Softening fungal nails is imperative for maintaining fungal toenails. A nail fungus infection can be caught easily for some people. This is because the condition is contagious and easily spread. Fungus likes to live on surfaces of public locker rooms, public pools, and nail salons. The floors of these places, or unsanitized tools in a nail salon, can harbor fungal spores that will infect your nail bed and start to grow. After fungus infects the nail bed, it is often frustrating and difficult to fully rid of. As the infection continues to grow, the fungal spores can cause damage to the nail. This can cause multiple types of problems with the function and aesthetics of the nail.

Signs of Nail fungus infection

Damage to the nail from fungus is typically only cosmetic. The nails will usually discolor in some way. Usually starting as a spot or stripe of discoloration that will then grow and cover more of the nail. As the infection continues, it can also change the texture and structure of the nail. Toenail fungus can directly cause debris buildup under the nail. It may also cause other changes which frequently include cracking, brittleness, thickening, and hardening of the nails. These damages are usually only aesthetic and don’t affect the toe.

Occasionally the changes in the texture and composition of the nail can have consequences. If the nail starts to become very brittle or hard, it can become very difficult to actually cut the nail with clippers. It can often be hard to leverage the clippers enough to actually slice through the surface of the nail because of the extreme hardness. If the nail has become very thick because of a fungal infection, this can have functional consequences for trimming the nails as well. When the nails become thick because of fungus, the opening of the blade on the clippers may not even be wide enough to get around the nail at all.

What to do if your nails are too thick and too hard

Softening fungal nails can definitely be a good practice to be able to trim them regularly. This trimming practice is important for several reasons. Trimming the nails regularly keeps them looking neat and tidy. When fungal toenails are much longer than people normally keep their nails at, they can appear dirtier. By trimming your nails regularly, you can minimize any unclean appearance and reduce the number of people that are able to notice the fungal condition of your nails. Aside from maintaining a good social appearance, trimming your toenails is an important part of general hygiene. Trimming your nails will reduce the number of bacteria that lives underneath your nail.

Softening fungal nails is not a difficult thing to do at home. The easiest way to soften fungal nails is to soak them in a water bath! Soaking your feet in a bath of warm water will allow the nails to become softened and less difficult to cut. This method of softening your nails involves filling a tub with enough warm water to completely submerge feet. To increase the efficacy of the foot soak, dissolve Epsom salts. Submerge your feet in the water, and let them soak for 30 minutes. Afterward, dry off your feet and see if your toes softened from the water. If you have noticed an improvement in the hardness of the nail, you can attempt to trim them again.

What can be done if soaking doesn’t work after the 1st try

Softening fungal nails can take more than just one attempt of soaking in warm water. For severe toenail fungus infection, you may need to do multiple sessions of soaking before the nail can be cut. You should repeat the soak daily until your nail can be cut. If this doesn’t improve the condition of your nail, try a nail softening cream after the water bath as well. Softening fungal toenails at home won’t always work. Sometimes the nail is too thick and won’t fit between the blades of the nail clippers. In this case, debridement can thin the nail down and is usually done in conjunction with treatment for the fungal causes of the thickening/hardening.

Permanently softening fungal toenails is accomplished by treating the fungus itself. After eliminating the fungus from the nail bed, a new healthy nail should start to grow behind the old damaged one. This nail should be clear, thin, and soft enough to cut. The best option for this treatment is the PinPointe laser, which typically requires only one treatment to eliminate the fungus from the nail bed. To find which of our 150 clinics is closest to you to get the PinPointe laser treatment, visit our page here.