My son's nails have started peeling from the base of the nail towards the tip. Usually fingernails peel from the tips (or so I thought anyway). What could be causing this to happen? He's the pickiest eater I've ever met... could it be malnutrition?

was he sick recently? when the kids are sick, their nails stop growing. when they are over the sickness, the nails grow again and it is not unusual for the nails and toes (check the toe nail beds) to slough and look like they're peeling when they grow again. my son goes to daycare and they all just got over hand-foot-mouth disease. his nails and two big toes were peeling. ped said let's just watch it. but then i heard ALL the kids in his room has peeling nailbeds. so i called my daughter's ped dermatologist and that's what he told me. hope that helps. i thought he smashed his fingers too. but the toe nails ruled that out.

Could be scurvy.

I believe it has something to do with the Hand Foot & Mouth Disease. My daughter had HFMD bout a month ago. Since she had it her skin had been peeling off her hands and around her feet. It looked awful. I was washing her hands today and said to myself isn't it great that her skin isn't peeling anymore, then I noticed the nails. They were lifting from the base by the cuticle. Looks painful but it doesn't seem to be. She isn't complaining, so it leaves me to believe there is new growth underneath. I think it will sort itself out.

My son's nails just started peeling too! Up from the base by the cuticles. I am bringing him to the dr today. He had strep throat 2 months ago. HFMD? If it was that, it got diagnosed as strep throat. No blisters anywhere. His toe nails look like they are going to peel too.

possibly but i imagine that it is due to smashing his fingers in a door or something.

The CDC (Center for Disease Control) website indicates that nail loss has been reported about one month following a case of HFMD. My daughter had HFMD about one month ago, and now her fingernails and toenails are peeling from the cuticles.

has he recently been sick? when toddlers have been sick the nail beds stops growing. when they are over the sickness the nailbed starts growing back and it's not unusual to look like they're sloughing off and peeling. it happened to my son and that is what my pediatric dermatologist told me. our son's class at daycare just got over hand-foot-mouth disease and all the kids's fingers and toes in his class look like that. hope that helps, it sure helped me. paeton wooden, fayetteville, nc
specialneedsagent@specialneedsagent.com

Yes, something could be missing from his diet. It could also be a fungus infection, take him to the DRs.

I'm 21 year old female. About 2 months ago I was diagnosed with hand, foot and mouth disease. The palms of my hands and soles of my feet had tiny blisters under the skin very painful and annoying. About a week and a half later my hands and feet started peeling. I thought that was the end of it. Then, about 1 month ago, my nails started peeling from the cuticles to the tips. It really scared me. Not painful but very unattractive. I hope they re-grow fast so I can stop being embarrassed about how my nails look. I figured it may have something to do with my HFMD but I wasn't sure. These answers reassured me that I am not the only one, although it is rare for an adult to have this disease. I can't wait for it to be over and done with.