In a child, the nail departs from the base of the nail. Why does a child's nails exfoliate

Exfoliating nails in a child seem like a minor nuisance. However, it should be taken seriously, since the delamination of the nail plate is only a consequence. Parents must find the cause and eliminate it.

Causes of exfoliating nails

It is quite widely known that troubles with nails indicate a malfunction in the intestines. If your little one has all or most of his nails flaking, it's probably time to get him checked out. gastrointestinal tract. Think about whether everything is in order with the children's diet? Does the child complain of abdominal pain, constipation or indigestion? It is also likely that the cause of weak nails is insufficient intake of vitamins and minerals. As a rule, on appearance nails are negatively affected by calcium, iron, zinc, magnesium and/or phosphorus deficiency.

Perhaps everything is much simpler, and the child just hit his hand hard. From a serious bruise, the nail can peel off, or even turn black and fall off. A direct indication of this is the fact that only one or two children's nails look bad.

Another unpleasant option: the baby's nails may exfoliate due to a fungal disease. In this case, as a rule, not all nails are also affected, but one or more. If you suspect a fungus, in no case do not self-medicate - immediately contact your pediatrician.

Does your child have a habit of nail biting or thumb sucking? If so, then exfoliating marigolds are a logical consequence. It must be understood that such habits often speak of problems. psychological nature, and they will be resolved as soon as the baby gets rid of anxiety and nervousness.

Help for baby fingers

The simplest cosmetic procedures will externally help to “reanimate” exfoliating nails. Special nail baths help perfectly: just add to vegetable or olive oil a little lemon juice and a drop of iodine. Dip your baby's fingers in this mixture for literally a minute, and then gently rub the remaining oil into the nails and the skin around them. Nails will recover quickly thanks to the shock dose of vitamins A and E, which are known for their regenerating properties. True, you must be sure that after the procedure, the baby will not pull his fingers into his mouth.

If the nails exfoliate due to an inadequate diet, first of all, it is necessary to choose a children's vitamin and mineral complex with a pediatrician. But besides this, you will have to reconsider the very nutrition of the child. calcium in large quantities the baby can get broccoli from cottage cheese, cheese and cabbage. Dried apricots, raisins, almonds, buckwheat, oatmeal and other grains are rich in iron. It is still preferable to pass the appropriate tests and find out exactly which vitamins, minerals and trace elements the baby lacks in order to competently change his diet in the right direction.


Primary suspicions of a fungus can be confirmed by a pediatrician. Then he will give you a referral to a mycologist. This specialist will send the baby for tests, determine the specific type of fungus and prescribe the necessary drugs. Unfortunately, the fungus is a persistent and capricious disease. It is treatable only if all medical recommendations are followed, so do not try to “correct” the prescribed therapy at your discretion.

Are you unable to determine the cause of stratification of nails in a baby? Then it remains not to close your eyes to the problem and trust the opinion of the pediatrician. Be sure to make an appointment with him, explaining when you noticed the abnormal appearance of the child's nails. This will help to identify a malfunction in the work of the child's body in time and avoid the development of complications.

Having found a delamination of the nail plate on the arms or legs, many adults do not attach it of great importance. However, when it comes to a child, parents sound the alarm, urgently starting to look for ways to treat the disease.

Is the stratification of the nails a serious "bell" about the disease that has arisen? Or is it just an aesthetic defect? To understand what is the cause of this condition, this article will help.

There are a great many reasons that can cause splitting of the nails, ranging from a banal injury to fungal diseases. In any case, a consultation with a pediatrician is required, who will perform the necessary amount of research and prescribe competent treatment.

Before visiting the doctor, parents need to collect all the information about what happened to the child in Lately: past illnesses, the nature of nutrition, whether he was injured.

Causes of splitting nails in children

Consider the most common reasons why a child exfoliates the nails on the hands and feet.

Traumatic injuries

It's no secret to anyone that small man from birth actively explores the world. That's why common cause delamination of the nail plate is a mechanical injury to the fingers and toes.

The tissue of the nail bed is richly supplied with blood, so even a small impact contributes to the appearance of microhemorrhage, which gives the nail plate a bluish-violet hue.

The damaged nail gradually exfoliates, and in some cases, with a massive bruise, it can even completely exfoliate from the nail bed.

Improper care of grown nails can also cause their deformation.. Crawling on a rough surface, the child can bend the edges of the nails in the opposite direction. Wearing uncomfortable, overly tight shoes in older children can provoke delamination of toenails.

These reasons require only monitoring the condition of the child and proper care. On the handles, the nails are cut in a rounded arc, and on the legs - evenly, making sure that sharp corners do not stick out.

Lack of vitamins and minerals

For the full growth and development of the nail, vitamins of groups A and B are required, as well as many macro- and microelements, the main of which are calcium and iron. With their lack, the nail plate may acquire a yellowish tint, and localized whitish spots - leukonychia - may also appear on it.

Such changes, together with the layering and brittleness of the nails, signal an iron deficiency in the child's body and the development of anemia. If such symptoms occur, a pediatrician should be consulted, who will prescribe a general blood test to exclude or confirm this disease.

If the nails of the baby on the arms and legs exfoliate, then this signals a lack of nutrients in the diet of a nursing mother.

Inadequate nutrition of the child, untimely or incorrect introduction of complementary foods can also cause delamination of the nail plate. Often exfoliating nails can be a symptom of diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, pathology of the endocrine system, thyroid gland.

It is necessary to correctly compose the daily diet of the child in such a way that it corresponds to the diet laid down by age. In the diet of older children, cereals, vegetables and fruits, lactic acid products, rosehip broth, dried apricots and raisins as part of compote should be present.

As a restorative therapy, a pediatrician may recommend a course of vitamin preparations, such as Pikovit or Multitabs. In some cases, nail treatment with vitamins A and E is indicated, which will contribute to the regeneration of the nail plate.

Nail fungus

In most cases, pathological changes in the nail plate in children are secondary. They occur against the background of a fungal infection of the skin of the hands and feet. Nails lose their natural luster and light pink color, acquire a dull shade, transverse striation, foci of flour-like peeling (with the formation of scales) appear on their surface.


- this is the name of the defeat of the nail plate by pathogenic fungi.

In some cases, for example, with trichophytosis, dotted leukonychia appear on the altered surface of the nail, which can then merge into extensive spots.

More often the child's toenails exfoliate.

Diagnosis and treatment of such a pathology is carried out by a highly specialized doctor - a dermatologist.. Isolation of the pathogen in the lesion will help confirm the fungal disease.

As a rule, for young children, a deep cutting of the nail is enough to stop the spread of the pathological process.

Only a specialist can prescribe a baby therapy with external antimycotic drugs in the form of ointments. Antifungal varnishes are used in older children.

The course of therapy can take from 4 to 6 months. In the process of treatment, the child's clothes should be heat treated with a hot iron, and toys should be sterilized by boiling.

It should be remembered that children of the first year of life are not recommended to take iodine preparations, since these drugs can cause thyroid dysfunction. Therefore, you should not make baths with iodine on your own without consulting a specialist. In addition, there is always the possibility of developing an allergic reaction to various substances(for example, aloe juice, lemon, celandine).

You can learn more about the prevention of nail fungus.

Mental disorders

Another cause of damage to the nail plate is the habit of the child to bite his nails. Children are most often affected school age. Adapting to new loads, the child experiences stress, the physical expression of which is the need to bite his nails.

Bitten nails look unaesthetic. In addition, bacteria can penetrate through the injured surface of the nail, causing infectious lesions of the skin and nail surface.

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Also, this habit can be formed against the background of increased anxiety of the child, for example, with constant conflicts in the family. In this case, you should try to find out the causes of the child's anxiety, create a favorable psychological climate in family.

In an effort to wean a child from biting his nails, you should not scold him and use physical force against him. This can only lead to the fact that he will bite his nails in secluded places where no one sees. Patient and affectionate interaction with the child, as well as seeking help from child psychologist help solve the problem.

Teeth are erupting

In the first year of a child's life, a change in the nail plate may be due to the fact that the baby, having learned to reach out to the toes, keeps them in his mouth for a long time.

Soft and tender nails from long exposure to saliva swell and begin to exfoliate. This can signal a baby's teething. You can prevent such actions by purchasing special rubber toys that can stay in the mouth for a long time.

How to strengthen the baby's body

To compensate for the lack of vitamins and trace elements in the body of a child, it is not enough just to adjust the daily diet. The needs of children for these substances increase in direct proportion with their age. Therefore, to solve this problem it is necessary to connect vitamin and mineral complexes such as Supradin Kids, Pikovit, Multi-tabs.

These drugs are registered in Russian Federation as vitamin supplements and approved for use. They are produced in the form of "rulers" designed for a contingent of children. different ages. The content of vitamins and micronutrients in each of the preparations of the "line" corresponds to the daily physiological intake.

Parents of young children begin to experience great anxiety if they notice that the child's nails are exfoliating. As a rule, delamination of the nail plates in adults is not uncommon, for many it is just an aesthetic problem. But when stratification is observed on delicate little fingers, it is urgent to solve this problem.

You should not panic and get upset, as well as self-medicate. The primary task of parents is to find the cause of the separation of the nail plates. And there can be many reasons, ranging from mechanical damage to fungus. First of all, it is necessary in a calm environment to remember if the baby has injured his fingers. Blows, bruises may well be the result of peeling of the nail plate from the finger.

If mechanical damage to the limbs is not observed, then one of the reasons may be a lack of vitamins and minerals in the child's body. In particular, iron and calcium have a great influence on the condition of the nails. It is impossible to independently determine what kind of useful substance the baby lacks. To do this, you need to contact a pediatrician who will conduct the necessary studies based on a general blood test.

In most cases, after the examination, the doctor prescribes the intake of special children's multivitamin complexes: Pikovit, Multitabs, Pregnavit. Parents should seriously review the baby's diet, increase the intake of calcium. For example, calcium is found in broccoli, tofu, and dairy products. In particular, cottage cheese is rich in this trace element. On the menu small child raisins, almonds, dried apricots, cereals containing iron must certainly be included.

Another common cause of nail exfoliation in babies is a fungus. In such cases, parents need to contact a specialized doctor who treats fungal diseases (mycologist). To determine the type of fungus, this specialist will give a referral for tests, for example, sowing. Based on the research, it is possible to reliably determine the sensitivity of the fungus to drugs and prescribe an effective treatment.

After identifying the main reason for which the nails of the child exfoliate, appropriate therapeutic measures are taken. Only in severe cases, the pediatrician prescribes special medications. Under all other circumstances, the nails of a small child should be lubricated daily with an oil mixture with the addition of vitamins A, E. After some time, the nails will become much stronger and generally stop exfoliating.

Many parents prefer to use simple therapeutic vegetable oil baths to strengthen the child's nail plate. Some people like to add a drop of iodine and lemon juice to them. For some time the baby holds the handles in this mixture. It is believed that the nails become stronger. However, this method of strengthening the nail plates is only suitable if the child is not allergic to iodine.

Quite often, nail separation occurs when there is a lack of binding substances in the baby's body, in particular, natural gelatin. In this case, you need to significantly increase the diet with jelly products, a variety of jelly desserts, include jellied meat, sweets with jelly filling.

Also, parents should definitely wean the child from biting his nails. This bad habit, which can remain for life, looks extremely unaesthetic and, of course, violates sanitation. The habit of biting nails is of great danger when the child begins to visit kindergarten or school. It is in these institutions that the hands become the carriers of infection in the first place.

Nail biting may reflect a child's anxiety. In this case, prohibitions and endless insistence that the child stop biting his nails will only worsen the situation. You need to carefully look at the child and find out what worries your baby, be more patient, affectionate with your child. If the situation cannot be corrected, it is necessary to contact a child psychologist. Or maybe turn to a psychologist and the parents themselves, since children's problems are often a reflection of problems in adults.

Parents need to understand for themselves that it is unacceptable to deal with the treatment of stratification of the nail plates in a child without determining the underlying cause. Such frivolity of parents can lead to sad consequences. After all, the bundle of nails in a baby can be an external manifestation of more serious problems with health. Take care of children!

The child's body has an excellent ability to signal its problems. outward signs. Changes in the skin, problems with hair, nails and teeth - there is nothing more than an alarming "bell" of a developing disease. The rather common situation is no exception, when baby's nail peels off.

The baby's nails should be light pink in color, regular, slightly convex, without scars, dents, spots, medium hardness, with a tight-fitting cuticle. If any deviations appear, seek expert advice, do not wait critical condition. If, however, the nail plate began to peel off and peel off, first think about the reasons.

Why does a child's nails peel off

The main reasons why nails can peel off in children:

  1. Mechanical damage. The kid hit, crushed, or someone stepped on his finger, and the nail first changes color, and then peels off. Narrow, oversized shoes also lead to this result.
  2. Fungal disease. Children love to run barefoot, try on other people's shoes, and as they grow up, they do not always follow hygiene.
  3. Lack of nutrients. A growing organism requires a lot of "building materials".
  4. Allergy or side effect medicines. Household chemicals are the worst enemy of children. For example, not perception washing powder can even be expressed in exfoliation of the nails.
  5. Internal illnesses. Excluding the previous causes, this one requires special attention and a thorough examination.
  6. Accompanying signs of psoriasis and eczema.

What to do if a child's nail peels off? Sometimes adults fall into real despair, trying to find correct solution. The main thing in any situation is not to panic and find a good doctor. Nail tissue is quickly restored, especially in children. Parents only need to eliminate the cause of the disease and give the opportunity to grow and get stronger new nails.

Caring parents - namely, those who read the site for mothers - do not disregard the slightest changes in the appearance of the child, not only his well-being. Today we’ll talk about why a child’s toenails exfoliate, and also what to do in this case. Let's think about what to do if the nail plates on the toes and hands peel off.

What is the reason

It's not that hard to figure it out. It is enough to analyze everything that has recently happened to the baby. The child was injured or ill with something, ate something wrong, got very upset because of something. It seems, well, how can all this be connected with nails? And, it turns out, it is connected, and how.

The most banal thing is whether the child has recently pinched a finger, it doesn’t matter, hands or feet. Then there will be flaking, but, what is remarkable, only on a bruised finger.

Sometimes the toenails of a child exfoliate. Remember if you bought him recently new shoes. Maybe the reason is just in it? Legs are not used to it yet.

In addition, it may be too tight or made of non-natural materials. From this, even in the cold season, the child's legs sweat, and because of the tightness, the nail plate feels discomfort, cannot grow normally. At the same time, the nail plate can even be deformed, its color itself can change, it becomes bluish, with a purple tint or sometimes black.

Why does a child suffer from exfoliation of all nails? In fact, the list can be very impressive.

  • Deficiency of minerals, vitamins. Specifically, a lack of zinc, D3, calcium - the reasons why a child's nails exfoliate. You can find out that a child suffers from a deficiency of certain substances through blood and urine tests. After evaluating the results, the pediatrician, together with the mother, will select what the baby needs to drink, what vitamins, what foods to include in the diet.

Usually, a deficiency of minerals and vitamins occurs if children do not eat enough nuts, fresh vegetables, citrus fruits, legumes, greens.

  • Lack of a binder in the nail plates. This means that the child eats little jelly-like food - marmalade, jelly.
  • Circulatory problems. This is indicated not only by the fact that the nails exfoliate, but also the shade of the nail plates is bluish. In general, the hands have an unusual color.
  • Fungus. If the nails are uneven, yellow, exfoliate, then the reason may lie in a fungal infection. Where did the child "pick up" it? Anywhere, if bare feet are the norm even in in public places. For example, we went on vacation and let him run barefoot or wiped his feet with a non-his personal towel.


Sometimes a child's nails not only exfoliate, but deepenings have appeared on them. This should be of great concern, since it is this sign that psoriasis sometimes manifests itself. Only a doctor can prescribe an effective treatment regimen in this case.

You can understand why a child's nails exfoliate if you pay attention to other signs. And they often do. Along with flaking - white spots. This means that the child's body lacks zinc.

If a child complains that the nails are breaking, then this may indicate a calcium deficiency.

How to be?

If the peeling is not strong, then some parents do not go to the doctor, but want to eliminate this defect at home.

No need to think that if the nail plates exfoliate, then this will pass by itself, and you don’t even need to pay attention. More as it should. Even if they just peel off, do not have strong depressions, white or yellow spots and do not darken, you need to take action.

The simplest remedy is to rub natural oil into the cuticle every day.

It happens that a child's fingernails exfoliate, because he. No need to think that all children suffer from this habit, and that it will pass with age. Maybe it won't work. Not only is it unaesthetic, it is also dangerous to health. If you do not wean yourself from the habit of constantly biting your hands, but you already have to go to kindergarten or school, then a person can catch all kinds of infections.

What can a doctor prescribe?

If the child's toenails exfoliate and turn yellow, and the doctor has identified a fungus, then he can prescribe antifungal drugs. As a rule, treatment takes 2-4 months. It all depends on the stage of the lesion. You also need to exclude the possibility of re-infection. To do this, disinfect everything that the baby used: toys, shoes, clothes, rugs.