Stinky debris under nails can be very uncomfortable and unsettling for a few reasons. For one, nobody wants their toenails or fingernails to stink. Odor like this can often be noticeable to other people. It can make others less likely to want to interact with you. This can lead to decreased quality of life by harming social relationships that you have with others.

In turn, smelly fingernails and toenails can feel isolating and even othering. Many people with this condition feel the need to avoid being barefoot. Therefore they don’t go to the beach or pool as they normally would. 

How did I get stinky nails?

Smelly feet are caused by sweat and bacteria buildup. However, when the smell comes from debris under the nails themselves, this is an indication that there may be something else wrong. 

Stinky debris under fingernails and toenails is usually caused by an infection with a nail fungus. Nail fungus is a contagious condition that spreads as fungal spores are transferred from person to person. Normally, this transfer happens because of a common surface that both people touch. The floors of public pools and public locker rooms are breeding grounds for toenail fungus

Additionally, nail salons are very common for nail fungus infections to spread. The tools used for manicures and pedicures are usually used for multiple clients. This isn’t an issue when the tools are properly sanitized between clients, but if salons fail to do this then their tools can be a vector for fungus spread.

Why did I get stinky nails?

Stinky debris under fingernails and toenails is just one of many symptoms of toenail fungus. Other symptoms of the fungus include visual changes in the nail’s surface appearance. The most common, and usually first, a sign of toenail fungus is a discoloration of the nail. When a fungus first infects the nail, it will create a dot or stripe of color that can be hard to notice.

However, as the fungus grows and covers more of the nail, the discoloration will start to become more apparent. It is usually at this point that other changes in the nail start to happen as well. The nail can start to become brittle, hard, and even lift from the nail bed. It can start to appear like there are multiple nails growing on top of each other, or the nail can just become thickened.

Managing Debris under Nails

Simply cleaning the stinky debris under fingernails and toenails usually isn’t enough to remove the smell. This is because the fungal organisms are still under the nail, and will still emit their smell. Doing this could also pose a risk of transferring the infection to other nails on the same foot since the debris likely contains fungal spores.

To completely eliminate the smell from your toenails once and for all, you will need to receive treatment from a licensed podiatrist. Because they are doctors who specialize in treating conditions of the foot and ankle, they will be able to provide specialized care for toenail fungus infections. 

Treatments for Toenail Fungus

Medical treatments for toenail fungus vary, but after you have received an effective treatment the fungus should hopefully be completely gone. This way, a new healthy nail will start to grow behind the old damaged nail.

Stinky debris under nails should improve as a new healthy nail grows in. To see this result as quickly as possible, you should seek out the most efficient treatment for toenail and fingernail fungus. Unfortunately, many treatments available for fungus fall short when it comes to effectiveness. Many of the most common treatments for fungus have very low cure rates and require long periods of application.

With some topical treatments, you could be applying them for more than a year before seeing any improvement at all. However, there are more effective treatments available for toenail and fingernail fungus.

Laser Treatment

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.