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What You Should Know If Your Toenails Are Starting To Turn Thick And Yellow

19 April 2017

Tessa Jean

If you have taken your parent to a podiatrist to have his or her thick toenails clipped, you may start getting a little worried if your toenails begin to show signs of yellowing or thickening. A lot of seniors struggle with this problem; however, it can happen to anyone at any age. If you start seeing the signs that your toenails are beginning to change like this, the best thing you could do is go to a podiatrist for help. Here are a few important things you should know about yellow, thick toenails.

How It Happens

The first thing you may wonder is why and how does this happen to toenails? While it may seem that it is simply a natural thing that happens as people age, this is not the only cause. It does tend to happen with age, but it is also more likely to happen to people who have experienced injuries to their toes. For example, if your toe was injured from dropping something really heavy on it, this particular toenail is more prone to turn yellow and thick over time.

This problem can also happen to toenails if they are not properly cleaned, cared for, and groomed. In other words, poor hygiene habits with your feet and toes can lead to yellowing and thickening of the nails. There are also times when this problem develops from an infection, a disease or health condition, or wearing shoes that do not fit properly. Toenail fungus is also a common cause of this problem. There are many different things that can cause you to develop problems like this with your toenails. The best thing you can do is try to prevent this from happening; however, if you see the signs, visiting a foot doctor can be helpful.

Ways To Treat Thick Toenails

When a person has thick toenails, it can become impossible for him or her to clip them at home. Thick toenails do not always fit inside regular toenail clippers, and they may even be too hard to even clip. This is why a lot of people visit podiatrists. A podiatrist has the right tools to clip toenails that are thick and hard, and this is something that a person may need to do monthly or every couple of months.

In addition to having a podiatrist clip them, the doctor may also be able to suggest some treatment options to help the toenails thin out and return to a more normal state. To do this, the foot doctor will probably try to determine the reason your nails are like this. If you have fungus that is causing this, the doctor will want to treat the fungus. This might be done with ointments, a laser, or some other type of treatment option for toenail fungus. If your toenails are like this as a result of poor hygiene, the doctor might be able to give you tips and suggestions to help you care for your toes in a way that is healthier and better for them.

Ways To Prevent This

If you are just beginning to develop this problem, or if you have not yet developed thick toenails but want to do everything you can to avoid this, there are a number of different steps a podiatrist might recommend. Here are some steps the doctor might recommend doing:

• File your toenails to reduce their thickness
• Trim your toenails straight across and keep them short
• Use a lotion or cream to keep them softer
• Change the type of shoes you wear

If you are seeing changes with your toenails and are worried about what you see, you should visit a podiatrist soon to find out what you can do to cure the problem and prevent it from worsening.

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