WARNING: The Embarrassing Bodies website contains images of an explicit medical nature and nudity in a medical context.

Embarrassing Bodies Live from..., 8:00pm Tuesday 22nd May 2012 on Channel 4. Catch up for free on 4oD »

Conditions

Nail Problems

Fungal infection in the toenail

Perfectly manicured nails are every woman’s dream. Well, except for those who are besieged by all manner of toe and fingernail complaints. And men, you’re at risk too! These problems range from fungal nail infections to white spots, or an ingrown toenail. Either antibiotics or the gentle removal of the offending nail spike by a podiatrist will usually treat an ingrown toenail. Infected nails on the other hand (no pun intended), can be white, yellow, green or black and may look distorted, thicken or crumble. As they won’t go away on their own, it may be better to talk to your GP who will pin point the exact cause and offer suitable treatment. To avoid such problems all together, you should give your feet plenty of air, because warmth and sweat only encourage fungi growth. Another condition, Koilonychia or ‘spoon–shaped’ nails usually indicates an iron deficiency. So women everywhere, take note: if you just paint them, you’ll only be painting over the cracks!

Watch the Live from the Clinic interactive case video on fungal foot infections >

Watch the Live from the Clinic interactive case video on ingrown toenails >

Comments and Questions

The EB doctors have been looking at your comments and have answered some of the common questions below. Remember that it is always best to check with a health professional if you have any concerns about your health.

You can share your experiences and thoughts with other Embarrassing Bodies site-users below. Comments & Questions are reviewed by moderators, but if you see anything on the site that worries you, please report it and one of our moderators will look at it as soon as possible.
Please note: Unfortunately Channel 4 cannot respond to individual inquiries. If you have any concerns, you can check out NHS Choices, but ultimately it is always best to check with a health professional.

my big toe nail on my right foot is black and i dont know why its there. it first appeared after a long walk just after Easter 2012. i dont know if i have a rare condition or a common condition. am really worried just incase it turns bad and i may have to remove my nail





This will be published. Surnames, nicknames or usernames are not allowed


Your email address will be kept confidential and will NOT be published – it is only being collected here in case Channel 4 need to contact you in relation to your comment.


Please don’t swear or be rude in your comments, as they will not be added to the site. Please do not use your full name when posting comments. If in doubt, refer to the community guidelines

By posting on this website you are agreeing to abide by our community guidelines

i have this weird green/yellow thing in my nail! it hurts and feels umcomftable to wear my shoes!1





This will be published. Surnames, nicknames or usernames are not allowed


Your email address will be kept confidential and will NOT be published – it is only being collected here in case Channel 4 need to contact you in relation to your comment.


Please don’t swear or be rude in your comments, as they will not be added to the site. Please do not use your full name when posting comments. If in doubt, refer to the community guidelines

By posting on this website you are agreeing to abide by our community guidelines

my daughter is 3 years old and her two big toe nails are like they are growing off under them is hard like more nail is growing, its like shes shedding the top layer of her toe nails...one of them had a hint of yellow but the other looks normal....help me what do u think this is,and whats causeing it...shes a fussy eater as well if its got to do with vitamins...and she also wears socks all the time even in bed





This will be published. Surnames, nicknames or usernames are not allowed


Your email address will be kept confidential and will NOT be published – it is only being collected here in case Channel 4 need to contact you in relation to your comment.


Please don’t swear or be rude in your comments, as they will not be added to the site. Please do not use your full name when posting comments. If in doubt, refer to the community guidelines

By posting on this website you are agreeing to abide by our community guidelines

I am 19 years old and have a problem with splitting finger nails. It started a few years ago with my thumbs, they developed a verticle white line that splits when my nails get too long. Now most of my fingernails do the same thing and some have white deposits on the white lines. It didn't used to be a problem however now it causes serious issues if I catch them on something often pulling most of the nail off. Please help!





This will be published. Surnames, nicknames or usernames are not allowed


Your email address will be kept confidential and will NOT be published – it is only being collected here in case Channel 4 need to contact you in relation to your comment.


Please don’t swear or be rude in your comments, as they will not be added to the site. Please do not use your full name when posting comments. If in doubt, refer to the community guidelines

By posting on this website you are agreeing to abide by our community guidelines

I have nails on each of my little toes which look like bird's claws. They have been like this all of my life and I'm now 53. Can you tell me please what causes this and if I can do anything about them, apart from trying to keep cutting them, which isn't an easy task!





This will be published. Surnames, nicknames or usernames are not allowed


Your email address will be kept confidential and will NOT be published – it is only being collected here in case Channel 4 need to contact you in relation to your comment.


Please don’t swear or be rude in your comments, as they will not be added to the site. Please do not use your full name when posting comments. If in doubt, refer to the community guidelines

By posting on this website you are agreeing to abide by our community guidelines

I'm a seventeen female, and my right little toenail is thick and yellow and it comes off. Every now and then, when it grows long enough, It either gets knocked off or I pull it off through irritation. When this happens, there's a new nail underneath already. What's happening and what can i do?





This will be published. Surnames, nicknames or usernames are not allowed


Your email address will be kept confidential and will NOT be published – it is only being collected here in case Channel 4 need to contact you in relation to your answer.


Please don't swear or be rude in your answers, as they will not be added to the site. Please do not use your full name when posting answers. If in doubt, refer to the community guidelines

Questions submitted to the site will be answered by other site users, not by medical professionals, so if you have a medical concern, please book an appointment with your GP.

By posting on this website you are agreeing to abide by our community guidelines

Hi I am 45 yrs old and my big toes have both gone yellow. I have been to the Drs who have taken a cutting and sent it off for tests but these have come back as no infection..... there advice was to keep them painted. Not the reply i was looking for !!





This will be published. Surnames, nicknames or usernames are not allowed


Your email address will be kept confidential and will NOT be published – it is only being collected here in case Channel 4 need to contact you in relation to your comment.


Please don’t swear or be rude in your comments, as they will not be added to the site. Please do not use your full name when posting comments. If in doubt, refer to the community guidelines

By posting on this website you are agreeing to abide by our community guidelines

hi there im a healthy 35 r old and in the space of 6weeks lost two toe nails ....no apparent reason what so ever ..same nail on both feet ..please help !





This will be published. Surnames, nicknames or usernames are not allowed


Your email address will be kept confidential and will NOT be published – it is only being collected here in case Channel 4 need to contact you in relation to your comment.


Please don’t swear or be rude in your comments, as they will not be added to the site. Please do not use your full name when posting comments. If in doubt, refer to the community guidelines

By posting on this website you are agreeing to abide by our community guidelines

I am a healthy 26 year old female and wen I fell pregnant over 2 years ago 2 of my finger nails index and middle finger nails went green and broke off they have constantly been growing bk all crumberly I have been to the doctors no fungal infection found it is really embrassing and have to constantly stick plasters over them when I go out incase anyone sees them at the moment the nails are a quater of the way growing up the nail bed and have stopped growing I have brought nail growth forulas and nothing is working and my doctors doesn't seem to know what to do please help me with this its getting frustrating now that they won't grown back normal





This will be published. Surnames, nicknames or usernames are not allowed


Your email address will be kept confidential and will NOT be published – it is only being collected here in case Channel 4 need to contact you in relation to your comment.


Please don’t swear or be rude in your comments, as they will not be added to the site. Please do not use your full name when posting comments. If in doubt, refer to the community guidelines

By posting on this website you are agreeing to abide by our community guidelines

I think I have the same but have no idea what it is! Are you any closer to finding out?

hi im a 26 year old male. im quite fit and healthy and have no medical problems that im aware of. about a year ago i notice a vertical crack down my right big toe. over time it has goten worse and is extremely painful. iv been to see my gp and they have said it will grow out in time. that was 6 months ago and its just getting worse. any help would be grateful. i can send a pic if needed thanks.





This will be published. Surnames, nicknames or usernames are not allowed


Your email address will be kept confidential and will NOT be published – it is only being collected here in case Channel 4 need to contact you in relation to your answer.


Please don't swear or be rude in your answers, as they will not be added to the site. Please do not use your full name when posting answers. If in doubt, refer to the community guidelines

Questions submitted to the site will be answered by other site users, not by medical professionals, so if you have a medical concern, please book an appointment with your GP.

By posting on this website you are agreeing to abide by our community guidelines





This will be published. Surnames, nicknames or usernames are not allowed


Your email address will be kept confidential and will NOT be published – it is only being collected here in case Channel 4 need to contact you in relation to your comment.



Please don’t swear or be rude in your comments, as they will not be added to the site. Please do not use your full name when posting comments. If in doubt, refer to the community guidelines

By posting on this website you are agreeing to abide by our community guidelines

It looks like no one else has asked this question, so please fill in the rest of your details below.





This will be published. Surnames, nicknames or usernames are not allowed


Your email address will be kept confidential and will NOT be published – it is only being collected here in case Channel 4 need to contact you in relation to your answer.



Please don't swear or be rude in your questions, as they will not be added to the site. Please do not use your full name when posting questions. If in doubt, refer to the community guidelines

Questions submitted to the site will be answered by other site users, not by medical professionals, so if you have a medical concern, please book an appointment with your GP.

By posting on this website you are agreeing to abide by our community guidelines


Important Notice

The information provided on this website (including any NHS Choices medical information) is for use as information or for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical care by a qualified doctor or other qualified healthcare professional. We do not warrant that any information included within this site will meet your health or medical requirements. This Embarrassing Bodies site does not provide any medical or diagnostic services so you should always check with a health professional if you have any concerns about your health.


If you want to embed our videos in your site, read our embedding T&Cs here


More Information

  1. Episode 6

    In Episodes - Conditions being seen by the doctors in a jam packed Episode 6 incl…

  2. In Detail: Fungal Toe

    In Videos - We take an in detail look at an operation to remove a fungal toenai…

  3. Episode 4 - Feet

    In Episodes - This week's episode includes a podiatry roadshow, a mouthful of man…

  4. Episode 3

    In Episodes - Patients consulted and diagnosed by the doctors in Episode 3 includ…

  5. Consultation: Second Adult Circumcision

    In Videos - Dr Jessen examines a patient in need of a new circumcision

  6. Dr Priya Manickavasagar

    Doctor Info - Find out more about Dr Priya.

  7. Dr James Russell

    Doctor Info - Find out more about Dr James Russell.

  8. Consultation: Soreness on the Penis

    In Videos - A patient is examined for soreness around his penis

  9. Body Check: Feet

    In Videos - Dr Christian talks about common foot conditions and the importance…

  10. Dr Christian Jessen

    Doctor Info - Find out more about Dr Christian

  11. Dr Dawn Harper

    Doctor Info - Find out more about Dr Dawn.

  12. Dr Pixie McKenna

    Doctor Info - Find out more about Dr Pixie.

  13. How To Check Your Testicles

    In Videos - Dr Harper's guide to how to self-check your balls against testicula…

  14. Bodies Behaving Badly

    In Episodes - Episode 1 of Embarrassing Teenage Bodies examines conditions includ…

  15. Consultation: Ear Infection

    In Videos - A patient with an ear infection is diagnosed by Dr Jessen


Be On Embarrassing Bodies

The clinic is opening again for a new series.
Apply for Embarrassing Bodies >