Healthy toenails tend to be smooth, uniformly light-pink, and free of odd ridges or splotches. When they shift in color, thickness, or texture, your body might be flagging a deeper issue—sometimes ...

" Iron deficiency anemia and zinc deficiency can both cause white nails," says dermatologist Shari Lipner, MD, an associate professor of clinical dermatology at Weill Cornell Medicine in New York.

Iron deficiency affects 10 million people in the United States and can cause symptoms like fatigue, lack of concentration, and iron-deficiency anemia.