What Causes Thick Toenails: Understanding the Possible Underlying Conditions
By Dr. Shubham Pandey +2 more
Medically reviewed by Dr. Shubham Pandey
Last updated: Apr 18, 2024Click to rate this article!
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By Dr. Shubham Pandey +2 more
Medically reviewed by Dr. Shubham Pandey
Last updated: Apr 18, 2024Table of Contents
Taking care of toenails is one part of our daily personal care routine that we often ignore. However, we need to keep in mind that toenail health is crucial to foot health and the feet are vital to support all our activities. In this blog, let’s dive into the issue of toenail thickening. Let’s find out what may cause it and how to nip the problem in the bud.
We’ll discuss things that cause thick toenails like getting older, fungus attacks, skin issues like psoriasis, or even a bad stubbing of your toe. Also, we’ll cover risk factors, finding out what’s wrong, problems it may cause, fixing it, and avoiding it from returning. With all this information, you should be ready to take care of your toenails properly. Lastly, we will answer commonly asked questions regarding this topic.
Did you know?
In my opinion, to reduce the amount of rubbing and friction between your toenail and the top of the shoe, use broader, deeper shoes. It is not advisable to get a larger size shoe but one with a distinct design. This ought to ease some of the pain associated with having thick toenails.
Dr. Siddharth Gupta, MD
Thick toenails aren’t normal. They grow abnormally because of internal or external reasons. They’re thicker than normal due to extra layers of keratin under the nail top.
Some signs of thick toenails are:
Thick toenails may also lead to symptoms which are as follows.
You may use an emery board and file your nails to manage thick toenails. This will limit the growth of your nails. To reduce the thickness, gently file each nail across the thickened area two to three times a week. Before taking a bath or a shower, when the nail is dry, is the ideal time to do this.
Dr. Rajeev Singh, BAMS
Different things may cause toenails to thicken, from natural body processes to health issues and injuries. To know how to fix this and stop it from returning, we first need to know what causes thick toenails.
One of the most common causes of thick toenails is aging. Our nail growth slows down and the nails get thicker. Also, less blood reaching the nails may cause them to look different.
Nail fungus, or onychomycosis, is a major cause of thick toenails. Fungi love damp areas and can thrive under the nails, causing the nails to become thicker and change color.
Some signs of fungal nail invasion are:
Some factors may increase your chances of getting a fungal nail infection, these are as follows.
People with a skin condition called psoriasis may experience nail psoriasis, which may cause thickening of toenails. This problem may make nails bumpy, split from the nail bed, and appear thicker.
Symptoms
Signs of nail psoriasis are as follows.
Risk Factors
If your family has a history of psoriasis, it might increase your chances of developing nail psoriasis. Some other risk factors involved are as follows.
Even hitting your toe hard or again and again may cause toenail thickening. If you play sports like soccer, or indulge in running or dancing, or if your shoes don’t fit right, you might hurt your toenails more easily leading to repetitive injuries.
There is a rare medical condition called yellow nail syndrome that affects both hands and footnails. It makes nails turn yellow, curve, and thicken. Also, legs may swell up and breathing problems may occur.
Paronychia is another problem that may cause swelling and redness around the nails. If you keep getting this infection, the nails of your hands and feet might thicken, peel or come away from the nail bed.
Ram’s horn nails or onychogryphosis is another nail condition. It causes nails to thicken and turn yellow, grow long, and curl around, like a ram’s horn. It may occur when you hurt your foot, get some kind of infection, have chronic health issues, or if blood doesn’t flow adequately to your foot.
Other Causes
Other less common causes of thick toenails include:
Anyone can get thick toenails, but some factors may particularly raise your risk. These are as follows.
Out of all the risk factors, thick toenails, especially due to fungal infections, are quite common. Studies say that up to 14% of people all across the world might have some sort of nail fungus. Thick toenails are commonly seen in older people as aging and health issues may cause the nails to thicken.
It’s best to identify and manage the reasons for thick toenails early on. This may help avoid other problems and will keep your feet healthy.
Usually, a healthcare professional will examine the nails to diagnose thick toenails. They’ll see how the nails look and feel. They will then ask about any other health issues or risk factors you have.
If they think it might be a nail fungus, they might take a small piece of your nail or swab the bottom of it to check for fungi. If psoriasis may be the issue, your healthcare provider may suggest more tests or want you to see a specialist for a deeper look.
If you see your toenails looking or feeling different for a while, get them examined by a healthcare professional. Diagnosing a condition early may help avoid other problems and manage any basic health conditions properly. Get medical advice if you have the following:
Thick toenails might not seem like a big deal, but they may cause several problems if not dealt with on time. In this part, we’ll go into some complications that could arise and why it’s necessary to stop and manage thick toenails at the earliest.
If thick toenails grow too much, they can start pressing into the surrounding skin, causing pain. Also, they can press on the adjoining toes or the inside of shoes, creating rubbing and irritation, especially while doing physical activities like running, etc.
If thick toenails, particularly due to a fungal infection, are not dealt with, they can make it easy for bacteria to grow as well. In some cases, these infections may need medical help. So, antibiotics or antifungal medicines may be needed as recommended by your doctor.
Debris and extra keratin (a protein in nails) can pile up under the thickened nail. This can cause inflammation or redness, swelling, and pain, worsening the problem and making it painful to move your feet daily.
If you don’t trim thick toenails correctly, it might lead to ingrown toenails. This is when the nail grows into the skin around it, causing pain, redness, swelling, and sometimes, infection. Ingrown toenails can be troublesome, as they may need medical help or even surgery in severe cases.
There are several ways to deal with thick toenails, based on what’s causing them. From things you may try at home to medical options, we’ll look at various ways in which you may try to handle this situation.
You may try home remedies to reduce the thickening of toenails or even try to avoid them. Here are some steps you may apply which are as follows.
A simple yet important step is to trim thick toenails right. If you don’t trim right, it may lead to issues like ingrown toenails or infection. Here’s how to trim your thick toenails:
There are several products available over-the-counter (OTC) to help manage thick toenails. These may include the following:
Always remember to consult your doctor before using any was the above-mentioned OTC products.
You may avoid developing thick toenails and improve the look of existing thick nails by adopting healthy habits and making minor changes to your daily routine. Here are some quick tips:
In some cases, thick toenails may need medical help for management. Depending on what’s causing the issue, your healthcare provider may suggest one or more of the following:
Debridement involves chipping away extra layers of the thick toenail. A podiatrist will do this using special tools. This may help reduce the thickness of the nail, lessen pain, and improve how it looks. Debridement might be suggested for those who can’t handle thick toenails with home-based remedies alone.
For moderate to severe fungal nail infections, oral antifungal medicines like terbinafine or itraconazole may be used. These medicines work by stopping fungal growth, allowing healthy nail growth in place of the thickened parts. Typically, these oral antifungal medicines need to be used for several months for best results. Your healthcare provider will prescribe the correct medicines with the appropriate regimen for you.
Topical antifungal medicines, including creams and lacquers, may be applied right on the affected toenails for mild cases of nail fungus or along with oral medicines in more severe cases. These products may help lessen the thickness of the nails and make them look better over time. Again these medications must be taken only as prescribed by your doctor.
Laser therapy is quite a new method for thick toenails caused by fungus infections. High-energy light waves are used to target and kill the fungi causing the infection. This lets healthy nail growth replace the thickened parts. While laser therapy seems promising as a non-rough, pain-free option for thick toenails, we need more studies to understand its effectiveness and long-term results fully.
Also Read: What Causes Hangnails: Insights from Dermatological Research
The best way to keep your toenails healthy and avoid thickening is by following these simple tips.. These are as follows.
Washing your feet with soap and water regularly, drying them thoroughly, and trimming your toenails straight across may help reduce infections and stop nails from thickening.
Picking shoes with enough space for toes, right arch support, and breathable materials may help stop rubbing, pressure, and build-up of sweat. These things can make toenail thickening worse.
Checking your toenails routinely for changes in thickness, color or other signs of injury and infection may help you find possible issues early. That way, you can take the right steps to avoid problems.
To sum it up, thick toenails can be an annoying, sometimes even painful, problem that is a result of various causes, such as aging, fungal infections, nail psoriasis, injury, and other medical conditions. Finding out what’s the cause behind them and managing thick toenails early is important to avoid other complications and keep your feet healthy.
By keeping your feet clean, picking good shoes, and checking your toenails for changes often you may help lower your risk of getting thick toenails.
Most often, thick toenails show signs like increased thickness, color changes (yellow, brown, or green), a bad smell, breaking or crumbling, and difficulty cutting or trimming the nails.
Signs of a fungal infection may be yellow, brown, or green discoloration, a foul odor, and a brittle or crumbly texture. Be sure to consult with a healthcare professional for proper diagnosis and advice.
With early action and the right management, thick toenails may be dealt with effectively. The affected nails may return to a healthier state. Sometimes, in rare cases, the nails may not fully go back to how they looked before.
To avoid thick toenails, make sure you keep your feet clean, choose well-fitting and breathable footwear, and check your toenails regularly for any changes or signs of infection.
Yellow and thick toenails can show a fungal infection, a condition called yellow nail syndrome, or other basic health issues. It’s important to consult a healthcare professional for a correct diagnosis and appropriate management.
Not always. Even though thick toenails can occur due to various health conditions, they can also happen due to aging, repeated toe injuries, or being exposed to irritants. Get in touch with a healthcare professional for a full check if you notice any changes in your toenails that last a while.
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