Grooming hard fungal nails may be more difficult than it seems to someone without fungal infection. Damage caused by toenail fungus ranges from subtle to obvious. It can make trimming nails a more difficult task than it is for uninfected people. Usually, the damage from infection with toenail fungus is visual only. That means there is only a change in how the toenail looks aesthetically. While this is true for the majority of those who have been infected, there are definitely potential functional issues that can arise from a fungal infection as well.
When nails are too thick or hard from a fungus, it can be impossible to cut them. Regular grooming of the nail can be impaired by these damages. And any resulting overgrowth of the nail can deteriorate the nail aesthetically even faster. And look dirtier as the nail grows excessively long. This is because the look of a long nail can be less appealing when the nail is deteriorating.
Healthy nail vs. Fungal nail
Hard fungal nails and the resulting impairment to grooming are symptoms of toenail fungus infection. When healthy, the toenails should be able to be trimmed easily with regular nail clippers. A normal, healthy nail will also have a few other indicators that there isn’t anything wrong with them. For example, the skin should be visible underneath the nail. Signs of a healthy nail include it being thin. Not particularly rough or crumbly, and not detached from the nail bed.
To be considered in good shape, a nail shouldn’t have any visible debris or dirt under it that won’t come off with simple washing. Additionally, nails that are in good shape won’t be cracked or have other visible damage to the nail’s surface. The nail should be completely attached to the nail bed and grow at a normal rate. It also should be strong enough to support itself, but not be too hard or thick that it impairs trimming.
Hard fungal nails are one of the toenail fungus symptoms. Hardening of the nails, along with thickening, happens to also be some of the most frustrating challenges. These symptoms are especially annoying because they affect your capacity to trim and maintain the nails regularly. If grooming of your nails has been interfered with by the symptoms of toenail fungus, you still need to regularly groom your nails but you may need to implement a few additional steps to do it properly.
Trim your nails to avoid overgrowth
Hard fungal nails actually need to be trimmed as frequently as possible to stay in alignment with good hygiene practices. Overgrown nails can pose health risks, so trimming hard fungal nails regularly is a must to avoid them. For example, extremely long toenails easily trap bacteria and other microorganisms underneath them, which can cause other infections. Ingrown toenails are also at a higher risk of developing when your nails are overgrown. Overgrown toenails are more prone to breaking since it is easier to mistakenly catch them on things. The jagged, rough edges of these broken nails will pierce into the skin of the toe easily. Wearing shoes with overgrown toenails will also be very uncomfortable. This is because they won’t fit into the tops of your shoes. In short, overgrown toenails will likely cause damage to your foot health down the line.
Reasons for softening fungal nails
Softening hard fungal nails is definitely an essential step to be able to trim them and groom them regularly. The symptoms of toenail fungus impact trimming the nails. Steps must be taken to counteract these symptoms! As nails become excessively hard or thick, it may become difficult for the blades of traditional home nail clippers to even fit around them at all. The added nail material that comes with hardened and thickened nails also makes it more difficult to actually slice through the nails.
The hardness and thickness add more nail material for the nail clippers to slice through, which presents a bigger challenge to the blades. Thickened nails may also be hardened by the fungal infection. This means that even if the toenail is the same thickness as it normally is, the nail material itself can actually still be more difficult to cut. Softening the nails to trim them provides an easy solution by making the nail softer and more pliable, and can be done at home simply by regularly soaking your feet in warm water!
While soaking the feet is helpful at trimming hard fungal nails, the best thing to do in this situation is to be seen by a licensed podiatrist. They will be able to provide effective care for the fungus, and hopefully treat the fungal infection itself once and for all. The gold star for fungus removal is the PinPointe laser, which typically only requires one session to completely eliminate the fungus. To learn more about this treatment or schedule a free consultation with a licensed podiatrist, give us a call at 1-(800) 672-0625 or visit our website for more information.
