# Peeling fingernails? Please help me avoid an unnecessary trip to the Dr.!!!



## Love_My_Bubba (Jul 4, 2006)

I've tried to find an apropriate place on the Health boards for this but can't seem to. If a Mod. sees fit to move this please do so.

I wanted to see if any of your kiddos have had this problem before I cart him off to the Dr. (whom I ADORE) and they say keep an eye on it and come back in a week if it doesn't get better







:. A few weeks ago I noticed that all five fingernails on one hand and a few on the other started to "peel." It's like his fingernail didn't like how it was growing and started a new nail. The old nail is growing off and it appears that you could lift the old nail from the bottom and peel it off.

I'm of the mindset that if something isn't painful or immediately dangerous we wait it out under close supervision from momma and try to avoid medical intervention if possible.

I figured his hand got smooshed by something at school or he whacked it against a wall or something but but MIL and neighbor both promptly freaked out upon seeing it so I did some research. I Googled to my little heart's content and found not one darn thing. My thought are a traumatic injury to the nails or a fungus (but on all five fingers?) Others have suggested a vitamin deficiency which is crazy because I have a rare toddler who has a great diet and loves grains, fruits, veggis and all other foods that "do a body good" as well as getting daily vitamin supplements.

Have any of your toddlers had anything similar? Please enlighten me and help me get my MIL off of my back







.


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## levans (Jun 20, 2006)

I don't know if this is the same thing, but I had fingernails that peeled for a few years when I was in high school. I suspected some kind of vitamin deficiency, even though I have always been a concientious and healthy eater. All I can say is that I "outgrew" it - now my nails are strong and healthy. Maybe just a "normal" growth phase?


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## Love_My_Bubba (Jul 4, 2006)




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## caedmyn (Jan 13, 2006)

Is it just the outer layer of fingernail that is peeling, or the whole nail? Outer layer peeling can definitely be related to vitamin deficiencies (and no matter how good your toddler's diet is, he could still have trouble absorbing a particular vitamin, his diet could be low in something without you realizing it, or he could have a higher-than-average requirement for something), or low stomach acid (this has caused fingernail peeling for me before). If it's the whole nail...I don't have any suggestions there. I would probably be inclined to go to a naturopath if I thought it was a problem, but there's probably no harm in waiting for a while and seeing if it just goes away/corrects itself without intervention. Sorry, this probably isn't much help!


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## Love_My_Bubba (Jul 4, 2006)

Thanks mommas, it makes me feel better that no one here found this to be a huge issue. We'll wait it out and if I eventually do find something out I'll let you know!


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## newmoon2000 (Jul 19, 2007)

A question that occurred to me, based on my own experience: is he getting enough protein in his diet? I'm a vegetarian and I've noticed that, when I'm not getting enough protein, it has a negative effect on my hair and fingernails. My hair seems to break more easily and my nails seem more flimsy. Just a thought...


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## Angi (Jun 16, 2008)

nails and hair are made of the same thing: keratin (sp?). Is his hair still healthy? One thing I noticed with I went through a jello obsession is that my hair grew very well, and my nails didn't peel. That could mean a protein issue, as the pp mentioned. It can also mean calcium issues, and calcium is one of the more difficult minerals to absorb, if I remember correctly. But I've been known to be wrong (several thousand times).

I found this link. Hopefully it will help.

http://www.naturalproductssa.net/hai...and%20skin.htm


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## RuthieinWI (Nov 8, 2008)

Julie - what eventually happend with your youngster? I'm in the same boat here. 4 yrs old, good diet, one nail peeled back and we assumed it was a casualty of hard play with her big brother / sister... Now one more fingernail and one toenail showing same symptoms two weeks later. It's been difficult to find much on the web for nails peeling back from the cuticle (instead of from the end off the end of the finger).
I'm curious as to the outcome / diagnosis for Andrew.
Thanks, Ruth


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## Love_My_Bubba (Jul 4, 2006)

Hi Ruth,

Well, the good news is that the condition completely resolved within a few weeks. I'm really sorry but I have no medical conclusion. The common thought on this is that he had some type of deficiency in his diet. His diet is pretty well rounded now and all sogns of nail peeling are gone.

I guess my best advice is to wait it out. There was no reason for us to take Andrew to the Dr. and it ended up resolving itself with no evidence that it ever happened.


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