In most cases, thick toenails are caused by a fungal infection, psoriasis, or aging. Depending on the cause, getting rid of thick toenails may involve:
- Fungal infection:
- Prescription creams or ointments
- Oral medications
- Removing the nail to treat the nail bed underneath
- Laser therapy
- Psoriasis: Medications such as topical steroids or injections may be prescribed to treat both the skin condition and the associated thickened nails.
- Aging: When thickened toenails are caused by aging, treatment involves buffing the rough surfaces to smooth their appearance.
What are symptoms of thick toenails?
Thick toenails can remain unnoticed in the early stages. However, as the condition worsens, several symptoms appear, including:
- Brittle, easy-to-break nails
- Bad odor from the nail
- Nails lift easily from the nail bed
- Cutting or trimming is difficult
- Cracking or splitting of the nail occurs easily
- Dirt and debris get under the nails
- Pain or discomfort can be felt
As toenails thicken over time, they may present with some scaling on the surface.
What causes thick toenails?
Onychomycosis
Toenail fungus or onychomycosis is one of the most common fungal infections that causes thick nails. Fungal infections tend to occur in toenails because they provide a warm, moist environment for fungus to grow, especially if you wear the same sweaty shoes or boots every day or work in wet conditions. It is also commonly seen in people with long-standing diabetes mellitus.
In the earlier stages, the fungus may only cause minor discoloration to the nail, but as the disease progresses, the nail can become hard and brittle. Later, as the infection becomes more severe, the thickened nail finally starts to split away from the nail bed. People with diabetes are at a higher risk of fungal infection.
Injury
Repeated microtrauma or injury to the toes can cause damage to toenails and result in their thickening over time. It often involves more than one toenail, and sometimes all of them.
This type of injury occurs most often to people who play sports such as soccer, but it can also be caused by wearing ill-fitting shoes.
Psoriasis
Psoriasis is an autoimmune disorder that causes diffuse red, scaly patches on the skin. It often presents with the thickening of both fingernails and toenails. With psoriasis, ridges may develop on the nails, and the nails may loosen and separate from the nail bed.
Paronychia
Paronychia is a skin condition that causes swelling and redness around the nail. With multiple infections, both fingernails and toenails can become thick.
Aging
As you age, your toenails may thicken and start forming ridges. This is because your body’s cells aren’t able to renew themselves as when you were younger.
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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Fungal Nail Infections. https://www.cdc.gov/fungal/nail-infections.html
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