Thickened nails aren’t usually harmful but they can be uncomfortable due to the pressure the nail places on the nail bed beneath. They can also be difficult to trim yourself and make finding comfortable footwear problematic. Thickened nails are usually caused by a one off trauma like stubbing a toe or repetitive trauma such as sport activities or poorly fitting footwear. Other causes can be due to fungal nails, age related, poor circulation, neglect, some skin conditions such as psoriasis and poor circulation. The big toe is most commonly affected and the toenail will appear thick and discoloured and may feel tender or bruised.
What can we do?
- Podiatrists can cut down and thin the nail to reduce discomfort, this needs to be done repetitively as the nail does grow back thick. So routine treatments will need to be continued.
- We can improve the appearance of the nail and relieve the pressure.
- If the nails have become thickened due to a fungal infection, we can use the methods shown under the fungal nail section on this website.
- Lacuna method can be used if a nail has fungal infection.
How to ease them
- Wear comfortable footwear.
- Soak feet in warm water for a few minutes to help soften the nail.
- Clean feet daily.
- Over the counter fungal treatments if the nail is infected.