With fungal infections, the nail usually turns from its healthy pink color to a dull yellowish shade. Only the infected finger or toe is affected. In these cases, the pale nail can easily be treated by topical applications and antibiotics.
However, there are also a lot of instances where a pale nail is one of the physical symptoms of serious internal diseases. These include lymphoma, renal diseases, hyperthyroidism, systemic amyloidosis, hypoalbuminaemia, and other diseases of the liver and kidney.
The appearance of the pale nail can tell a lot regarding the kind of illness a person has. This is the reason why nail polish needs to be removed before undergoing a complete physical checkup or if you are being monitored for a certain condition.
For instance, if the entire surface of the nail except for the tips has lost color, this is indicative of chronic liver disease. In this case, the nails of the thumb and the forefinger of both hands are the ones most commonly affected.
On the other hand, if milky white spots appear on the nail, this could either be a fungal infection in the nail bed or a sign of lymphoma. Although doctors can get an idea of your condition just by examining your pale nail, a lot of more complicated tests need to be done to confirm their suspicions.
There are different reasons why these illnesses cause pale nail. In a person with a kidney condition, the pale nail is the result of the nitrogen waste buildup in the bloodstream.
In most other cases, it is the lack of adequate vitamins and nutrients that cause the occurrence of a pale nail. A lack of oxygen in the body can also cause the fingernails and toenails, as well as the skin, to lose color.
Technically, there is no cure for a pale nail because it is just a symptom of a much deeper problem. To restore the healthy pink color of the nail, you must address the disease that is causing the paleness of your nails. Once your internal health issues have been resolved, your fingernails and toenails will be able to retain their natural rosy color.
In the case of fungal nail infections, you will have to wait until the nail grows out which can take anywhere from two to three months. If you follow the correct treatment procedures, the new nail that grows in will have the healthy pink shade that you want.
In the meantime, all you can do is to use nail polish if you want to hide the paleness of your nail. However, this is not always possible especially if you are constantly going to the hospital for physical checkups where you will be required to remove any nail polish.