Nail separation

In a condition called onycholysis, the fingernails come loose and can separate from the nail bed. The separated part of the nail becomes cloudy with a white, yellow or green tint.

Sometimes detached nails are due to an injury or an infection. In other cases, nail separation is a reaction to a medicine or to a consumer product, such as nail hardeners or adhesives. Thyroid disease and psoriasis — a skin disease that causes a rash with itchy, scaly patches — also can lead to nail separation.