Dirt or fungus under your toenails? Toenail fungus can cause very unsightly changes to the surface of the nails, including changes in their color and texture. This happens as fungal spores reproduce and the fungal colonies grow underneath the nail’s surface. Most of the time, discoloration combined with textural changes of the nail makes fungus easy to spot. This includes brittleness, cracking, or flaking.

However, if you are frequently in “dirty” environments for work or other reasons, such as construction sites, dirt floors, or mud, things may not be so simple. If you are often in these environments, you may have symptoms of toenail fungus that are disguising themselves as environmental debris.

Symptoms of Toenail Fungus

There is no simple way to determine if you have dirt under your nails or fungal infection. However, if you have noticed that the discoloration under your nails isn’t going away after a long period of time, it is likely there is an underlying problem with the nail. This is especially true if the dirt seems to be growing; this is indicative of a fungal spread instead of uncleanliness.

Dirt is also unlikely to get under the nail unless there has been some lifting of the nail. If that is present, and there are no other symptoms, you may just need your nails cleaned. However, if your nail is also brittle, cracking, or has other textural issues, you likely have a toenail fungus. Either way, the only way to be sure of what is wrong with your toes is to be seen by a licensed podiatrist.

Laser Treatment for Fungus

They will be able to diagnose the issue and give you an effective treatment plan. If you do have a toenail fungus, the PinPointe laser is the best option to get it treated; this is FDA approved and requires only one treatment to kill the fungus. To schedule a consultation with a podiatrist for the PinPointe laser treatment, give us a call at 1-(800) 672-0625 or visit our website for more information.