What causes nail flaking? Causes of nail delamination

Nail stratification may be caused by a lack of vitamins or calcium in the body, or it may be caused by onychomycosis. Onychomycosis is highly contagious. It is also called onychomycosis, an infection caused by fungi. It must be treated with medication in time to avoid infecting other nails.

1. What is the reason for nail delamination? Is it onychomycosis?

Nail stratification is characterized by the nail breaking and stratification, some of which are painless. Nail stratification is usually caused by onychomycosis, commonly known as "onychomycosis", which refers to a disease caused by dermatophytes invading the nail plate or under the nail. Onychomycosis is a nail infection caused by fungi such as dermatophytes, yeasts and non-dermatophyte fungi. Two common types of nail fungus: ① Fungal leukonychia (superficial white onychomycosis)

This type of lesion is limited to a piece of the nail surface or its tip; ② Subungual fungal disease is divided into distal lateral type, proximal subungual type and superficial white type. This type of lesion starts from the sides or distal end of the nail, and then infection occurs under the nail plate.

2. Symptoms of onychomycosis

1. Distal subungual onychomycosis (DSO)

This is the most common one. The fungus begins to invade the subungual stratum corneum of the distal lateral edge, and then invades the bottom surface of the nail plate, gradually causing the nail plate to change color and deteriorate, losing its normal smooth appearance. Debris of the nail bed stratum corneum accumulates under the nail plate, causing the nail plate to separate and fall off, or be cut off by the patient, resulting in the loss of the entire nail plate, leaving behind a hyperkeratotic nail bed. Some fungi can produce different pigments, such as Brown produced by Cladosporium brevis and Black produced by Coccidioides sphaeroides. The pathogens in the toes were Trichophyton rubrum, Trichophyton mentagrophytes, Epidermophyton floccosum, Scopulariopsis brevis, Aspergillus, Fusarium, Cephalosporium, Candida albicans, Candida tropicalis, Candida parapsilosis, Geotrichum candidum and Ascochyta sphaeroides; the pathogens in the fingers were Trichophyton rubrum and Candida albicans (Figure 3).

2. White superficial onychomycosis (WSO)

Less common. The fungus invades directly through the superficial layers of the nail plate, forming small, superficial white spots that enlarge and fuse. Eventually the nail becomes soft, rough, and amber in color. The pathogens of the toe are Trichophyton mentagrophytes, Cephalosporium, Aspergillus and Fusarium. Trichophyton rubrum is rare.

3. Proximal subungual onychomycosis (PSO)

Typically seen near the fingernail, it starts out as a white spot and can expand into a white spot. The underside of the nail plate is affected, but the entire nail can be involved. The primary type is rare. Trauma, diabetes, psoriasis, chronic paronychia and peripheral vascular disease may lead to this type of infection. This type of disease has increased with the rise in AIDS incidence abroad. The pathogens on the toes were Trichophyton rubrum, Trichophyton mentagrophytes, Trichophyton schurensis, Trichophyton tonsurans, and Trichophyton magni, while those on the fingers were Trichophyton rubrum and Trichophyton magni.

4. Total dystrophic onychomycosis (TDO) is the final stage of the development of the above three types, in which the entire thickness of the nail is affected.

In addition, there are two special types: fungal black nails, which are caused by melanin-producing non-dermatophyte fungi and yeasts such as Trichophyton rubrum and Acremonium bipunctatum, and manifest as longitudinal ridge black nails. Primary nail infection of chronic mucocutaneous candidiasis is a malnutrition-type candidiasis in which the entire thickness of the nail plate is affected. Due to the accumulation of debris under the nail, the nail plate is easily peeled off, leaving behind a hyperkeratotic nail bed.