A number of our patients with ingrown toenails find that their toenails have been thickening with age. For some, this thickness means that the nail is pressing against the top of their shoe, which is pushing the nail into the skin. For others, it’s very uncomfortable and they find their nails difficult to trim – and therefore difficult to prevent from ingrowing. Some are just unhappy with the way their nails look now.
Today we’re sharing why this happens – and what you can do to reduce the thickness of your nails.
What causes nails to thicken?
Most often, this is a byproduct of our natural ageing process. As we grow older, the rate at which our toenails grow slows, and the nail cells start to build up – so our nails thicken. Other factors that can cause our nails to thicken include:
- Fungal nail infections – these may also create a yellow/white discolouration in the nails, there may be some brittleness or flaking, the nail may lift upwards, and there may be an unpleasant smell
- Reduced blood flow to the feet – can also promote nail thickening, whether it happens naturally due to ageing or from medical conditions like peripheral vascular disease
- Trauma – this means the pressure from tight footwear on the nails, objects falling onto the feet, stubbing the toes, pressure on the toes in sports, and more. If the nail growing cells become damaged, the nails may grow thick and disfigured
- Psoriasis – psoriasis is often mistaken for a fungal nail infection with thickened, discoloured, brittle or flaky nails
How can you help prevent nails from thickening?
While we can’t stop the ageing process, we can be prompt in treating any fungal infections when we first notice the changes and take care to wear good shoes with plenty of space in the toe box. If our workplace means we’re at higher risk of falling objects on the feet, we can protect them by wearing steel-capped boots.Getting regular exercise to help promote our circulation may also reduce nail thickening.
If you’re unsure if you have a fungal nail infection but have noticed your nails thickening, we perform a simple in-clinic test that will confirm the presence of a fungal nail infection in 5-minutes.
My nails are already thick. What can I do?
Come in to see our podiatry team. Being experts in ingrown toenail treatment means that we effectively help to prevent ingrown toenails too, which means managing thickened nails.
We’ll start by using heavy-duty nail clippers to reduce the length of the toenails, and then use a specialised burr to significantly reduce their thickness – and give them a clean, smooth finish! This is something our patients love, often feeling much happier and more confident about the appearance of their toenails afterwards.
Most people book appointments for this care every 6-12 weeks, depending on how quickly their nails grow. By regularly taking care of their toenails (and any corns and calluses on their feet), we are able to help prevent ingrown toenails too, for those vulnerable to thickened nails growing into the skin.
Book your appointment online here or call us on (09) 523 2333
Ingrown toenails are our speciality. From one-off treatments to nail surgeries – and even removing the toenail entirely. We love helping patients finally get long-term relief from this painful and frustrating problem. But – are ingrown toenails all we do?
It’s a great question, so today we thought we’d fill you in on all the other things we help our patients with and how.
First: What do podiatrists do?
All our ingrown toenail services are performed by board-registered and experienced podiatrists. Outside of ingrown toenail treatment and surgery, podiatrists spend at least three years studying the anatomy, physiology and biomechanical function of the feet and lower limbs.
Trust us – this isn’t an easy endeavour, given that a single foot has 26 bones, 33 joints and more than 100 muscles, tendons and ligaments! This makes Podiatrists the foot health experts when it comes to pains and problems that develop – and very knowledgeable in their field.
Podiatrists are qualified to assess, diagnose and treat problems with the lower limbs, from the waist down. This includes the legs, knees, ankles, feet – and sometimes the hips too.
To help you know more about exactly what we do and can help with, here’s a handy checklist of indications that you should see a podiatrist. Do you:
- Have painful feet?
- Experience leg pain?
- Have painful knees?
- Experience sore hips?
- Find walking or standing uncomfortable?
- Experience leg or foot pain during sport?
- Need advice on correct footwear?
- Have ingrown toenails?
- Have a fungal nail infection?
- Have pain in the opposite leg following an injury or surgery?
- Want to run better?
- Want to cycle better?
- Find it difficult to fit into normal shoes?
- Have an ulcer that isn’t healing?
- Notice something about the way your family member walks that seems unusual or wrong?
- Get very tired after being on your feet during the day for work?
Are you:
- Worried about the development of your children’s feet?
- Sick of being told there’s nothing that can be done to reduce your pain and help you feel more comfortable?
- Regularly tripping or falling?
- Constantly spraining your ankle?
- Worried about bumps and lumps on your feet like bunions?
- Finding it difficult to reach your feet to care for the nails and skin?
- Diabetic (and therefore high-risk for foot/leg complications)?
- Training for a marathon or working out and want to reduce the risk of injury?
- Needing specific assistance for sports like skiing where you have a very narrow boot and not much space to work with?
Introducing: Perform Podiatry
While it becomes very clear once you’ve been in to see us, if you’ve never visited the Auckland Ingrown Toenail Clinic, you may not realise that our clinic is a speciality of our mother clinic, Perform Podiatry.
Perform Podiatry is one of Auckland’s leading podiatry clinic, specialising in a range of services including:
- Pain and injury management
- Custom foot orthotics
- Medical pedicures (cosmetic podiatry)
- Sports medicine
- Children’s foot problems
- Wart (verruca) surgery
- Corns and callus
- Skin and nail problems
- Caring for older feet
- Footwear and footwear modification
- Arthritis care
- Diabetes care
- Splints & braces
Your experienced, comprehensive & all-round team
Perform Podiatry and the Auckland Ingrown Toenail Clinic are staffed with highly experienced, caring and passionate podiatrists that love what they do and caring for patients in all the different ways that we’re skilled to do.
Book your appointment online here or call us on 09 523 2333.
