To groom and soften hard fungal toenails is often very difficult. Many of the symptoms that toenail fungus causes can make this task more difficult than other people who aren’t infected. Toenail fungus symptoms are usually solely an aesthetic issue, which only causes a difference in how the toenail looks.

However, there are many issues that toenail fungus can cause as well. These tend to be more frustrating to deal with. Many of those with fungal infections struggle with feeling like their nails are too hard or thick to cut. Regular grooming and hygiene of the nail and toe can become severely impacted by these functional changes. The resulting overgrowth of the nail can make the nail’s aesthetic even worse as the nail grows excessively long. 

Hard Nails

Hard fungal nails are one of many symptoms of toenail fungus. Normal, healthy nails should have no issues being trimmed or groomed. These nails are normally associated with a particular look, and anything deviating from it could indicate that something is wrong. Nails that are in good health will appear clear. The nail reveals the pink or brown skin that lies underneath it.

A healthy nail will not be excessively thick, brittleness, or be detached from the nail bed at all. A healthy nail also won’t have debris buildup under the nail, cracking on the surface of the nail, or any other sort of damage that is visible. Additionally, the nail should grow at a reasonable rate. It should have enough structure to stay intact, but still, be soft enough to trim without problems.

Symptom of Toenail Fungus

Hard fungal nails are just one of many symptoms of toenail fungus symptoms that should be monitored. Discoloration, or a change in the color of the nail, is usually one of the most common and first to appear symptoms of a fungus. The first signs of this change in the nail’s color will usually start as a small dot or stripe on the surface of the toenail. As the toenail fungus infection continues without being treated effectively, the discoloration under the nail can grow to cover a larger portion of the nail.

When the fungus is left untreated for a long period of time, the entire nail will often become covered in the color. Other visible aesthetic damages can happen to the nail aside from discoloration. Some other common symptoms of a toenail fungus infection include nail brittleness, cracking, and detachment from the nail bed.

Some of the most frustrating changes toenail fungus can cause include the thickening and hardening of the nail. These symptoms pose a unique concern as they can definitely affect your ability to groom and soften hard fungal toenails to maintain proper hygiene of the nails effectively. When the grooming of the nails is affected, it is necessary to take other measures to trim the nails regularly.

How to Groom and Soften

Hard fungal nails will need to be trimmed frequently to maintain a good hygiene level. Extremely long nails from an overgrowth of the toenail can be problematic towards overall health. One problem is that overgrown toenails can harbor bacteria under them that can lead to other infections. Extremely long toenails significantly increase the risk of forming ingrown toenails.

Long toenails break very easily, and broken toenails tend to have jagged, rough edges that tear into the skin of the toe easily. Long toenails can also be personally uncomfortable and push up against the shoe as you walk and stand. Excessively long toenails will absolutely be detrimental to your toe and nail health down the line, so if you can’t trim your nails because of a fungal infection you need to find alternatives like softening the nail.

Softening thickened fungal nails is definitely important to be able to trim them. Trimming fungal nails can feel impossible for people to do because of the ways toenail fungus has changed their nails. This is because the symptoms of toenail fungus can directly impact the simplicity of trimming the nails. When nails have become excessively thick, traditional home nail clippers often won’t even fit around them.

Sometimes even medical-grade nail clippers won’t be able to trim these nails. The nail clippers have to slice through more nail material, which presents more resistance to the blades. Nails can become more hardened by a toenail fungus infection, which poses a different challenge. This means that even if the toenail is the same thickness as normal, the nail can still be more difficult to cut.

Laser Treatment for Fungal Nails

For patients with hard fungal nails, letting the nail grow out may seem like it is the only option available. Sometimes getting nail clippers to trim the nail effectively can be impossible because the fungus can make the nails hard to cut through. Even if the fungus isn’t making the nail become harder, the nail can still become thickened because of toenail fungus. Nail clippers may not even fit over nails that have become excessively thick. pharmacy canada

While soaking the feet is helpful to groom and soften hard fungal toenails, the best thing to do in this situation is to be seen by a nail doctor. They will be able to provide effective care for the fungus, and hopefully treat the fungal infection itself once and for all. To learn more about this treatment or schedule a free consultation with a nail doctor, give us a call at 1-(800) 672-0625 or visit our website for more information.