Yellow fingernails: causes and what you can do about them

Many people find yellow fingernails annoying and unsightly. Here you can find out what causes the color change and how you can get white nails again.

If you get yellow fingernails, it’s not a great look and you may be wondering where the discoloration is coming from. One thing in advance: The reasons for this are usually harmless. Only rarely can more serious illnesses be behind the color change. Luckily, you can usually quickly counteract yellow fingernails with a few simple home remedies.

Yellow fingernails: diseases as a cause

Yellow fingernails do not necessarily indicate an illness. If you are a smoker, for example, your nails may become discolored. You can also get yellow nails if you apply colored nail polish without using a base coat.

In some cases, yellow nails can be the first sign of illness:

• Nail fungus: If your nails become thick and yellowish and break easily, especially at the tips, this is usually a sign of nail fungus. You should have this checked out by a dermatologist quickly.

• Psoriasis: Changed fingernails are often a side effect of psoriasis. In this case, seek medical advice on how best to treat the skin disease.

• “Yellow nail syndrome”: In this disease, your fingernails take on a yellowish or gray-green color and grow much more slowly. In addition, the nails thicken and harden. Bronchitis, pneumonia or lymphedema are often associated with this syndrome.

• Oil nails: So-called oil nails are small, yellow discolorations on the nails that are reminiscent of oil drops. By the way, white spots on the nails are harmless.

If you suspect that you are suffering from one of these illnesses, it is best to have it checked by a doctor. A doctor can help you figure out the reason why your nails are turning yellow. However, if you are sure that the yellow fingernails are only caused by residue from nail polish or something similar, you can also treat the discoloration with home remedies.

Yellow fingernails: That could also be behind it

As already mentioned, it’s not just diseases that cause yellow fingernails. Discoloration can also occur in the following cases:

• If you cook a lot with turmeric, it can discolor your hands as well as your nails. However, you can quickly get rid of turmeric stains.
• Exposure to chemicals can also discolor nails. To prevent this, you should always wear gloves when handling chemicals. You should also avoid harsh cleaning products as they can damage the sensitive skin around the nails. In addition to nail polish removers, self-tanners can also cause yellow nails.
• The same applies to medications. Some creams, for example for corns, can cause yellow discoloration. Medications used to treat infectious diseases are sometimes also responsible for yellow nails (PDF).

Lemon juice as a home remedy for yellow fingernails

Lemon juice is known for its bleaching properties. For example, it is used as a proven home remedy to lighten hair naturally. However, this has not been scientifically proven. The bleaching properties of lemon juice can also sometimes be useful for yellow fingernails. You can quickly make a lemon juice bath for your fingers yourself:

1. First, halve a lemon.
2. Then fill a small bowl with warm tap water and add the lemon juice.
3. Soak your fingers in the solution for about five minutes.
4. Then rinse your fingernails thoroughly with clean water.

Alternatively, you can rub yellow fingernails directly with lemon juice. Then let it work for about two minutes before you also wash your fingers thoroughly with water.

By the way, lemon juice is also known for its internal healing properties. You can find out more about this in our article on the lemon juice cure.

Lemon juice is often used to whiten teeth. However, you should avoid doing this as the acid can attack tooth enamel.

By the way: If you peel tangerines, it can sometimes discolor your nails for a short time. There’s a solution for that: Tangerine trick: peeling without sticky fingers.

Vinegar bath for yellow fingernails

Another home remedy for yellow fingernails is vinegar. To bleach your nails, you can bathe them in diluted vinegar or apple cider vinegar.

1. Fill a glass with plain tap water.
2. Add three tablespoons of vinegar to the water.
3. Soak your nails in the solution for about five minutes.
4. Finally, wash your fingernails again with clean water.

To intensify the nourishing effect, you can then rub your hands with a little petroleum jelly or another hand cream. Vinegar has long been considered a stain remover and a useful tool when you want to discolor laundry. However, it is not scientifically proven that the home remedy also works on yellow fingernails.

Baking soda for discolored nails

Baking soda is also a home remedy that is used for a variety of purposes. It is also said to be able to help with yellow fingernails. This is how you do it:

• Put a sachet of baking powder in a bowl with 200 milliliters of water and stir well until the powder has dissolved. If you don’t have baking powder in the house, you can also use baking soda.
• Soak your discolored nails in the mixture for about five minutes.
• The baking soda helps remove dirt and grease from your nails, which can be responsible for the yellow discoloration.
• Afterwards you should wash your hands and apply a nourishing cream.

Basically, the following applies to all home remedies: You should not scrub your nails when using them, as the friction can damage the nails and skin.

If you can’t get rid of your yellow nails despite using home remedies, you should see a doctor. This is especially true if you don’t know where the discoloration is coming from.

Read more on Techzle\.com:

• Removing cuticles: This is what you should pay attention to
• Nail bed inflammation: home remedies for fingers and toes
• Treating a hangnail: Why you shouldn’t just remove it
• Strengthen brittle fingernails with natural remedies

Edited by Lea Hermann

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