Advice needed on white stripes on nails!!

[The Nail Queen]

Hi Geeks and Geek-ess'!! I was wondering if any of you have an answer to my problem - well, my little nephews problem actually!!

He is only 5 years old and just recently we have noticed evey one of his nails have white stripes across them! I have looked in all my books - at first i thought he had trapped them in something but its not that. I have looked online but when i searched for "white stripes on the nail" the results are for the band the White Stripes - so... not quite what im looking for!! lol!

I have read somewhere that it could be related to kidney disease which has worried me! But if anyone has the answer i would be very grateful!!!

Thanks guys

xxxTracexxx

 

[Envy]

He is only 5 years old and just recently we have noticed evey one of his nails have white stripes across them! I have looked in all my books - at first i thought he had trapped them in something but its not that.

It does sound like leukonychia spots - as it is a white line across the nail it is most likely some form of mild trauma to the matrix (causing the nail cells not to undergo the flattening process) leaving them nice and white (kind of like a nail "bruise". if it's across the nail he may have been pushing back the skin on his nails or nibbling/ biting them causing a minor trauma.
I have seen the same effect (line across the nail) from techs pushing the eponychium back to aggressively.

I have read somewhere that it could be related to kidney disease which has worried me! But if anyone has the answer i would be very grateful!!!

This would only be a possiblility if the nail was growing from the eponychium right to the free edge as a milky white colour, like white enamel. and even then it is unlikely to be anything that serious. Possible causes of this condition (true leukonychia ) may range from hepatitis, heavy metals or even zinc deficiency... This is the least common form of nail whitening and is more often than not inherited rather than the above possiblities. So don't stress. HTH

 

[ValencianNails]

my daughter has this on some of her nails, she is an avid biter (nagging and blackmail doesn't work with her), is your nephew a biter?
x

 

[The Nail Queen]

Thank you for the advice. Will pass it on and hopefully stop the nail nibbling!!! x

It does sound like leukonychia spots - as it is a white line across the nail it is most likely some form of mild trauma to the matrix (causing the nail cells not to undergo the flattening process) leaving them nice and white (kind of like a nail "bruise". if it's across the nail he may have been pushing back the skin on his nails or nibbling/ biting them causing a minor trauma.
I have seen the same effect (line across the nail) from techs pushing the eponychium back to aggressively.

This would only be a possiblility if the nail was growing from the eponychium right to the free edge as a milky white colour, like white enamel. and even then it is unlikely to be anything that serious. Possible causes of this condition (true leukonychia ) may range from hepatitis, heavy metals or even zinc deficiency... This is the least common form of nail whitening and is more often than not inherited rather than the above possiblities. So don't stress. HTH

 

[The Nail Queen]

Yes he is a biter!!! all his nails are nibbled and short!! I have told him off on many occasions for it but i think he does it at school!!! little tinker!!x

my daughter has this on some of her nails, she is an avid biter (nagging and blackmail doesn't work with her), is your nephew a biter?
x