Now please stop bugging me about how much dairy I eat

I have white flecks on my fingernails. Lots of them. There is never a time when all of my fingernails are fleck-free. I am currently sporting 12 white flecks on my fingernails, where my right thumb nail is the only one that is fleck-free. But most of these flecks are quite small so I consider that their current status is quite mild as this condition goes. I have been *suffering* from flecky nails for as long as I can remember.

(Those aren't my fingernails by the way. Just a photo I found on the interwebs)

People (who in all honesty, really aren't qualified to comment) tell me it is due to a calcium deficiency or a zinc deficiency. While I wonder why people can't make up their mind if its calcium or zinc deficiency that causes the flecks, I can say with certainty that neither is a problem for me. My diet is loaded with both calcium and zinc and always has been.

I tell these people that it is actually because I am clumsy and am always bashing my nails on things. The flecks are due to air bubbles forming in the nail bed as a result of the mild trauma from getting my fingers trapped in the cutlery drawer. But few people believe me, such is the magnitude of this common misconception.

In fact after some further investigation, I have discovered that this condition is known as Leuconychia, which is described here as being:

evident as white lines or spots in the nail plate and may be caused by tiny bubbles of air that are trapped in the nail plate layers due to trauma. This condition may be hereditary and no treatment is required as the spots will grow out with the nail plate.

Ah, its also hereditary. This makes sense, as my Dad has flecky nails too.

And...we learned something today!