Stinky nails are never a good thing. Usually, when your feet stink this is a sign of poor hygiene. Because of this, having stinky feet can be big insecurity for a lot of people. Sometimes, your feet may stink because of something other than hygiene.  And this can be even more nerve-wracking. If your feet still stink even after washing them well, a medical issue may be underlying the odor. Stinky nails in particular are caused by toenail fungus, an infection of the nail bed. Sometimes, the smell resembles a cheesy smell which is not pleasant.

Stinky nails often get worse while trimming them, because this exposes the fungal spores under the nail to the air. If you have noticed the scent gets worse while doing this, it is a clue that you’re dealing with a fungus and not poor hygiene. Fungal nails often smell like cheese, so a cheesy odor coming from your nails or nail clippings is another clue that you have a fungal infection. 

Symptoms of nail fungus

Stinky nails often come with other aesthetic problems that can make the problem feel worse. Toenail fungus can cause the nail to look completely different than you’re accustomed to, which can be alarming. Some of the most common visual signs of fungus are yellow or brown discoloration. In addition to this, the nails can become cracked and lifted up from the nail bed. 

To freshen stinky nails, you need to address the cause of the smell itself. Treating the fungus needs to be done with an FDA-approved treatment administered by a licensed podiatrist, but not all of these are created equally. The Pinpointe laser is the safest and most effective treatment of this sort and only requires one treatment to cure the fungus completely. To schedule a consultation with a licensed podiatrist for the PinPointe laser, give us a call at 1-(800) 672-0625 or visit our website for more information.