卖加钙的指甲增强剂，所以很多人都认为缺钙会导致白甲病。

In order to treat calcium deficiency, you can simply add calcium to your diet, drinking orange juice or any other calcium fortified⁹ food or drinks will help.

如果缺钙，可以通过调整饮食来补钙，如多喝橙汁、多吃含钙量高的食物。

Fungal Superficial Onychomycosis

真菌感染造成的甲癣

A subtype of an infection that commonly appears on the toenails is known as white superficial onychomycosis. Fungi¹⁰ are the cause of these white spots and they appear on the nail plate and then they spread to the nail bed. This disorder¹¹ presents with the toenails appearing flaky at first and then the nail becomes thick. Nail splitting then occurs and there is significant pain while wearing shoes.

容易出现在脚趾甲上的一种真菌感染亚型叫做白色表浅性甲癣。真菌是这类白色斑点产生的原因，白色斑点先是在指甲甲面出现，之后又蔓延到甲床上。这种情况下，脚趾甲先是看起来很薄，后来又变厚，之后还会裂缝，穿鞋子的时候会很疼。

There are some other disorders¹² that can mimic¹³ this disorder, so in order to diagnosis¹⁴ this form of onychomycosis, a doctor can clip a piece of the toenail and examine it under a microscope or they may choose to place the clipping into a special container and watch it over time to see what type of fungus¹⁵ grows on it.

因为这种病症容易和其他病症混淆，所以为了确诊这种形式的甲癣，医生常会剪下一块脚趾甲放在显微镜下检查，或是放在一种特殊的容器中，观察一段时间以确定真菌的种类。

An oral anti-fungal medication in combination with a topical ointment¹⁶ is normally recommended. This will usually clear this condition up within three months, although it is important to be aware of the fact that the topical ointment generally will not fully¹⁷ penetrate¹⁸ the nail plate to reach the nail bed.

如果得了这种甲癣，通常推荐口服抗真菌药物及外用药膏。通常三个月之后，症状就会消失。不过要注意的是，外用药膏并不会通过指甲甲面直达甲床的。

Serious Diseases

一些严重疾病

There are some serious diseases like liver disease, Kidney disease, Anemia¹⁹, etc., that present symptoms like white spots on the nails. Therefore, it is extremely important to see a doctor if you notice any discolorations in your nails. The earlier you see the doctor the more likely it is to treat the condition effectively.

指甲上出现白色斑点还有可能是一些严重疾病如肝病、肾病、贫血等的先兆。所以如果你发现指甲有任何褪色等异常情况请及时看医生。越早看医生，越能有效解决问题。

Home Remedies for White Spots on Nails

指甲上出现白色斑点的家庭疗法

Cover with Nail Polish

涂指甲油

In order to hide these white spots, you can use nail polish, preferably a light shade of pink or peach.

为了盖住白色斑点，可以涂指甲油，建议涂那种浅粉色或粉红色。

Moisturize

保湿

Maintaining a good level of moisture in the hands is important. A good tip for this, is massaging²⁰ the hands and fingernails with either vitamin E or hand lotion²¹, which can be applied²² to the skin on the side of the nails as well.

保持手部湿润非常重要。可以在手上涂抹维E或护手霜之后按摩手指、指甲以及指甲旁边的皮肤。

Let It Grow Out

等着白斑点和指甲一起长长然后剪掉

Patience is of the utmost importance when letting the white spots on the nails grow out. With time they will grow over the smile line, which is the separation between the bed of the nail and the actual growth of the nail. Once this occurs, you can clip, cut or file them down, but it is extremely important that you don't take off too much, it is necessary to leave some actual growth so you do not damage the nail bed.

要等着白色斑点和指甲一起长长之后再剪掉需要的是耐心。等到白色斑点随着指甲长到可以修剪的部分时再剪掉。记住一定不要剪得太短，要留一些长度来保护甲床。

Keep a Balanced Diet

饮食均衡

Maintaining a balanced diet is essential for the overall health of the entire body, including the fingernails.

均衡的饮食对包括指甲在内的身体各部分的健康状况来说都是必须的。

•Have More Calcium-Rich Foods and Drinks

多摄食富含钙的食物和饮品

•Eat More Vitamin C Rich Fruits

多吃富含维C的水果

•Consume More Zinc, Iron Rich Foods

多吃含锌、铁等元素的食物