Terry's Nails: Appearance, Causes, And Treatment

Terry’s nails is not always something to worry about. However, in some cases, this type of nail may indicate an underlying health condition that needs treatment.

If someone has this symptom, treatment may depend on whether an underlying condition is present.

The term “Terry’s nails” refers to a certain pattern of nail discoloration. A person’s nails will be predominantly opaque and white, obscuring the lunula — the small, white semicircle at the base of the nail.

The very tip of the nails will remain the usual pink or brown coloring of the nail bed. This band of color may be between 0.5 and 3 millimeters (mm) wide. In some cases, this band may have an uneven border adjoining the white part of the nail.

People may also have ridges running the length of the nail or nail thickening.

A researcher called Richard Terry first described this symptom in 1954. It may occur due to an overgrowth of connective tissue and changes in the number of blood vessels in the nail bed.

Sometimes, this type of nail discoloration may not have a concerning underlying cause and may be due to the typical aging process. However, in some cases, the symptom may indicate another health condition, such as:

When first documenting it, Terry found the symptom in 82 out of 100 people with cirrhosis.

Terry’s nails may not need treatment if they are due to the natural aging process. However, if they indicate an underlying health problem, a doctor may recommend various treatments for the health issue.

For example, doctors may recommend lifestyle changes and medications to treat the causes and complications of cirrhosis, such as limiting alcohol and maintaining a moderate weight.

The same lifestyle changes may help someone with chronic kidney disease. A doctor may also prescribe medications to lower a person’s blood pressure and cholesterol levels.

As well as lifestyle changes, a doctor may prescribe medications, such as diuretics, and recommend procedures or surgeries if Terry’s nails indicate congestive heart disease.

Since treatment will usually depend on the underlying cause, a person needs to speak with their doctor if they have Terry’s nails. A doctor will explain the most suitable treatments for them.

If there are no underlying conditions but a person is unhappy with the nail discoloration, they may be able to cover it with cosmetics, such as nail polish or press-on nails.

Terry’s nails does not always indicate an underlying health problem. However, in some cases, it can occur due to health issues that may have severe complications without treatment.

People who develop this nail discoloration can speak with a doctor for a diagnosis, especially if they notice other concerning symptoms.

Doctors may perform a physical exam and ask about symptoms to distinguish Terry’s nails from other types of nail discoloration and identify other potential health issues.

In some cases, they may carry out a nail biopsy during their diagnosis.

Terry’s nails does not typically occur due to a vitamin deficiency. It may be a natural result of aging or due to underlying health conditions, such as liver scarring, kidney disease, or heart failure.

People need to speak with a doctor if they have Terry’s nails or have concerns that they are not getting enough of certain vitamins.

Terry’s nails may occur for some people with liver cirrhosis, but it is not a guaranteed symptom. Individuals may not get cirrhosis symptoms until the liver damage is severe.

Terry’s nails may appear similar to other types of nail discoloration, including:

• Lindsay’s nails, which involve a half-and-half discoloration
• Muehrcke’s nails, which involve white parallel lines of discoloration
• true leukonychia totalis, a totally white nail
• true leukonychia partialis, partial white discoloration

Terry’s nails is a type of nail discoloration in which most of the nail is completely white. A single band of regular pink or brown nail bed will remain at the tip of the nails.

This symptom does not always indicate a problem and can occur naturally as a person ages. However, in some cases, it may occur due to an underlying health condition, such as cirrhosis, heart failure, or kidney disease.

If a person has nail discoloration, they can speak with a healthcare professional to see if there is an underlying cause. However, Terry’s nails will not usually need treatment unless an underlying condition is present.