Why Do You Get Thick Toenails?

Thick toenails often result from aging, fungal infections, or injuries. They can cause pain and difficulty in trimming.1

What Are the Types?

Common types of thick toenails include onychomycosis (a type of nail infection), onychauxis (a form of nail overgrowth), and onycholysis (when the nail separates from the nail bed).

Onychomycosis

Onychomycosis is the most common toenail fungus. It directly affects the nail bed.

The nail matrix (the lighter half-moon-shaped area where your nail grows) may thicken to remove the fungal infection from your toe by starting the growth of a new nail.1

Onychauxis

Injuries, aging, and a wide range of conditions, like psoriasis and diabetes, can result in onychauxis, also known as onychogryphosis.

Onychauxis causes abnormal thickening and growth in the toenails, which may become yellow or brownish. Over time, the nail plate separates from the nail bed and can begin to curl, resembling the shape of an oyster.2

Onycholysis

Onycholysis occurs when the nail plate painlessly separates from the nail bed. This condition can develop from a nail injury, an allergic reaction, psoriasis, or other conditions.3

What Does It Look and Feel Like?

Toenails are usually 1.4 millimeters (mm) thick in people assigned female at birth and 1.65 mm thick in people assigned male at birth.4

When nail plates thicken, your nails may look and feel different.

Changes in Appearance

If caused by toenail fungus, you may notice a yellow, green, or brown color on your nail. If it's from the nail lifting from the nail bed, it may appear lighter, white, or yellow. There may also be white buildup on the top of your nails or beneath them.3

Your toenails will have a distinct, curled appearance, and appear discolored if you have onychauxis. They may curl and grow long, similar to ram horns.2

In yellow nail syndrome, a rare autoimmune disorder, nails grow yellow as they thicken.5

Changes in Texture

Commonly, thick toenails develop a rougher texture that can make them more difficult to care for. They may become brittle, grow back unevenly, and flake or crumble when you attempt to trim or file them.

Changes in Odor

You may notice a cheese-like odor coming from your toenail.1

If a thickened toenail becomes ingrown, bacterial or fungal infections can also cause foul discharge (pus that oozes out of your skin).6

Other Symptoms

Thick toenails can cause discomfort when you wear shoes, especially if they are tight-fitting.

Thicker toenails may stick out from your feet, increasing pressure on the toes and making walking painful.3

What Causes Thick Toenails? 

Toenails get thicker when the keratin cells (a protein that naturally occurs in your body) that make up the nail plate (the visible part of the nail) excessively grow on top of each other.

In older adults, the nail matrix is less effective at removing dead keratin cells.2

Underlying conditions that can cause your thickened nails include:2

• Autoimmune Disorders: These include lichen planus and psoriasis.7
• Fungal toe infections: These contagious infections are commonly passed in showers or on other wet surfaces.
• Limited blood circulation: This can happen due to foot injuries or shoes that are too tight.
• Paronychia: An infection of the nail commonly caused by biting or picking at your nail.

What Makes You More Likely To Get Them?

Risk factors include being over 65, smoking, swimming, and having:21

• Athlete's foot
• Frequent pedicures
• Conditions or medications that affect your immune system
• Ill-fitting shoes
• Injury to the toenail
• Poor foot hygiene and grooming
• Chemotherapy or radiation therapy treatments
• Public showers or pools

How Do You Get Diagnosed?

A healthcare provider may refer you to a podiatrist (a doctor specializing in foot conditions).1

Your provider may order diagnostic tests, such as:8

• Clip biopsy
• Swab testing
• Visual screening

How Can You Get Rid of Thick Toenails?

Thick toenails can be difficult to treat. It can take more than a year for toenails to grow back healthy.1

Topical Agents

Medicated anti-fungal creams available over-the-counter (OTC) may control mild cases. Active ingredients in OTC products include:9

• Calcium, copper, or zinc undecylenic acid
• Clioquinol (3%)
• Clotrimazole (1%)
• Haloprogin (1%)
• Miconazole nitrate (2%)
• Povidone-iodine (10%)
• Tolnaftate (1%)

Antifungal Medication

Oral and topical medications are also effective for more severe cases. These include:1

• Ciclodan (ciclopirox)
• Lamisili (terbinafine)
• Jublia (efinaconazole)
• Kerydin (tavaborole)
• Sporanax (itraconazole)

Psoriasis Medications

Nail psoriasis can be treated with topical, oral, or injected medications, including:9

• Biologics, such as Simzia (certolizumab pegol) and Humira (adalimumab)
• Corticosteroids, such as Triderm (triamcinolone acetonide)
• Immunosuppressants, such as Otrexup (methotrexate) or Neoral (cyclosporine)
• Kenalog (triamcinolone acetonide)
• Retinoids, related to vitamin A, such as acitretin
• Topical vitamin D

Debridement

Debridement involves removing buildup and part or all of the affected toenails (called avulsion) to allow for healthy regrowth.8

Laser Therapy

Lasers apply heat to the fungus on your affected nail to improve its appearance.10

Complementary Approaches

Some complementary approaches may be helpful, including:

• Tea-tree oil11
• Urea cream12
• Vick’s VapoRub13

How Can You Prevent Thick Toenails?

Consider the following preventative strategies:14

• Avoid sharing nail clippers.
• Change socks regularly.
• Clean socks and shoes.
• Keep your feet clean.
• Protect your feet in shared, wet spaces, such as locker rooms.
• Treat athlete’s foot.
• Trim nails often.
• Wear properly-fitting shoes.

For Complete Cooking STEPS Please Head On Over To Next Page Or Open button (>) and don’t forget to SHARE with your Facebook friends.

Publicité

Publicité