Conditions
Nail Problems
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!
Comments and Questions
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.
hi ive had this problem for over a year now. ive been to the doctors several times and ive had several medications. my big toe started off with swelling, then seeping puss and blood, and then swelled up even more. ive also been to dermatology. ive had my toe nail off but its around the toe thats painful, swollen still and bleeding yet again. can anyone help? im very annoyed and want to get it sorted but not having any answers!
hi, i am 27 and aplastic anaemia, in the pass few weeks i have white marks appear on all my nails, i haven't knocked or damamged all of them if any, i haven't tried anything new, so it not an reaction to nail polish or anything like that, any help would be great as i don't want to go back to the doctors again if it something i can fix myself
About six months ago i suffered a ingrown toe nail on my foot, i then went to the doctors to see if there was anything he could do to help the pain but said it will just clear on it's own. My toe nail is now a yellow colour, and there appears to be a really thick, hard blistery thing underneath my nail. It causes me a great deal of pain but am to embarrassed to see anyone about it. Does anyone have any advise?
I have had the same problem with both big toes it is horrible and embarrassing. went to gp he said to have testing done on clippings which i did he then said the only thing that will cure it is a tablet but wouldn;t give them to me as he said they are too expensive!!!
hi im 53 and ive got fungal toenail on my right foot the big toe its dark yellow thick and while i was cutting it most of the nail just broke of and the toe next to the big one has grown like a birds claw pointed as if the nail has been squashed up
I had an accident 14months ago, that broke the toe nail on my left big toe about half way down. I washed it regularily and dressed it but didn't see my GP as I had started a new job and feet problems are not tolerated by my employer, since then the skin has grown over the top of the nail and its infected. Can I see anyone other than my GP as I'm embaressed that I didn't get it sorted earlier and would like to just visit a clinic.
See a Podiatrist. You can see one privatly for a good price and you dont have to be referred from your doctor. I saw one because my horse stepped back on my toes and my toe nails got thick and built up. There are loads in the yellow pages and online. hope it helps.x
im 15 and i got an ingrowing toenail about 3 years ago, i bathed it in salt water and it went away, i dont know how :S. then a year ago it started to become ingrown again. i was too scared to have anything done but i decided to get a bit of my nail removed. i was very scared about the injection (i have a HUGE fear of them) but my hospital were really nice and gave me gas to send me to sleep. my toe is now in the healing process and im so happy i had it done IF ANYONE HAS AN INGROWING TOENAIL GO HAVE IT DONE. I REALLY RECOMMEND IT AND DONT BE SCARED. YOU WILL REGRET IT IF YOU DONT!
I have been suffering fro athletes foot for a number of years now and in more recent months it has sperad into three toenails. I have also recently noticed horizontal grooves on both of my big toe nails. Is this due to my fungal nail infection or this this something else?
i have been suffering from yellow, fungal nails that are thick and really hard to cut since the age of about 11. im 16 now. ive gone to the docter's several times and ive tried two different nail varnish solutions but they never worked. but ive started on a perscription tablet called "sporanox" and it really seems to be working !!... just under a fortnight left and my nails have almost fully cleared up!... hope this helps someone
I have peeling finger nails,is there anything I can take as a supplement,as I have tried nail repair varnish & this doesn't help
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
