Why nails are yellow and how to restore their healthy color

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

This can be a sign of a wide variety of conditions, from harmless to deadly.

Why do nails turn yellow

Here are some of the most common reasons for Whay are my nails yellow.

1. Have you recently used red or orange varnish

The pigment contained in such products sometimes (especially if you applied a coating without a base coat) 12 nail changes a dermatologist should examine into the nail and give it a yellowish tint, which persists even after removing the varnish. Another cosmetic cause of yellowing is the overuse of Transient yellow discoloration of the nails for differential diagnosis with yellow nail syndrome with acetone-based nail polish removers.

Dirty yellow nails look unaesthetic, but no more. This condition does not pose a health hazard. As it grows, the nail plate will acquire its normal color.

2. You smoke

Nicotine from cigarette smoke over time stains nails and fingertips an unpleasant yellow-brown color. Just like it does with teeth. This is one of the side effects of smoking.

3. You have a fungal infection

Most often this concerns the toenails, but the fungus can also attack the hands. Yellowing is only the first symptom. Such an infection is not limited to them: the nails thicken, become loose and easily crumble. In general, if you are faced with a fungus, then you will notice this not only by the change in shade.

4. You are getting old

Changes in the color, thickness and shape of nails with age are generally natural.

5. You have one of the serious illnesses

Yellow nails, which, even when growing back, stubbornly retain this shade, may be one of the signs of the following disorders:

• psoriasis;
• diseases of the thyroid gland;
• diabetes;
• sinusitis;
• tuberculosis;
• jaundice (elevated bilirubin levels) caused by problems with the liver or biliary tract;
• rheumatoid arthritis.

Also, yellowing of nails accompanies some types of cancer. And there is also a rather rare medical condition called Yellow nail syndrome: a review - yellow nail syndrome. The reasons for it have not yet been established: it is only known that it usually affects people over 50 years of age and is accompanied by breathing problems and swelling of the lower extremities.

What to do if your nails are yellow

It's good when it's absolutely clear: the nails have changed color, for example, due to red varnish or age. But if you have even the slightest doubt about the causes of yellowing, be sure to check in with a physician or dermatologist.

Also, a doctor's consultation is necessary if the color change is accompanied by additional symptoms:

• pain in the area of the nails;
• changes in their shape or thickness;
• swelling of the skin around the nail plate;
• bleeding from under the nail.

The doctor will listen to your complaints, conduct an examination and, possibly, order a series of tests to refute or confirm a particular disease. If violations are identified (for example, a fungal infection), the doctor will prescribe medications that will help cope with the underlying ailment. When the disease recedes, the nails will take on a normal shade.

How to quickly return a healthy color to yellow nails

If you are sure that the changes in shade are not associated with serious diseases, you can try to remove yellowness with home methods. But keep in mind: if, despite your best efforts for 1-2 weeks, your nails remain and grow yellow, you should consult your doctor. It is important not to miss the development of more serious violations.

Here are the remedies for Yellow nails treatment.

1. Tea tree oil

Add one to two drops of tea tree oil to a teaspoon of base oil - olive, coconut, grapeseed, jojoba, and apply the mixture to your nails. Tea tree oil not only helps lighten the color, but in one study, Antifungal activity of nanocapsule suspensions containing tea tree oil on the growth of Trichophyton rubrum, can stop the development of fungal infections.

For the procedure to be effective, repeat it a couple of times a day for at least several days in a row.

2. Baking soda

Dilute two to three teaspoons of regular baking soda in a liter or two of warm water and make a bath for the affected nails. Hold your fingers in it for 10-15 minutes. Repeat once or twice a day. Like tea tree oil, baking soda will not only lighten the nail plate, but also stop the development of fungal infections, if any.

3. Hydrogen peroxide

Wipe your nails twice a day with a cotton pad soaked in pharmacy hydrogen peroxide. To enhance the effect, you can add baking soda to the peroxide in a 1: 2 ratio. Apply the resulting gruel to your nails for 5-10 minutes. Repeat the procedure daily until a healthy color returns.