More than 40 million Americans suffer from white spots on toenails every year. [1] But, these aren’t alarming at all.
Some natural ingredients have potent antifungal properties. Medical research suggests the efficacy of these home remedies for white spots on toenails.
Healthy nails in your fingers and toes are usually pink. But for various reasons, you may see a discoloration of your perfect nails, such as white spots, specks, or lines on your finger and toenails. The medical term for this condition is Leukonychia. [2]
Fungal infection is one of the main causes of white spots on toenails. As a result, you may observe tiny white dots spread across your toenails.
Read on to learn more about the home remedies for white spots on toenails and fingernails. You’ll also learn about the causes and symptoms of this condition.
Home Remedies for White Spots on Toenails Backed by Research
1. Tea Tree Oil
Tea tree essential oil is famous for curing fungal and bacterial infections. This herbal oil comes from the tea tree plant. It has a pale yellow color and mothball-like odor. [7]
Tea tree oil contains antiseptic and antibacterial components. These make it ideal for the cure of white spots on toenails.
Here’s how you can use tea tree oil for toenails spots:
Add eight drops of tea tree oil to 4 drops of olive oil and make a solution. Dip a cotton ball in the solution and rub it on the affected toenails. Let the oil solution dry on the nails. Repeat the process twice a day for a week.
Read More: Tea Tree Oil for Skin Tags: 8 Natural Remedies to Try Now!
2. Baking Soda
Baking soda or sodium carbonate is an easy-to-reach ingredient in your kitchen.
A homemade baking soda paste may work effectively on your damaged nails. [8]
Baking soda is alkaline based and is full of antibacterial properties.
How you may use baking soda for white spots on nail bed:
First, create a Mixture by adding ½ a cup of baking soda, ¼ cup of peroxide, ½ a cup of vinegar, and ½ a cup of Epsom salt to 4 cups of water. Next, soak your affected nails with some vinegar, and apply the mix to them after a few minutes. Now cover the nails with a bandage. Repeat the treatment daily for two weeks and see good results.
Read More: Baking Soda for Acne: 12 Easy Ways You Can Use
3. Orange Oil
Orange oil is ahead of all home remedies to combat toenail fungus and infection. [9]
Orange oil may prevent onychomycosis and treat the already infected nails because it has antibacterial and antifungal properties.
Learn how to use orange oil to treat toenail spots:
You can mix four drops of orange oil with an equal amount of tea tree oil and make a blend. Then, soak a cotton ball in the mixture and apply it to your affected nails. If you redo the process regularly, the white spots will go away soon.
Read More: Blood Orange Essential Oil: 7 Benefits & Uses
4. White Vinegar
White vinegar is a combination of alcohol and acetic acid. Thus, it is a powerful remedy for toenail fungus, which causes white spots. [10]
Try the following vinegar bath for your feet to get rid of toenails infection:
Add 500 ml. of white vinegar to 1 liter of lukewarm water. Soak your feet in the solution for 10 to 15 minutes. Let your feet air dry after the process. If you repeat the treatment, you’ll see good results in 2 weeks.
5. Garlic Oil
Garlic cloves are power packs of antifungal and antibacterial properties. In addition, essential garlic oil comes from garlic cloves.
The allicin component in garlic oil may treat toenails infection and white spots. [11]
You can try this simple process of using garlic oil to cure infection on toenails:
Mix four drops of garlic oil with vinegar and make a solution. Apply it to the affected nails and cover it with a bandage. Regular repetition of the process may cure the infection and white spots on your nails.
Read More: How to Get Rid of Boils Fast: 17 Home Remedies That Work
6. Apple Cider Vinegar
Apple cider vinegar is a panacea or cure-all as a home remedy. Its antioxidants and antibacterial properties repel the onychomycosis fungi and cure toenails infection. [12]
How to use apple cider vinegar for toenails spots:
First, dilute some apple cider vinegar with double the amount of water. Now soak a cotton ball in the solution and rub your affected nails for 15 minutes. Do not wash off your nails. Instead, let the solution air dry on the affected nails. Redo the process two times a day for a week to get rid of white specks on fingernails.
Read More: 20 Reasons to Use Apple Cider Vinegar for Hair + How to Use it
7. Lavender Oil
Lavender oil is famous for its host of therapeutic properties. This favorite herbal oil comes from the evergreen foliage- Lavender.
The sweet-scented oil is rich in anti-inflammatory, antifungal, antidepressant, antiseptic and antimicrobial properties. [13]
Lavender oil can be a powerful remedy for the discoloration and white dots on your toenails.
Direction for using lavender oil to cure spots on toenails:
Soak a cotton ball in a few drops of lavender oil and apply it to the infected nails. Now, tie the nails with a cloth, allowing the oil to work on the infection and discoloration. Repeat the process every day to cure white spots and damaged nail beds.
Read More: 11 Health Benefits of Lavender Oil That You Should Know
8. Oregano Oil
Oregano essential oil comes from dried wild oregano flowers and leaves. This therapeutic oil has a spicy aroma and golden color.
Carvacrol and thymol in oregano oil are two powerful antimicrobial properties. These properties are effective in treating toenails infection. A blend of oregano and olive oil may rebuild your damaged nails and remove the white spots. [14]
Here’s how you can use oregano oil to remove toenail spots:
Mix four drops of oregano oil with four drops of olive oil and blend. Now massage the mixture on the toenails with a cotton ball. Repeat the process twice a day until the nails reach a healthy state.
Read More: 9 Best Essential Oils for Seborrheic Keratosis + How to Use Them
9. Lemon Juice
Lemon juice is full of citric acid and antibacterial properties. You may use lemon juice on your toenails to cure the infection. [15]
You can try this simple use of lemon juice to cure toenail infection:
Soak a cotton ball in fresh lemon juice and rub it on the infected nails. Continue the massage for 10 minutes. Redo the process daily to regain healthy nails in a few weeks.
Read More: Lemon Juice for Acne: 8 Simple Home Remedies
10. Coconut Oil
Coconut oil comes from the meat or kernel of the giant nut- coconut. It is an essential oil with versatile practical and health benefits. It’s rich in potent antifungal properties. It may be an ideal remedy for white spots on toenails and fungal infections.
Wet feet are a perfect environment for the fungus to grow. Coconut oil can also create a protective shield over the nails and keep them away from moisture. You may use this oil on the nails without any risk of side effects. [16]
Here’s a natural remedy for toenail fungus using coconut oil:
Massage coconut oil on your feet and nails thrice a day. Repeat the process until the nails are free from infection. You can also make coconut oil application a daily practice. It will prevent the onslaught of fungal infection on toenails.
Read More: 9 Reasons to Use Coconut Oil for Nails Immediately
11. Onion
Another natural remedy to get rid of white spots on toenails is onion. Yes, onions are also quite useful in removing such spots from your nails. [17]
It has strong antifungal properties. These properties may fight off the infections causing fungus to your toenails. Thus, this oil heals the infections.
Onion is the easiest of all the remedies so far described above.
Learn how you can use onion for white spots on toenails:
Take a fresh onion and peel the skin. Then you need to chop the onion into pieces and rub one piece on your toenails for a few minutes. Repeat this two to three times daily. You will notice a visible difference in a week.
Read More: 15 Efficient Home Remedies for Bacterial Vaginosis
12. Yogurt
Yogurt is an excellent food for better digestion. It’s also an excellent remedy for white spots on your toenails.
It may boost the health of your nail while reducing the white spots.
The antifungal effects of probiotic yogurt may reduce white spots on toenails. [18]
How to use yogurt for toenail spots:
Take a plain, unsweetened yogurt bowl and soak your fingers in it for 15-20 minutes. Wash off with water. Redo this process once every day to eliminate white spots on fingernails.
What Causes White Spots on Nails
You can see the appearance of white spots, specks, dots, and lines. The spots start from your cuticles and spread on the nails as they grow. [3]
Let’s learn the reasons behind white spots or dots on toenails.
- One of the primary reasons for getting toenails spots is an injury in your nail bed or base. The discoloration of nails begins to appear after a few days or weeks of the damage. By that time, the opportunist fungus may enter the nail bed.
- You may be allergic to nail cosmetics such as; nail polish, remover, or hardener. This is because those products can affect toenails.
- Detergents and home hygiene products can distort your nails and give white dots on them.
- A deficiency of zinc, calcium, minerals and vitamin E in your diet can lead to white spots on your nails. [4]
- Sweaty feet are a fungus friendly-environment. However, these can lead to flaky nails, discoloration, and white dots on your nails. In addition, a fungal infection may turn the white spots on your toenails into brown and yellow shades.
- Diseases like kidney failure, arsenic poisoning, etc., can cause white spots on toenails. [5]
Tips and Preventive Measures for White Spots on Toenails
- Avoid using nail cosmetics such as polish or remover if they give you allergic reactions.
- Always keep your nails dry and clean. Please do not cut them too thick so that it touches the flesh.
- Always wash your socks with warm water after one use. Fungus thrives in a moist environment. [19] So never wear wet shoes and socks.
- Change your footwear if they are too tight and put pressure on your toenails.
- Switch to wearing sandals if your toenails are already infected.
- Do not use nail colors on infected toenails. The chemicals in nail polish can worsen the infection.
- Add foods to diets rich in zinc, minerals, and vitamins.
Bottom Line
White spots on your toenails are not a severe medical condition. You may treat them with the simple natural remedies discussed above.
If you go to a doctor for damaged nails, he/she may prescribe you an antifungal medication at the most.
These conventional drugs are slow to reconstruct your nails as before. Also, you won’t get the result if you don’t run the full course of the treatment. [6]
On the contrary, easy natural remedies may help you to get rid of white spots on your toenails safely and effectively.
Read Next: 12 Home Remedies for Nail Fungus that are Simple Yet Effective
