How To Cure Black Toenails
There are a variety of home remedies you can try to get rid of your black toenails. The sooner you start the treatment, the better. So, pay close attention to early symptoms, such as discoloration of the nails. But, if your nails are already black you dont have to worry, there are still things that can be done.
If your toenails are severe, then we recommend giving your doctor a visit. But, most people would rather treat the problem in the comfort of their home. If you are ready to put an end to the pain and embarrassment of a black toenail, you can start by using Purely Northwest Toenail Fungus System. This is a three in one system designed to cure even severe cases of toenail fungus naturally.
How To Trim Thick Toenails
Trimming thickened toenails is a much more difficult task than trimming normal nails. In most cases your nail trimmer will be ineffective, and you may need a nail file or emery board and podiatry-grade nippers.
Consulting your podiatrist or primary care physician is recommended, especially for individuals with diabetes, poor circulation, or reduced sensation, or those taking anti-coagulants such as Warfarin, Coumadin, or Plavix.
The following is the recommended way to trim thick toenails:
- Soak your nails for at least ten minutes in warm, soapy water.
- Completely dry your toenails.
- Use the emery board or file.
- Trim the nails, starting at one corner and continuing straight across to the other corner. Smaller cuts with the trimmer will prevent splitting or chipping.
- One important note: do not use cuticle pushers, which disturb the natural barrier that prevents the introduction of potential pathogens.
Is There Hope For Thickened Toenails
Absolutely! Careful filing and trimming with a nail file or emery board can reduce the thickness of a toenail. If you are unsure how to go about grooming yourself, you should talk with your podiatrist or doctor about specific techniques.
Your doctor will be able to show you the proper way to groom your nails to reduce their thickness and prevent them from re-thickening.
Treatment of thickened toenails depends on the cause of the problem. If the thickening is due to a fungal infection, topical or oral anti-fungal medicines may be prescribed. Lasers designed specifically for eradicating fungi have also recently become available.
The procedure is painless, fast, and reported to be 85 percent effective. Regardless of what type of treatment is used, however, anti-fungal agents must still be used to prevent recurrence once the infection is cleared.
If the thickening is due to injury or age, your doctor may first employ conservative treatments, such as reducing the size of the nail plate. In cases where the thickened nail is chronically painful, removal of the nail down to the root may be necessary.
Should the cause be systemic, the underlying disease must be diagnosed and treated before the nail problem can be addressed.
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Surgical Treatment For Thick Toenails
In some cases, the thick toenail can be surgically removed in order to relieve pressure and eliminate the infected tissue underneath. Topical anti-fungal medication is then applied until the nail completely returns. If the nail thickness and pain persists, a chemical can be applied to the nail root and prevent the nail from returning.
The procedure is performed in the office with local anesthetic or occasionally at an out-patient facility under sedation . Full weight bearing is allowed immediately without restrictions.
Apply A Topical Solution
After trimming your nails you will want to apply a solution that specializes in reducing the thickness of nails. One of the products on the market that does this is a solution by Amada Pure.
This solution is great at curing toenail fungus and reducing the thickness of nails. If you do not have thick toenails caused by fungus then you will want to read about Kerasal and the review I did on this product which specializes in just reducing thickness in nails but is not a nail fungus cure.
Amada Pure Highlights:
- Can irritate skin
- Requires application 2X a day
- Can take longer with more severe infections
- Shouldnt be used while pregnant
Zane Hellas Fungus Stop is one of the products that I have personally used and seen results with after suffering from toe fungus for 5+ years.
It is a blend of organic essential oils such as oil of oregano and tea tree oil which have been studied and shown to have anti-fungal properties.
In addition, it contains the active ingredient, carvacrol, which is found in the oil of oregano.
We recently reviewed this product in-depth and went over all the ingredients. Click here to view the full review. This treatment is also great with soaking into hard and thick nails and treating the underlying fungus.
- Have to apply twice a day
- Takes longer on more severe fungus infections
- 30 ML bottle
Funginix is a popular brand of toenail fungus treatments that has been getting a lot of buzz lately.
I think the reviews of this product speak for itself.
But
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Ingrown Toenails & Infection Causes Nail Thickening
Ingrown toenails are often precursors to bacterial infection, which can cause thickened toenails. Thick toenails can also be the result of a fungal or bacterial infection. You can tell the difference between fungal and bacterial infections by odour. Fungus tends to smell bad.
If you have athletes foot or acquire a fungal infection otherwise, it can cause your toenails to thicken. Toenail fungus may cause both thickening and discoloration of the toenails. If a toenail becomes brownish or yellow before thickening, fungal infection should be suspected.
How Can Thickened Toenails Be Treated
If your thick toenails are caused by fungal infection, your doctor may recommend oral and or topical antifungal medications. You may also be able to get laser treatment which is especially designed for eliminating fungal infection of the toenails and fingernails. Laser treatment is excellent because it is quick and painless and highly effective .
You should understand that no matter what techniques you use, if your problem is caused by fungus it will not resolve without treatment for fungal infection. Be sure to see your doctor and discuss your options so that you can move forward effectively.
If your toenails have simply become thick with age or due to trauma or stress, your doctor may recommend a number of different treatments. For example, he or she may decide that it would be a good idea to reduce the size of the plate of the nail.
If the toenail is painful on a regular and ongoing basis, your doctor may recommend complete removal.
If your problem is caused by a systemic condition, your doctor must diagnose and treat the underlying cause as well as attending to the symptoms of the thickened nail.
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What Causes Thick Toenails How To Treat Them
Changes in our toenails can often go unnoticed or neglected. We might see them as signs of aging and let nature do its job. However, significant changes in your toenail can be alarming and unpleasant.
Your toenail may look abnormally thick, have a yellowish discoloration, redness, or swelling around the affected area. Thick toenails are your body whispering that something is not right.
Several causes result in developing thick toenails. The main cause is onychomycosis or fungal infection of the nails caused by dermatophytes . Physical trauma, Psoriasis,Lichen planus and diabetes may also cause thick nails to develop.
Traditionally, oral antifungal treatments were prescribed. However, due to various side effects of these drugs, topical treatments, and laser treatments have also proven to be effective treatments. Complete treatment of nail fungal infections may take several months hence it is advisable to get effective diagnosis and treatments at an early stage.
How Are Thick Toenails Treated
Although not all cases of toenail fungus need to be treated, thick toenails may be a sign that the fungus has gotten worse. Several methods are available to treat your toenails. You can try some home-based treatments first and then talk to your doctor about prescription-based options. Topical and oral medications are the mainstays of therapy.
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How Do Dermatologists Diagnose Nail Fungus
To find out if a patient has nail fungus, a dermatologist examines your nails and nearby skin. Its important to check the skin because the fungus can spread. You may already have a skin infection caused by fungus like athletes foot.
To get rid of the infection, you will need to treat all infected areas.
Before giving you the diagnosis, your dermatologist may also take some samples. Collecting a bit of debris from beneath a nail, trimming off part your nail, or scraping off a bit of skin can be very helpful. In a lab, these samples can be examined under a microscope to find out whats causing the problem.
Are you hiding an infected nail with nail polish?
Be sure to ask your dermatologist if you can wear nail polish while treating nail fungus.
Thick Skin Under Fingernails: Home Remedy
Naturally healthy nails are not surrounded by thick or dry skin. Like in the case of toenails, the skin under fingernails turns hard due to various internal and external factors.
- Fungal infection can be responsible for this unnatural texture of skin.
- Chronic skin diseases like psoriasis can show its effect over nail by making them thick.
- Ineffective blood circulation may turn soft skin under fingernails to thick.
Like in the case of toenails, you must initially diagnose with the help of an expert and accordingly start the treatment.
One common way to keep things at bay is to moisturize your hands with coconut oil or other essential oils. These oils are packed with antibacterial properties which can thwart infectious bacteria.
Bacteria grow in the moist and dark environment. So avoid wearing wet gloves, socks or shoes, and when you dont use them keep it under the sun.
These simple tips to get rid of thick skin under the toenails and fingernails may not show instant results but surely youll see long-lasting results if you regularly practice it.
Tips: How to Get Rid of Thick Skin Under Toenails and Fingernails
Prevention is the best option than treatment.
- Wash your toenails and fingernails regularly with anti-bacterial soap.
- Cut your nails short and avoid moisture between nails.
- Prefer shoes that absorb sweat.
- Avoid wearing old shoes.
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Are Thick Toenails Painful
Thankfully, thick toenails are not usually painful. The biggest issue is simply cutting them. Thick long nails can be painful, of course. Thick tonails can become painful if the nail has other issues, too. Like being curved and digging into your toe a bit . Or where the repetitive trauma to the nail of a hammertoe or cocked up big toe is less micro and more macro and sustained. Consider running, jumping or walking long distances. Blisters will form more readily under thick and rough toenails. You might even lose the nail altogether.
Thick toenails of a runner who suffered nail avulsion .
Thickened Toenails Are Ugly But Easily Rid Of
Thick toenails can be ugly, gross, and generally make you not ever want to take off your socks in public. But as weve shown, you dont have to suffer from these gnarly toes. There are plenty of medical and at-home treatments that can help you treat the cause behind your thick toenail, get rid of the actual thick toenail, and get ready for sandal season.
Also, read:
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Which Symptoms Are Associated With Thick Toenails
Thickening of the toenail is the primary symptom of the infection. It may be associated with the following changes,
- Change in toenail color to yellow, brown, or green
- Foul-smelling
- Toenails look scaly or chalky
- Toenails with dirt and built-up dead cells underneath
- Toenail appears lifted from the nail bed
- Toenails crumble or split
- Discomfort or pain is experienced
At an early stage, these symptoms are mild or may even go unnoticed. As the infection advances, the symptoms aggravate and lead to discomfort and pain.
Remedies And Treatments For Thick Yellow Toenails
Itâs common for yeasts, molds, and other fungi can enter toenails and cause infection. Itâs important to practice habits that prevent toenail infection and reinfection.
The following measures can help you prevent thick yellow toenails caused by infection:
- Wear sweat-absorbing socks to prevent fungi from forming in the fabric.
- Wear shoes in pool areas and locker rooms where you could come in contact with nail fungus.
- Shoes offer a dark, moist environment that helps fungi grow. Treat old shoes with antifungal powders or disinfectants.
- Wash your hands and feet regularly. Fungal infections are more common in toenails since your feet are in warm, moist environments more often.
- Trim your toenails and smooth the edges with a file. This will make it easier for topical treatments to reach deeper layers of the nail.
Topical treatments administer antifungal agents on your toenails to stop fungal growth. A healthy toenail can then grow back. It takes time for thick yellow toenail treatments to work. You may not see results for months.
Remedies
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How To Get Rid Of Thick Toenails Fast And Naturally
Are one or more of your toenails becoming thicker than the others and become more difficult to cut?
Are they discolored, smelly, thickened, and just downright ugly?
After suffering from thick toenails for 6+ years, I can understand your frustrations. I want to help you and provide you with all the information you need to know about thick toenails.
In this article, you are going to learn the signs of thickened toenails caused by a fungus, treatment options, and some of the most effective products to restore your fungus-infested nails.
Why Do Toenails Get Thicker As We Get Older
The reason toenails tend to get thicker as we get older is simply because weve had longer to inflict injurious episodes on them both the big painful episodes and the repetitive microtraumas. From stubbing them, dropping things on them, wearing the wrong shoes and people standing on them, all of these things can cause gradual or sudden nail thickening. But your toenails dont have to get thick with age. Dont subject them to these traumas and youll have beautifully thin nails when youre 100 years old.
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Thick Toenails And Nail Anatomy
This image shows the anatomy of a nail. The nail itself is called the nail plate . It is adhered to the skin of the nail bed. The bit you cut off that isnt adhered to the nail bed is called the free edge. And the nail itself grows from a group of cells that lie further back under the skin called the nail matrix.
How A Fungal Infection Occurs
It is easy to pick up fungi they are particularly common on the floors of communal showers and changing rooms and many of us probably already have fungi on our skin. They cause problems only when the conditions are right for them to thrive, which means warmth and moisture. When human beings started wearing enclosed shoes, which trap sweat and heat, we created ideal conditions for fungi. This is why only 1% of people in Zaire, Africa, have fungal toenail infections compared with 10% of people in the UK. It is not surprising that fungal toenail infections are five times as common in people who have to wear work boots for long periods in wet conditions.
The fungi shelter under the tip of the nail and start to get a hold. This is particularly likely to happen if:
- the end of the nail has been damaged and is already slightly separated from its toe
- you are taking long-term tetracycline medication and then expose your toenails to sunlight this is called photo-onycholysis
- you have a condition such as diabetes or an immune deficiency
- you are elderly
- the fungus is already multiplying between the toes .
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Treatment Options For Thick Nails
The best way to treat your thick toenails varies on the underlying cause.
For all cases of thickened toenails, clipping your toenails correctly and some work with a nail file can help with the thickness and overall appearance. If you are not comfortable with filing your toenails yourself then you could go to a podiatrist, who can do this for you.
They may also use a mechanical grinder to file down the nail, which can be less painful and quicker. Although this typically assists the appearance of the nails, it will not tackle any of the underlying issues such as a fungal infection.
In order to get healthy toenails, you need to address what is causing the thickness.
If you have a fungal infection then there are a myriad of treatments you can follow. The treatments range in price, effectiveness and side effects of the products. The treatments vary from topical creams, sprays, oral medications, and laser treatment.
What Causes Thick And Gnarly Toenails
The most commonreasons for thick or gnarly toenails are the following:
Fungal infections
Fungal infections such as tinea occur most commonly in the toenails. Thats because the warm and moist environment is ideal for fungus to grow and spread. The fungus distorts the growth of the nail affecting the nailbed. The signs are yellow or splitting toenails which lead to thickening.
Trauma
Trauma or injury tothe nail can happen in three different ways:
- A heavy object droppedon the top of the nail bed will cause injury and trauma and the result is a thickenednail. This eventually grows out.
- Stubbing the end ofyour toenail causes trauma directed back into the nailbed, this will thicken thenail and will also eventually grow out.
- Dropping somethingheavy on the nail matrix however, where the nail grows from, can cause permanentnail thickening.
Ageing
As the body ages, thegrowth of toenails slows down as cell renewal slows, and less keratin is produced.The toenails can become brittle, prone to splitting, may also thicken andbecome discoloured.
Psoriasis
Psoriasis is acondition of the skin forming red, scaly patches which can be itchy and uncomfortable.Psoriasis can also extend to the toenails, causing ridges and thickening of thenail. The nailbed may also lift as a result of psoriasis.
Paronychia
Its essential to keep your feet clean and dry and use antiseptic lotions or barrier creams if necessary
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