Smelly buildup under toenails is something that can be very frustrating to treat. Also, it can be even more frustrating to live with. Nobody wants to live with nails that smell and are obviously infected with something. This is especially true since this condition can be obvious to those people around you. If people notice the smell coming from your nails and feet, they may even take measures to avoid you. This can be damaging to social relationships, which can then cause damage to your quality of life. It is normal to need to interact with other people. Also, not wanting them to notice flaws like buildup under your nails.

Smelly Buildup

There is often a stigma attached to stinky feet implying that they are because of poor hygiene. Having others notice your stinky toenails may be hurtful even if you’ve tried to improve the smell. You should not let toenail debris and smell get to this point where it is harming your everyday life. Sometimes, the condition can progress to a point where they are uncomfortable being outside barefoot because of fear of judgment.

This stops people from enjoying some of the events that are the most fun in a person’s life. If you have excessively smelly toenails, this is also a sign that there is something more seriously wrong. While frequently smelly feet only indicate the need for a good washing, a smell coming from the toenails and fingernails indicates something different. A more serious condition is signified by something like debris under the nail being present alongside the smell. 

Smelly Toenail Symptoms

Smelly buildup under the toenails is frequently a symptom of an infection with nail fungus spores. Nail fungus is a condition that can easily spread between people and is highly contagious. The spread of fungal spores happens as they travel from an infected person to an uninfected person. Public places like locker rooms and public pools are known as breeding grounds for fungus because they facilitate this contagion so well.

These two places are especially great at spreading nail fungus for a couple of reasons. For one, they are highly popular with people who are barefoot. This provides an opportunity for the fungus to both get onto the floor of the area as well as for the fungus to then attach to other peoples’ feet. Additionally, these environments are usually particularly moist and damp, which is the preferred environment for fungus.

Nail salons are another hot spot for toenail fungus spread. Nail salons, especially when overworked or not given enough time for each client, may not properly sanitize their tools between clients. This leads to fungus spread that can be avoided if nail salons properly sanitize their tools between each customer. It is very important to always ask if your nail tech has sanitized/changed their tools before using them on you.

Toenail Fungus

Smelly buildup under the toenails is actually one of many more symptoms of toenail fungus that often will appear together. This buildup often will look like some sort of obscure material formed under the nail itself and can be in all different textures and colors. The buildup can even look like there is a whole other nail growing underneath the normal one, or it can be like slimy or pasty gunk. The fungus also causes other aesthetic conditions that may even be visible first.

Of these, the most common is definitely discoloration of the toenails, which is also usually the first sign of nail fungus to appear. Sometimes, it can take some time between the initial contraction of the fungus and the onset of symptoms like discoloration. Symptoms for fungus can often be subtle at first, and the discoloration will at first usually show up as small dots or stripes on the nail. The symptoms, including discoloration and buildup, will become more prominent and noticeable as the fungal infection grows.

As the fungal infection grows under the nail, other changes will also often start to appear on the nail. Nails that have a toenail fungus that hasn’t been treated for a while can also start to look cracked, brittle, or decayed as the fungal infection worsens.

Treatment Options for Smelly Buildup

Funky toenail debris should improve after effective treatment as a healthy nail grows behind the old fungal one. Most treatments for fungus are very ineffective and can take as long as a year to eliminate the fungus under the nail bed. These treatments for fungus also have very low cure rates and require long periods of application. Some topical treatments require more than a year of application before the fungus even starts to clear. However, there are more effective treatments available for toenail and fingernail fungus.

The best option is the PinPointe laser, which typically only requires one treatment to completely eliminate the fungus from under the toenail or fingernail. This means that right after the treatment, a new healthy nail should start growing in with less debris. This treatment is able to cure patients with all types of nail fungus, even those who have had the condition for a long period of time. To read about the experiences our patients have had with the PinPointe Laser treatment, visit our website here.