March 18, 2024
Toenail care is your shield from future foot issues. Foot conditions affecting the toenails can lead to infections, fungus, brittle and damaged nails, pain, bleeding and more. But you have the power to prevent these complications! By investing in proper footwear, learning to trim your nails properly, and more, you can take the reins on your toenail health. Let's talk toenails! Preventing Fungal Infections and Other Toenail Conditions Practice Proper Toenail Trimming It would be nice to have a professional always trim our nails for us, but sometimes we do have to do toenail care ourselves. To prevent issues or conditions, trim your nails following these two simple steps: Use nail clippers to trim straight across (very important), avoiding curved edges. Smooth edges with a nail file if needed. Keep Your Feet Clean and Protected Fungal toenails love when you forget to care for your feet. Make sure you always thoroughly clean and dry your feet before wearing socks and shoes. To go the extra mile and protect from skin issues, moisturize, exfoliate and use a foot file. Avoid areas where contagious fungal viruses breed and are passed along. These include public pool grounds, public showers, shared locker rooms, and more. If you frequent places like this, always wear shoes. Pedicure safety and hygiene are also very important when it comes to prevention. Schedule medical pedicure appointments with your chiropodist instead of a cosmetic pedicure to avoid contracting a contagious fungal infection and for a more health-focused experience. Learn more about the difference between a cosmetic and medical pedicure. Make Healthy Footwear Choices The link connecting toenail issues and footwear may seem unclear, but picture it this way: When our shoes are too tight it often means there is not enough room for the toes to spread out naturally. This can wreak havoc on your nails and you also risk annoying ingrown toenails or a cracked toenail. Always buy shoes with enough room in the toe box! Take it to the next level by looking for running shoes with mesh uppers that allow air to flow inside the shoe. This is a bonus way of keeping your toes fresh and protecting against fungal infections. Check out this handy shoe shopping checklist for even more help! Toenail Care for Pre-existing Conditions Anti-fungal Treatments for Toenails You won’t be able to treat a current fungal infection without using antifungal products or visiting a chiropodist. Products include sprays, ointments and sometimes pills. At times, over-the-counter versions like ClearNails Pro + (available at Feet First Clinic) are enough, but other times, you’ll need a prescription for a persistent infection. Chiropodists can also perform nail debridement, which involves removing the infected part of the nail and thinning the outer layers of the toenail. This allows prescription-strength topical antifungal medication to penetrate the toenail and reach the fungus. Treating Cracked Toenails Cracked toenails are more of a nuisance than a serious problem. But messing with your toenails in any way can still cause bleeding and pain. You may be more susceptible to cracks if your nails are weak and brittle. If you’re looking for some ways to speed up nail growth, but also to strengthen your nails as they are, try these toenail growth tips: As we've mentioned, trim nails straight across and avoid trimming too close to the skin Again, wear well-fitting shoes. Tight shoes can disrupt healthy toenail growth. Protect toenails during physical activities. Avoid excessive use of nail polish. While polish itself doesn’t slow growth, some types can cause toenail dehydration, making your nails more likely to crack. Eat a balanced diet for nail health. Treating Ingrown Toenails OnyFix is a useful and modern way of treating ingrown toenails. It involves the application of a specialized corrective strip to the affected nail. Nail avulsions can also be a good idea for chronic, severe ingrown nails, and chiropodists may tackle infections using certain draining methods. Treating Toenail Discolouration Discoloured toenails are tricky because the colours can vary wildly. Discolouration caused by a fungal infection (green or yellow) may be treated using similar methods as fungal toenails. But if your discolouration is black, blue, purple, or red, this is probably linked to a mild blunt-force trauma injury (like dropping something on your toe). It’s best to schedule a nail care appointment to determine the culprit!
December 11, 2023
The words “pedicure” and “treatment” may seem like a strange combination. But when you’re talking about medical pedicures, the perception changes. When it comes to treating foot conditions, the effectiveness of medical pedicures is clear, and they’re drastically different from cosmetic pedicures. Not only can they help manage skin and toenail conditions, but they shine as a preventative measure against future issues. Medical Pedicures: Prevention and Treating Foot Conditions While medical pedicures make your feet look amazing, the real benefit of a medical pedicure is foot health. The nails are properly cleaned and trimmed, and your chiropodist also smoothens calluses, moisturizes and cleans your feet, cleans your cuticles and keenly inspects your feet for abnormalities that can signal a problem. The latter is extremely helpful for people with diabetic neuropathy, who need an extra set of eyes and expertise to treat minor problems before they become critical (ulceration, gangrene, etc). Medical pedicures also treat the following skin conditions: Calluses and corns Cracked heels Blisters Athlete’s foot And of course, toenail conditions: Ingrown toenails Cracked toenails Discoloured toenails Fungal / thick toenails Please note, if you have a severe toenail infection, you may need to use medicinal ointments or take oral medications before getting a medical pedicure. Medical Pedicure Effectiveness Against Skin Conditions Chiropodists use medical-grade equipment during medical pedicures to remove dead skin on the feet, which can often become painful when left ignored and ultimately turn into large calluses. Chiropodists may also gently buff down or completely remove pre-existing calluses and corns during medical pedicures. Furthermore, the thorough moisturizing session that occurs during a medical pedicure can fight dry skin, especially during the winter months. Dry skin can lead to painful cracked heels. In some cases, dry skin also poses an ulcer risk. Moisturized feet are also less prone to blisters. Image source: iStock Medical Pedicure Effectiveness Against Toenail Conditions When it comes to ingrown toenails, chiropodists carefully trim the affected nail during a medical pedicure, ensuring it is properly shaped to prevent further irritation and discomfort. They will clean the area to reduce the risk of infection, and safely remove jagged edges from cracked toenails so they can regrow properly. While you may need medicine to treat a fungal toenail infection, medical pedicures can be useful as well. Chiropodists can carefully reduce the thickness caused by the fungal infection, clean the nail and surrounding area, and provide additional guidance on how to wipe out the infection. Image source: iStock
June 19, 2023
Toenails serve a critical role in the health of our feet. They are are sensory organs that act like a shield, providing a critical layer of protection. The various parts of the toenail comprise toenail anatomy. These parts work together to protect the underlying tissues of the toe and aid in walking and other activities. Toenails may look like a singular unit, they're actually pretty complex. In this blog post, we'll dive into the structure and functions of the different parts of our toenail anatomy, providing a deeper understanding of this often-overlooked aspect of foot health. Nail plate The nail plate is the hard part of the nail and is comprised of a tough protective protein called alpha-keratin. Keratin adds strength and durability to the nail. The nail plate grows out from the nail matrix. It is translucent, and its colour can vary from white to yellowish-brown, depending on the thickness and the presence of underlying tissues. The end of the nail plate is part of the nail you trim away when clipping your toenails. Nail bed The nail bed is the skin under the nail. It nourishes and supports the nail. The nail bed is composed of blood vessels, nerves, and cells called melanocytes, all of which combine to produce the pigment that gives the nail its colour. When the nail bed is damaged, you may notice your toenail appears to change colour. For instance, your nail bed may produce a purple/darkish colour known as a black toenail, which occurs when the nail bed is damaged and pools blood. Nail matrix Did you know it takes roughly 18 months for a toenail to grow its entire length? This is thanks to the nail matrix, which helps dictate toenail growth. The nail matrix is the part of the nail bed that produces new nail cells. It is at the base of the nail plate, just beneath the cuticle. The nail matrix contains specialized cells called keratinocytes, which produce the protein that forms the nail plate. Lunula The lunula is the crescent-shaped white area at the base of the nail plate. It's the actively-growing component of the nail. The lunula is sometimes called the "half-moon" of the nail due to its curvature and half-ringed shape. Cuticle The cuticle is the thin skin layer covering the nail plate's base. It protects new nails from bacteria when they grow from the root, and also helps to keep the nail plate hydrated. Nail folds The nail folds are the skin folds surrounding the sides and base of the nail plate. They help to anchor the nail plate in place and provide support and protection to the surrounding tissues. Nail folds direct the nail growth in the correct direction and shape. When the nail folds are damaged, you may experience horizontal grooves across the nail, known as Beau's lines. Nail groove The nail groove separates the nail plate and the nail fold. It helps to direct water and debris away from the nail bed.
January 16, 2023
Fact: Your toenails can give you clues about your overall health. That's right, the state of your nails, including toenails, can indicate an underlying health condition. Conversely, healthy nails can be a sign of a healthy lifestyle. The state of our toenails can differ in a lot of ways. Toenails can splinter, thicken, thin, peel, dry out, break, and pit. Toenail pitting is the focus of this article. Below, you'll learn about toenail anatomy, the basics of pitting, signs, treatment methods, and preventative measures to keep your nails in good shape. Toenail anatomy Before we delve into the details of toenails and pitting, we must understand their anatomy and the part it plays for our feet. Toenails are the plate-like covers on our toes. Alpha-keratin, a type of protein, comprises toenails. Alpha-keratin is the same protein building block for hair and the outermost layer of our skin (the epidermis). Generally, the toenail is about 0.5 mm thick and slightly curved. The toenail consists of several distinct components. The toenail includes the nail plate, the cuticle, and the nail folds surrounding the nail's perimeter. The part referred to as the toenail colloquially is the "nail plate." What's toenail pitting? Pitting, by definition, is an indentation. Toenail pitting follows the same logic. Pitting of the nail occurs when tiny dents or "pits" form in the nail plate. Toenail pitting is a type of nail abnormality. Toenail indents can be shallow and only recognizable by touch. Deep toenail pits may be visible due to their concave nature. Within the grooves, some parts of the pitting may be deeper than others, just as there are deeper and shallow parts of a pit. Nail pitting is generally more common for fingernails, but toenails are also affected. What causes toenail pitting? There are several causes for toenail pitting. Toenail pitting reasons range from external trauma to an underlying medical condition. Learn about the various causes of toenail pitting below. Nail psoriasis Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory disease that can cause toenail pitting. Those with nail psoriasis produce too many skin cells, causing nail irregularities. According to Healthline.com, approximately 80% of those with psoriatic arthritis experience nail irregularities or changes. You may be able to recognize nail psoriasis because of two related symptoms: discolouration and nail bed separation. There are a few groups more likely to develop nail psoriasis. At-risk factors include: People who are over 40 (though psoriasis may occur at any age) Males Genetics Psoriatic arthritis According to a study published in the National Library of Medicine, psoriasis can cause toenail pits "remarkably even in size and depth. Their distribution may be haphazard or sometimes arranged in parallel transverse or short longitudinal lines." Though psoriasis is not curable, you can mask the effects of toenail pitting. You can buff or apply nail polish to hide the indents and improve the aesthetic. Nail eczema Eczema is a condition that causes itchy and red skin. The disease can cause nail thickening or pitting when eczema targets the feet. Habit-tic deformity Habit-tic deformity on the fingernail. The habit-tic deformity is a nail condition similar to toenail pitting with several differences. When you constantly pick at your nails, external trauma can create pits in your nail. The habit-tic deformity is most common on the fingernails, specifically the thumbs, but it can also happen on your toenails. For instance, if you sit cross-legged or have your feet at arm's reach, you may develop a habit of picking at your toenails. The defining features of habit-tic deformity are horizontal ridges across the nail and a slight depression in the middle of the nail plate. The habit-tic deformity is not severe and typically heals if left alone. The condition is known as "washboard nails" because of the horizontal nail ridges. Reiter's syndrome/reactive arthritis Those with reactive arthritis may experience toenail pitting. An infection or bacterial infection elsewhere in the body can cause reactive arthritis, also known as Reiter's syndrome. People with a specific type of gene are more likely to develop the condition, as it's believed to be genetic. How do you fix nail pitting? Toenail pitting fixes vary. In some cases, like psoriasis, there is no cure. Cosmetic procedures are an option to mask the effects. Removing external trauma can help reverse toenail pitting in cases like a habit-tic deformity. Additional treatment options include medication applied to the nail itself. Options include steroids, salicylic acid, calcipotriol, cyanoacrylate adhesive (for the habit-tic deformity) and tazarotene. Is nail pitting serious? In most cases, nail pitting as a symptom isn't severe. Nail pitting is more often a cosmetic issue than a medical issue. However, the underlying conditions that cause toenail pitting can vary in severity.
October 20, 2022
Toenails aren't always something we pay attention to. They're hidden in our shoes all day long, and when we relax, we can often forget about our feet. But when we notice curled toenails or pincer nails, it's a whole new ball game. When our toenails curl upward or downward, it can cause a lot of insecurity and self-consciousness. It can be a perplexing condition that occurs alongside other worrisome traits, and they just aren't what healthy toenails should look like. The slight glimmer of good news is that curled nails don't just occur for no reason. You, your foot care specialist and your family doctor will be able to determine the cause by zeroing in on the additional symptoms. From that point, you can follow a treatment plan to address your curled toenails and your condition. Here are some common reasons for curled toenails: Fungal infections Autoimmune disease Medications Diabetic toenail Genetics The Connection Between Curled Toenails and Ingrown Toenails Curled toenails are almost always ingrown, and both conditions arise from the same causes. The growth pattern of an ingrown toenail causes it to curve over time, often curling inward along the sides of the toe (usually the big toe). Eventually, the curled toenail pierces the skin and starts to grow into the skin, causing tenderness, redness, and swelling. Fungal Infections Curved toenails can result from fungal infections. Onychomycosis is usually associated with a curling shape in the nails. Other symptoms include dry toenails, a greenish-yellow tint in the nails, thickening and total separation from the nail bed. Fungal infections resulting in curled toenails usually arise in older people suffering from peripheral vascular disease and diabetes. Having a chronic immunological illness can also be a risk factor. It's difficult to treat toenail fungus at home, so you should help from a specialist. Patients may take oral prescription anti-fungal pills for 12 weeks. A total nail avulsion performed by a foot specialist may be required in severe cases. Autoimmune Disease As we've mentioned, autoimmune conditions can degrade once healthy toenails in addition to curling them. One example is nail psoriasis, which can completely alter your toenails' structure, colour and texture. Your nails can turn yellow or brown, and tiny red spots may even form. The toenail may also hurt, and grooves and ridges appear. The pain stems from debris formation that alters the direction the nail grows in. Medications like corticosteroids (injections or potent oral medicines) and tazarotene (for tackling the nail shape) can be particularly useful in treating nail psoriasis. Medications The culprit behind your strangely shaped toenails could be drug-induced nail disease. This phenomenon usually causes pain and discomfort in addition to a drastic change in the nail's shape and colour, and nails become more brittle. Countless drugs can cause curled toenails. Chemotherapy drugs, lithium and antibiotics are just a handful of examples. Diabetic Toenails A curved toenail may result from diabetes-related onychogryphosis, or "ram horn," when nails take on a severely curled and thickened appearance. There are also several other variations of diabetic curled toenails. People with diabetes frequently neglect to cut their toenails because of the shame associated with the complications of their disease, but diabetic nail care should be a top concern. Diabetic toenails can ultimately lead to irreversible damage like foot ulcerations, skin breakdown and severe infections (even gangrene). Genetics Families can pass down certain characteristics that contribute to curled toenails. Factors such as the shape of the nail, the amount of skin surrounding the nail, and even the shape of your toes can be hereditary, making you genetically prone to toenail growth issues. So if you're struggling to understand why you have this recurring problem, it may be a good idea to compare symptoms with your close family. Remember, you can combat toenail conditions by taking the proper precautions, even when genetics are at play. Be sure to wear properly fitted footwear, take care of your nails, and prevent damage at all costs. How to Fix Curved Toenails It's not about fixing the curled toenails; it's about management. Frequently, curled toenails occur alongside another condition, so you may not be able to get rid of them entirely. Managing your curled toenails involves monitoring them around the clock and the proper nail care. You can figure out a system to help you cope and keep your nails as healthy as possible. Nail and Foot Care If you aren't sure how to properly cut curled toenails, don't try to do it yourself. Instead, seek help from a trusted chiropodist or partake in medical pedicures. If you do it yourself without the right knowledge, you are putting yourself at risk of developing an ingrown toenail. Generally, it's crucial to keep your nails short and clean regularly. You should also use a file to keep your toenail edges smooth and use moisturizers for the cuticles. Since pincer nails are usually ingrown, you'll want to take extra care and prevent painful, recurring ingrown nails. Wear shoes that fit correctly and leave ample space in the toe box. While everybody should adhere to these guidelines, those struggling with curled toenails must be extra vigilant. OnyFix OnyFix is a new, revolutionary, and pain-free way to treat ingrown and curled toenails. Performed by a chiropodist, the non-invasive procedure corrects the natural growth pattern of your toenails, so the experience isn't just a quick fix. Chiropodists correct the nail growth path by using a composite material in the shape of a thin band. After applying it to the top of the nail, it ensures the rest of the nail grows in a straight direction. With OnyFix, you can enjoy a future without nail issues and relatively instant pain relief (usually noticeable soon after treatment).
October 6, 2022
It's no mystery when you have a stubbed toe. It usually results from a sudden hit or jam into furniture or another foreign object. Tripping over something or getting your toe stuck can also cause this painful nuisance. The sudden pain from a stubbed toe can be both alarming and momentarily debilitating. While most stubbed toes come and go, it's important to look for signs of a more serious injury and how you can relieve it. Stubbed Toe: What to Look Out For Since stubbed toes are so common, most people assume that they don't cause complications or can't be serious. However, stubbed toes can range in severity. It's even possible to confuse a broken toe for a stubbed toe. Here are some signs to pay attention to: If your stubbed toe is turning purple: Internal bleeding under a stubbed toenail can cause bruising and blood pooling, or a subungual hematoma. Typically, a purple or blueish tint in a stubbed toe will go away. But if it doesn't go away within a few days or the colouring spreads, you may have a broken toe. If you've stubbed your pinky toe: Your pinky toe is more vulnerable than its counterparts since its placement and small size leave it more susceptible to injury. Despite this, you should follow the same steps to healing your pinky toe as any other toes. Stubbed toe and nail damage: Sometimes, stubbing your toe can lead to a cracked toenail. The sudden impact to the toenail may also be enough to break deep into the nail plate and cause bleeding. It may be painful and difficult to walk for a while as the broken portion of the nail regrows. It's important to pay close attention to an open, externally bleeding toenail as it is vulnerable to infection. Stubbed toe vs. broken toe: If you notice discolouration and pain that does not subside, deformity, and stiffness, you may have broken your toe. Swelling and difficulty walking: See a doctor or foot specialist if you notice swelling and an inability to put weight on your foot. How to Relieve a Stubbed Toe: Stubbed Toe Treatment To prevent stubbed toes as much as possible, wear orthopedic slippers or other footwear indoors. Going barefoot at home is second nature for many of us, but protective footwear can prevent many minor injuries. The RICE method is one of the most effective ways to handle sudden minor injuries. Rest: If the pain from your stubbed toe is lingering, stop physical activity and rest your foot. Many healthcare professionals suggest staying off your toe for at least 48 hours. Ice: Applying ice to the toe can reduce pain and swelling. Compression: Light compression also reduces pain and swelling. Try using a medical bandage or gauze. Elevation: Raising your foot can reduce swelling, pain and throbbing. You can easily elevate your foot by stacking a few pillows on top of each other and placing your foot on top of them while laying down. You can try nonprescription medication, like Ibuprofen to help relieve throbbing pain. Additionally, if you have a cracked toenail, you can try soaking it in an Epsom salt foot bath. If you're concerned about the severity of your stubbed toe, you can schedule an appointment with a chiropodist. They may be able to tape your toe, so it heals faster. Furthermore, they can determine if your toe is broken during a thorough foot assessment. If your chiropodist suspects a toe fracture, they may suggest x-rays. How Long Does a Stubbed Toe Take to Heal? In many cases, your toe will be momentarily painful but quickly feel better. If the impact pain is excruciating, use the RICE method. See a foot specialist or your doctor if the pain doesn't subside within several hours. If you have a toe fracture, the average recovery time is 4-6 weeks.
