What to do if your toenails become thick and hard. Why thickening of toenails occurs: causes and treatment Toenails are thick and white

Healthy nails have a pink color and a characteristic glossy shine. Any changes in these indicators (the appearance of peeling, thickening and deformation) can indicate the development of dangerous internal pathologies. Therefore, it is so important to know how to react to their appearance, which doctor to contact to solve the indicated problem.

Symptoms of thickening on the legs

Normally, the thickness of the fingernails and toenails should not differ much. The functional size of the toenail plate rarely exceeds two millimeters. A simple test allows you to determine the normal parameters: the process of cutting off overgrown areas using scissors should not cause much effort. The plate itself should have a transparent pink color and gloss.

Its thickening causes, first of all, a change in color. A yellow tint appears. Further, the transformation can take different forms: much depends on what caused the pathological changes.

Possible reasons for increased nail thickness

Thickening of toenails, its causes and treatment are interrelated phenomena, so doctors pay special attention to carefully collecting a history of the disease. Various provoking factors contribute to the formation of different facets of the manifestation of nail thickening. A clear picture of possible clinical manifestations is presented in the following table.

Classification of cause-and-effect factors according to pathological characteristics	Processes that can cause thickening of the big toe nail	Symptoms
Pathological
Fungal infection	Various fungi can cause the disease. Some are part of the opportunistic skin flora; they are activated with a sharp decrease in general or local immunity. Spores of other pathogens are found on the floor in public saunas, baths, swimming pools, and inside the shoes of a sick person. Infection occurs when personal hygiene rules are not followed.	First, white spots or yellow vertical stripes appear in the thickness of the nail plates; the infected plate thickens, acquires a dirty yellow color, exfoliates and crumbles. A white coating appears on the skin around the nail, and the patient is bothered by severe itching and burning. They intensify upon contact with hot water
Skin diseases (psoriasis)	A complex non-infectious chronic disease, the causes of its development are not fully understood	The edge of the nail plate thickens and bends, becoming like a hook. The color becomes cloudy, grooves and pinpoint depressions appear on the surface of the nail. If capillaries are damaged, hematomas are formed
Bacterial infections in the chronic stage (syphilis, tuberculosis)	The nails become much thicker, they crumble, acquire a dirty gray color, jagged edges appear, and over time the nail peels off from the bed on the side edges. Ingrowths, changes in shape, and the appearance of lifeless growths are possible. Thickness increases over the entire area
Problems with the endocrine system	Hormonal disruptions occur that cause a variety of changes within the human body. Nails thicken for various reasons. This may be a lack of zinc or iron, a violation of the ratio of phosphorus and calcium, or carbohydrate metabolism. All these processes are controlled by the endocrine system	Change in color (nails turn yellow), dullness, increase in thickness of the tip of the plate, appearance of grooves, loss of shine
Neuropathy	The nerves of the lower extremities are damaged, motor disorders, vegetative-trophic dysfunctions, and sensory disorders appear	Symptoms are either rapid or they develop gradually. Their formation provokes a lack of tissue nutrition. Therefore, swelling appears, the skin changes color, hair falls out, the nail plates thicken and become brittle.
Avitaminosis	Lack of vitamins directly affects the health of nails: they provide nutrition to the stratum corneum	Thickening of nails is caused by a lack of vitamin A. It is this that maintains the strength of the plates, their smoothness and shine
Non-pathological
Wearing tight shoes	Constantly wearing shoes that compress the feet and expose the toes to constant pressure leads to the fact that the nail plates of the big toe seem to grind down. As a result, regeneration processes are accelerated: new cells of the stratum corneum grow faster; they do this not by protruding beyond the nail bed, but by growing upward. In this way, a shell is formed, which increases the thickness of the nail plate.	The nails become dense, longitudinal lines form on them, and the edges become covered with cracks.
Physical or chemical injuries	Physical injuries often occur due to direct physical impact (a blow, for example), while wearing tight shoes. She presses on the plate. To prevent the development of more dangerous complications, the body itself strives to respond to the problem by thickening the stratum corneum. Chemical injuries occur due to the use of low-quality cosmetics or careless use of household chemicals.	Thickening of the nail occurs against a background of severe pain
Elderly age	With age, all processes occurring in the body slow down, immunity decreases, an elderly person has a history of a whole bunch of chronic diseases, their sluggish nature negatively affects the condition of the nails	The nail plate is thick, strong, and difficult to cut with ordinary scissors.
Nicotine	Smoking with experience causes circulatory problems, which negatively affects the condition of nails	The color changes, the nail becomes dirty gray, its edge thickens

Differential diagnosis

To eliminate the problem described, you need to contact a dermatologist. Even a professional pedicure will not get rid of it. It is necessary to undergo a full examination and find out the reasons for the change in nail thickness. Only eliminating them will help restore healthy appearance toes

At the first examination, the doctor collects an anamnesis of the disease and scrapes the damaged area. The biological material obtained in this way is sent for microscopic examination. It allows you to confirm or refute the presence of a fungal infection and identify the causative agent of the infection.

The presence of accompanying symptoms may suggest which other specialist should be involved in the diagnosis and what additional laboratory tests should be performed to determine the factors behind the increase in the thickness of the toenails.

Drug treatment for thickened nails

Treatment regimens are developed based on laboratory test transcripts.

If a fungal infection is confirmed, complex therapy is drawn up.

taking systemic antifungal drugs (“Mikozoral”, “Binafin”, “Orungal” - the choice of a specific drug is made after identifying the causative agent of the infection);
the use of products intended for local treatment (they must contain active substances that can stop the proliferation of the fungus);
use of traditional medicine;
physiotherapy procedures.

Treatment of fungal infections is long-term; its effectiveness directly depends on how strictly the patient follows the doctor’s instructions.

If the thickening of the nail is caused by injury, no special drug therapy is required: the nail will recover itself over time.

When thickening of the nail plate is caused by a disease of the internal organs, patients are advised to seek help from their attending physician and work with him to develop treatment tactics.

Traditional medicine recipes

There are many recipes that can be used to eliminate this problem.

Here is a list of the most popular of them:

Fresh lemon juice helps lighten thickened nails. A few drops are applied directly to the plate and rubbed into it. It is advisable to carry out this procedure no more than twice a week.
Baths with sea salt allow you to strengthen your nails and nourish them with beneficial microelements. To carry them out, it is necessary to choose a comfortable water temperature (36 degrees, no more), the duration of the procedure should not exceed 20 minutes, after the bath it is advisable to dry your feet with disposable napkins, and then treat the skin of your feet and nail plates with softening or medicinal creams and ointments.
You can fight pathogenic microorganisms with apple cider vinegar baths. The product is mixed with warm water in equal proportions. It is necessary to perform finger bathing in the prepared liquid three times a day. The duration of the procedure is fifteen minutes.
Baths with a decoction of milkweed help improve the condition of a thickened nail. It is important to take them within twenty minutes, then your feet should dry naturally.
A decoction of St. John's wort has an excellent antiseptic effect. Baths can be replaced by rubbing juice made from a fresh plant.
You can calm inflammation and reduce the number of fungal spores using a compress with a cut aloe leaf.
A mask made from fresh aloe juice (15 grams), two teaspoons of crushed fresh chamomile leaves and a spoon of nourishing face cream has a pronounced strengthening effect. All ingredients are mixed to form a mass that must be applied to the phalanx of the sore finger and left for at least three hours.
Celandine juice also helps fight fungal infections. It is easy to isolate by refracting the stem of a fresh plant. Directly from there, squeeze out as many drops as you need onto the affected plate and rub the juice into the nail. If treatment is carried out in the winter, you can replace fresh juice with celandine oil.
An ointment made from aloe juice, onions, garlic, fresh butter and beeswax helps to cope with all the problems that can be caused by thickening of nails. All ingredients are taken in equal quantities (50 grams each), the resulting mass is heated in a water bath (it must be heated until the oil and wax have completely melted). Afterwards, cool and use for rubbing into a thickened plate. The ointment is applied in a thick layer, covered with a cabbage leaf on top, secured with a bandage and left overnight.

The use of these drugs without the use of drug therapy may be ineffective, therefore traditional treatment should be part of a comprehensive treatment.

Ways to prevent deformation of the nail plate

It is better to prevent any defect than to treat it. To prevent thickening of the nail plates, experts recommend following certain rules.

Regularly take water treatments, use products that can prevent the proliferation of pathogenic microorganisms.
At the first symptoms of a fungal infection, apply antifungal ointment and make an appointment with a dermatologist.
After each wash, treat the toenail plates with any emollient cream, oil vitamin or olive oil.
Make masks during the fresh fruit season.
Once a week, soak your feet in herbal decoctions made from herbs that have antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties (chamomile, St. John's wort, oak bark).
Refuse to use other people's towels and wear other people's shoes.
You cannot try on new shoes on bare feet, you cannot walk barefoot in public baths and swimming pools.
It is useful to refuse to wear tight, uncomfortable pairs of shoes or boots; experts recommend purchasing only those shoes that are made from natural materials.
You need to change your socks every day.

High sweating of the feet creates favorable conditions for the proliferation of fungal diseases. To prevent them, it is useful to use traditional medicine or medications prescribed by a doctor for preventive purposes.

Huge yellow or black nails on the hands and feet that resemble animal claws are not a very pleasant sight. They can be so hard that they cannot be cut off, they disfigure legs, and cause horror in people. Thick nails are so hard that they cannot be cut with scissors. Summer shoes are becoming unavailable. For women, this is generally a tragedy. They don’t know what to do about it, panic and hysteria begin.

Why did the nail plate on the big toe of each foot change its structure and become thicker? Thickening and changing color of nails can provoke various diseases.

Causes and symptoms of thickening:

1.The most common reason for this problem is fungus. The symptoms of fungus are very easy to recognize, as the toes begin to itch first.

An unpleasant odor emanates from the feet and the appearance of the nails deteriorates. It is easy to catch this disease. While visiting beauty salons, gym, solarium, swimming pool. More careless is wearing someone else's shoes. What to do if the nail on your big toe has turned slightly yellow and thicker?

The fungus can be easily treated with such a remedy as Cream-Zdorov. Even if you don’t have a fungus, it won’t cause any harm, and prevention won’t hurt. More details here

2.Lymphatic circulation disorder is the second reason for this problem. It usually affects the toenails. Elephantiasis of the feet disrupts the uniform supply of nutrients, because the toes experience hypoxia, the nail plate becomes much thicker, and then darkens.

Thickening and yellowing of the nail

3.This trouble can be caused by diabetes. During the course of this disease, the blood supply is disrupted, the nail on the big toe experiences a lack of nutrients, becomes thicker, and its color and structure change.

4.Endocrine diseases, change the color and thickness of the nail plate. When the endocrine system is disrupted, the normal production of hormones is disrupted. Some are produced in excess, others, on the contrary, are not enough. If there are not enough hormones responsible for the growth and health of nails, then they become thick and change color.

5. Liver diseases, often lead to this problem. Seals, yellowness, roughness, grooves on the nails are one of the signs of liver disease.

6.Cardiac ischemia, leads to cessation of blood circulation, which causes the entire body to suffer, including the nails. They become very thick and acquire a yellow-gray tint.

7. Nervous system disease neuropathy is a complication of diabetes mellitus. The peripheral type of this disease leads to decreased sensitivity of the lower extremities; they are more susceptible to dryness than other parts of the body. You need to watch every nail. If it changes color and becomes thicker, then you should definitely visit a dermatologist.

Fungus on the nail

8. It happens that yellow and thick nails on a person’s feet or hands are a congenital feature. Disturbance of normal blood circulation leads to the fact that they turn yellow and thicken. This disease is called - onychogryphosis.

8. Because lack of vitamin B and calcium, toenails turn yellow, become streaky, and become thicker.

9. The nail on the big toe became painful and yellow, it’s all to blame wearing tight, uncomfortable shoes. In addition to yellowness, it may have blue and black spots. Over time, the nail falls away from the skin. To ensure your new nail grows healthy, you need to wear comfortable shoes.

10. Old age. In people who have passed the age of sixty, their fingernails and toenails become thicker. This is more likely due to the fact that older people suffer from one of the above diseases, or metabolic disorders.

All these causes can be successfully treated. In order for each of the nails to become healthy again, there are folk remedies, as well as modern medicine.

Folk remedies for thickening of nails:

Before doing baths and compresses, it is worth remembering that not all diseases can be cured. folk remedies. Traditional methods usually treat nail plate fungus.
Apple vinegar along with potassium permanganate, it is added to the water in which you wash your feet. Such baths need to be done for exactly a week to restore a healthy appearance to your nails.
Tea tree oil– a good remedy for fungus. Treatment: you need to smear yellowed toenails every day.
Herbal collection, consisting of horsetail, oak bark and calendula, is successfully used for baths, has a quick and long-lasting effect.
Garlic– a product known for its antibacterial effect. In order to fight fungal diseases, garlic must be mixed with alcohol to make a tincture, then wipe your feet with it two to three times a day.
For a good effect, it is better to use two methods of treatment at once. For example, first take a bath, then smear your nails with oil.

After taking baths, you need to treat your steamed toenails with oil.
To treat internal causes use:
ivy leaves, filled with a liter of vodka or alcohol. They are first insisted for three days, then take one tablespoon per day. This helps normalize the functioning of the endocrine system.

Wild clove tea cleanses the blood and normalizes the functioning of the adrenal glands. It is an excellent remedy for treating many diseases, but this type of clove grows only in France.

If the nail has become thicker due to a violation of the outflow of lymph, then it is treated plantain decoction. Making a decoction is very simple. You need to pour one hundred grams of dried plantain leaves with a liter of water, bring to a boil, then simmer over low heat for another ten minutes. You need to take three tablespoons per day.

You can also mix crushed garlic with honey and take it three times a day.
For some liver diseases, people are treated with fasting, or a special diet, and an herb called milk thistle, which must be taken before each meal. After a month of treatment, the liver is cleansed and the signs of the disease disappear.

The worst thing is when this problem is congenital, then treatment is required constantly.
Congenital thickening can be treated with kombucha. Before applying the compress, you need to steam your feet, then treat each nail with kombucha for 8-12 hours.

At the initial stage of onychogryphosis, the steamed nail plate is treated lavender oil. This treatment is good for prevention (until the nail becomes thick). If the nail plate on your toes has already hardened and taken on a sharp shape, it is better to consult a doctor.

Gives a good effect aloe leaf compress.

A congenital disease does not mean that a person has this shape and color of nails. Usually they become thicker due to a lack of nutrients or some problems with the internal organs. Therefore, you must first identify and eliminate the cause. Treatment with folk remedies is good, but not always effective.

Diagnosis and treatment of thickened nails

Before starting treatment, you need to identify the exact cause, and not guess it, self-medicating and wasting time.

To do this, you need to contact a dermatologist and get a referral from him for the appropriate tests. After passing all the tests, when the reason becomes known. You may have to change your doctor. A thick nail, or rather a small piece of it, is taken for analysis.
Thickening of the nails, which appears due to fungus, lymphostasis, and lack of essential vitamins, can be treated with folk remedies. But if the thickening occurs due to liver disease, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, diseases of the nervous system, it is better to treat them using the methods prescribed by the doctor.

Hello, dear friends.

Healthy and beautiful toenails are the same indispensable element of the image of a modern person as beautiful hair and a snow-white smile, this is especially true in the summer, when we wear open shoes. But it happens that over time, toenails become thick and hard, change color and structure, bend, crumble and even curl.

This disease is called subungual hyperkeratosis or onychauxis. It is difficult to hide such a cosmetic defect; besides, thickening of the toenails (and in 95% of cases this is exactly the case) brings great inconvenience to the owner, and often pain.

This problem requires careful and rather long-term treatment, the choice of which depends on the cause of the hardening of the nails.

Have questions about skin and hair care? Ask a question and we will definitely answer.Ask a question

Why do toenails become thick?

There are several reasons for thickening of nails:

the most common is onychomycosis, which we know as nail fungus - in the photo there are nails infected with this unpleasant infection;

Nails affected by fungus

nails become hard and thick with lichen planus, eczema, psoriasis;
Nails also become coarser and yellow with age - in older people, regardless of the quality of care, nails change structure and become thicker due to impaired blood supply to the nail bed;
another reason for thickening of nails is narrow and uncomfortable shoes, and the quality of the nail plate can be ruined not only in an adult, but also in a child who is forced to wear small-sized shoes;

Deformation of toenails due to uncomfortable shoes

the consequences of injuries, as well as prolonged contact with water and chemicals, cause thickening of toenails;
with flat feet, the structure of the toenails is very often disrupted, primarily due to the fact that it is difficult to choose the right shoes;
nails thicken, peel and break off, also with a number of chronic diseases related to metabolism: anemia, diabetes, allergic reactions.

Thick toenails - what to do?

Treatment for thickened nails depends on the cause of this defect. First of all, we need to eliminate it. That is, if the nails are thickened due to a fungus, then it needs to be cured.

The fastest and effective method– use of modern drugs such as Stop Active, or Miconazole and analogues. A more gentle method is to use tea tree oil.

And if you have flat feet, you need to, with the help of an orthopedic doctor, choose special shoes that will prevent your nails from being injured when walking.

In any case, it is very advisable to consult a doctor, since nails can determine the onset of some serious illness, the symptoms of which have not yet appeared.

Foot baths

At home, you should try to soften your nails using folk remedies. The choice of method also depends on the cause of the roughening of the nail plates. The most effective remedy is medicinal baths. General rules such:

the water should be at a comfortable temperature – 36-38 degrees;
long bath – 15-20 minutes;
after it is carried out, you need to dry your feet thoroughly and preferably with disposable napkins, so as not to spread the infection to healthy nails;
after drying, the feet should be treated with a softening or healing cream, or better yet, with a special product for restoring nails, Fito Nails System;
a very effective treatment of nail plates with lemon “butt” (no pulp, just white zest).

Important point! If you don’t know how to soften rough nails, you don’t need to make saline solutions (including sea salt), as they, on the contrary, strengthen the nails.

Nail bath recipes

With essential oils

For baths, add 10 drops of one of the following essential oils to 5 liters of warm water:

orange,
pink,
lemon,
lavender,
fir,
juniper.

In addition to the softening effect, these oils have a pronounced bactericidal effect and will help defeat infection on the feet, if any. Oils can be combined, then take 5 drops of each.

With lemon juice

Lemon juice baths can only be used for diseases when the skin between the toes and on the foot is not damaged, otherwise there will be a strong burning sensation, and areas damaged by the fungus may ulcerate. Lemon juice should be taken no more than 50 grams (2 tablespoons) per 5 liters of water.

With herbs

To soften nails, you can use strong decoctions of medicinal plants such as chamomile, mint, nettle and calendula. For 5 liters of water you can brew up to 100 grams of dry matter or up to 300 grams of fresh herbs. Leave for at least an hour, and then heat to a comfortable temperature.

A very good result is obtained by string - a grass that is used for bathing infants. Such otherwise very useful plants as thyme, sage, wheatgrass, oak bark, and linden blossom are absolutely not suitable.

Bath with milkweed infusion

This plant is poisonous, but very effective in softening nails. You need to take 1 tablespoon of fresh milkweed grass, chop it so that a lot of juice comes out and pour in 50 grams of vodka.

Infuse for a day in a dark place, then pour the infusion into warm water to soak your feet. The duration of the procedure is 10 minutes.

Bath with celandine juice

This remedy cannot be used for fungal nail infections, since the colored celandine juice penetrates deeply into the damaged structures of the plate and causes internal burns.

But for traumatic thickening of the plate, a bath with celandine juice - 1 tablespoon per 2 liters of water (or a glass of dry herb decoction) will be very effective.

True, in this case the nails will turn yellow-orange, but this will fade quickly - within a day they will return to their normal color.

Bath with tar soap

An excellent softener and disinfectant. We recommend using it for fungal and other infectious lesions of the feet.

Buy tar soap (it is sold in pharmacies), grate about a quarter of a bar on a coarse grater. Next, dilute it in a small amount of warm water.

The duration of the bath is up to 20 minutes, you need to add hot water so as not to catch a cold.

With flaxseed infusion

Take two tablespoons of flaxseed and add a liter of boiling water. Let it brew for 2-3 hours and pour, without straining, directly into the water.

The seeds themselves can be used to massage the skin between your toes and feet, which will soften the skin. This is a very effective folk remedy for softening thick and ingrown nails.

Bath with ammonia

This option allows you to prepare even very thick nails for cutting, but the smell! Of course, it is quite difficult to withstand the strong aroma of ammonia and it will be heard in the house for several more hours.

And if you decide on such a procedure, then for each liter of warm water you need to take 10 drops of pharmaceutical ammonia.

Compresses for softening the nail plate on the toes

This type of compress is even more useful for thickening nails, but they have one drawback - the procedure takes a long time. It takes 8-12 hours to achieve maximum effect. Therefore, it is best to do compresses at night, and in the morning the nails will become much softer and, if necessary, they will be easy to trim.

Aloe leaf (or calisia, which we call golden mustache) should be crushed to form a paste and applied to the affected nails. Wrap everything on top with polyethylene and put on a sock.

Cut fresh ripe pumpkin into slices about 0.5 cm thick and tie tightly to the nail plates. By the way, pumpkin gives up its moisture so much that it practically dries out on the nails.

Grate raw potatoes on a fine grater and add a little olive or any other vegetable oil and cover the nail with this mixture. The result will definitely please you. By the way, this paste can also be used to treat cracked heels.

Complex but very useful recipe

The composition can be prepared several times in advance and stored in the refrigerator in a tightly closed bottle. To do this, add 10 ml of iodine and 10 ml of vinegar essence to 10 ml of glycerin. Then shake it all vigorously and pour in 50 ml of water.

Before each use, everything must be shaken very vigorously and carefully, without touching the skin, applied to the nail. It is best to do this with a brush that is used to apply the varnish. After this, immediately attach a medical plaster to the nail.

Cut the mushroom into plastic pieces half a centimeter thick and the size of a fingernail and bandage them tightly overnight.

Boil the potato, mash it and when it has cooled to a warm state, mix it with a teaspoon of honey. Lubricate your nails and put thick socks on your feet.

Take a tablespoon of potato or corn starch and any vegetable oil, make a porridge and apply a thick layer to your nails. There is no need to wrap it in plastic or a bandage, but only protect your feet so as not to rub off the compress. You can just bandage your fingers. In the morning, rinse thoroughly with hot water and apply softening hand cream to your nails. Just a few procedures and your nails will be as good as new.

Rendered and cooled pork fat is an excellent tenderizer. They just need to apply polish to their nails, put on socks and go to bed. You can wash it off with warm water and regular soap.

Cut small onions in half and bake in the oven until softened. When it has cooled to a comfortable temperature, apply tightly to the nails and bandage. By the way, if you have calluses and calluses, at the same time, bandage them too. Soon you will forget about thick nails and problems with the skin of your feet.

Super ointment for nails “7 Days”

Don’t be lazy – prepare this ointment and use it daily before bed. In a week, your nails will be renewed, soft and elastic, like a child’s. To make it you need to take 50 grams of each ingredient:

aloe leaf;
regular onions;
garlic;
fresh butter with a fat content of more than 82%;
beeswax (sold at the market by those who sell honey);

Pass the onion, garlic and aloe through a meat grinder (or chop with a blender), mix well, add oil and wax and place in a water bath.

When the butter and wax melt, stirring, bring the mixture to a boil, let it simmer for 1-2 minutes, pour into a storage container and cool. Keep refrigerated.

Apply a thick layer to the nail plate, attach pieces of cabbage leaf on top (the not very dense part) and bandage each finger tightly. A course of procedures can be carried out periodically as a preventive measure and to improve nail health.

How to Trim Thick Toenails

This seemingly simple procedure can become very problematic, especially for older people who find it difficult to bend over or do not have the strength to split a dense nail plate.

Naturally, the nails will have to be softened first. You can use one of the recipes for baths or compresses described above. Or buy a ready-made softener at the pharmacy - that’s what it’s called. Add to hot water according to instructions and keep for at least 20 minutes.

For cutting, it is best to use nail clippers, since ordinary nail scissors often cannot “tackle” very thick nails. It happens that it is difficult to cope with wire cutters on your own.

In these cases, we will offer you, maybe not very attractive, but effective way. Try using the chicken scissors found in kitchen knife sets. They are designed for cutting bones and can easily handle even very thick nails, and even more so after softening. In order not to embarrass your relatives, buy yourself separate ones and that’s it.

Important! If you have problems with your nails, you should stop using polish and gel, as the nails under them do not breathe and the disease will worsen, making it impossible to hide it.

Prevention and care of toenails

The best option is to regularly perform professional pedicure procedures. But, unfortunately, not many women, not to mention men, can afford this pleasure. Some because of the rather high price of these cosmetic services, others only because there are no specialists where they live.

Those who have mastered this difficult science on their own have virtually no problems with nails. We advise others to regularly perform the following preventive minimum:

wash your feet every day in summer, every other day in winter;
after each wash, treat each nail - lubricate with baby or softening cream, vitamin in oil, olive or sunflower oil;
during the season, sometimes make “masks” for your nails: from strawberries, other berries, bananas;
take foot baths with herbal infusions at least 1-2 times a week;
At the first suspicion of a fungus, apply medicinal ointment.

Such simple care will allow you to keep your nails in good health, and if something goes wrong, you will notice and fix the problem in time.

The condition of the toenails can serve as a fairly clear indicator of the internal state of the body and the functioning of the internal organs. That is why it is important to pay attention to the color and appearance of your nail plates, as well as their density and other factors. Any deviation from the norm in this area can be a symptom of serious health problems. Thickening of the toenails or fingernails is one such abnormality and can have a variety of causes.

Fungus

One of the most common diseases, a symptom of which is thickening of the nail, is mycotic infection, or, more simply, nail fungus. Typically, thickening of the nail plate appears in the second stage of the disease. And although the first symptoms appear much earlier, they are so subtle and insignificant that many people consult a doctor precisely at the second stage of the infection.

At the first stage of the disease, redness and peeling of the skin around the plate appears. The nail itself becomes brittle and loose. Symptoms come and go and are often ignored. Thickening is a permanent symptom, followed by yellowing of the nail and its detachment from the nail bed.

The fungus is incredibly contagious and is spread from person to person on flakes of microscopic flakes of skin. They can be found in water and on surfaces that a sick person has walked on barefoot. These pathogens survive both in conditions of maximum heating and maximum cooling, and therefore only aggressive acids can kill them. The likelihood of infection increases if there are injuries and damage to your feet, since through them it is easier for bacteria to enter the bloodstream.

Only the body’s own immunity protects against this disease. Thus, people with a low immune status are at increased risk of infection - pregnant and lactating women, the elderly, teenagers and children, HIV-positive people, etc. Most probable places infections are in gyms (when using showers), swimming pools, saunas, solariums, etc. Slides are not able to protect against infection, since they do not completely cover the foot and nails from water containing pathogenic bacteria. If you have a thick toenail for this reason, then treatment must be started immediately.

Diet

Also often the reason why the nails on the toes and sometimes the hands become thicker is an incorrect or unbalanced diet. Not only a lack of vitamins can cause this problem, but also a sharp change in the usual diet to something else, even if it is balanced and healthy. Such disorders cause a general imbalance in the body, and therefore affect all its components, including the nails.

Both a deficiency and an excess of a particular vitamin or microelement can cause thickening. But most often, any deviations from the norm on the plates are observed precisely due to a lack of certain substances. Thus, in order for nails to be normal, it is very important to consume the required amount of calcium (along with vitamin D, since without it it is not absorbed), iron and zinc. These substances are found in red meat, cheese, dairy and dairy products. The most essential vitamins are group B, A, E and C.

Treatment of toenails in this case consists of normalizing the vitamin and mineral balance, then the thickening will disappear. During the period of seasonal vitamin deficiency, for example, in the spring, it is worth taking additional vitamins in the form of complexes from the pharmacy. However, it is better if these drugs are prescribed by a doctor, because an excess of vitamins for the body is just as harmful as their deficiency. When it comes to nails, it can be argued that an excess of, for example, vitamin C causes cracking and weakening of the nail.

Mental condition

Thickening of toenails like the one in the photo can be caused by stress. Any mental stress has a complex detrimental effect on the entire body. Nails are no exception. They can present a whole range of problems. This may include delamination, fragility, weakening, deformation, etc., including thickening. Lack of sleep, stress, strong emotions over a long period of time - all this can cause thickening of the plates.

It is worth getting rid of the problem not only symptomatically, but also comprehensively. Try to review your daily schedule, make time for sleep and rest. During these periods, the body will be able to recover and relieve tension. As for nails, in this case you can get rid of thickenings using coarse polishing buffs. If the thickening is local, then file only this area, but if the entire nail is thickened, then file it completely.

Thickening of the fingernails and toenails that occurs for this reason may have a different appearance. These can be either local growths in the form of waves and tubercles, or complete thickening of the entire plate. There may even be several transverse grooves with depressions between them within one nail.

Diseases

Various diseases of the body and internal organs can also cause the toenails to thicken. Psoriasis often manifests itself in this way in the initial stages. However, along with thickening, the nail will show a noticeable change in color, increased looseness, and various deformations.

Problems with blood circulation and the activity of the cardiovascular system can also cause thickening of the nail. In this case, the nails may not only become thickened, but also turn blue and become deformed. The presence of such problems in the body can be determined by visual inspection of the fingertips. If they are not sufficiently supplied with blood, there will be a lack of oxygen, which means their skin will turn bluish.

Polykeratosis is a fairly rare genetic disease of the nail plate that is inherited. It is characterized by excessive formation of keratin. Because of this, the nails thicken, but do not become deformed, and may also change color, turn yellow or gray. Sometimes the color reaches dark gray and even almost black.

Your nail plates can become thick and loose for another, quite rare reason. This may occur as a result of damage to the nerves of the peripheral nervous system. Of course, if they are connected to limbs. This fact may also cause any other deformations and changes in the condition of the nail plates.

Thus, if you notice thick toenails, then treatment should be started immediately. Consult a doctor, because such manifestations may be symptoms of a serious illness.

lifenail.ru