Getting rid of hard and thick nails may be extremely difficult. Nail fungus infection usually causes toenails to be very thick and hard. This damage caused by toenail fungus ranges from subtle to obvious. It can make cutting nails so much more difficult. Usually, the damage from fungus infection is visual only. There is only a change in how the toenail looks aesthetically. This is true for the majority of those who have been infected. But there are definitely potential functional issues that can arise from a fungal infection as well. Regular grooming of the nail can be impaired by these damages. It can result in overgrowth of the nail can deteriorate the nail aesthetically. Nails can look dirtier and grow excessively long. The look of a long nail will be less appealing when the nail also deteriorates.

Healthy Nails

Hard fungal nails and the resulting impairment to grooming are symptoms of toenail fungus infection. When healthy, the toenails should be able to be trimmed easily with regular nail clippers. A normal, healthy nail will also have a few other indicators that there isn’t anything wrong with them. For example, the skin should be visible underneath the nail.

Signs of a healthy nail include it being thin, not particularly rough, or crumbly. Healthy nails are always attached to the nail bed. To be considered in good shape, a nail shouldn’t have any visible debris or dirt under it. Additionally, nails that are in good shape won’t be cracked or have other visible damage to the nail’s surface. The nail should be completely attached to the nail bed and grow at a normal rate. It also should be strong enough to support itself, but not be too hard or thick that it impairs trimming.

Sick nails with nail fungus

Hard and thick nails are a clear sign of nail fungus. Hardening of the nails, along with thickening, happens to also be some of the most frustrating signs. These are challenges posed by a toenail fungus infection. Thick and hard nail symptoms are especially annoying because they affect your capacity to properly cut nails. The grooming of your nails will be interfered with by the symptoms of toenail fungus. You will need to implement a few additional steps to do it properly.

Hard fungal nails actually need to be trimmed as frequently as possible to stay in alignment with good hygiene practices. Extremely long, overgrown nails can pose health risks. Trimming hard fungal nails regularly is a must to avoid these risks. For example, extremely long toenails easily trap bacteria and other microorganisms underneath them, which can cause other infections. Ingrown toenails are also at a higher risk of developing when your nails are overgrown. Overgrown toenails are more prone to breaking since it is easier to mistakenly catch them on things. The jagged, rough edges of these broken nails will pierce into the skin of the toe easily. Wearing shoes with excessively long toenails will also be very uncomfortable since they won’t fit into the tops of your shoes. In short, overgrown long toenails will likely cause some sort of damage to your toe and nail health down the line.

Ways to soften and help getting rid of hard and thick nails

Softening hard fungal nails is definitely an essential step to getting rid of hard and thick nails. This will also help to cut them. The symptoms of toenail fungus impact the difficulty of trimming the nails, so steps must be taken to directly counteract these symptoms! As nails become excessively hard or thick, it may become difficult for the blades of traditional home nail clippers to even fit around them at all.

Added nail material that comes with hardened and thickened nails also makes it more difficult to actually slice through the nails. The hardness and thickness add more nail material for the nail clippers to slice through, which presents a bigger challenge to the blades. Thickened nails may also be hardened by the fungal infection. This means that even if the toenail is the same thickness as it normally is, the nail material itself can actually still be more difficult to cut. Softening the nails to trim them provides an easy solution by making the nail softer and more pliable, and can be done at home simply by regularly soaking your feet in warm water!

While soaking the feet is helpful at trimming hard fungal nails, the best thing to do in this situation is to be seen by a licensed nail doctor. Nail doctors can find the most effective ways how to eliminate your nail fungus once and for all. The gold standard for fungus removal is the PinPointe laser. Our laser treatment typically only requires one session to completely eliminate the fungus. To learn more about this treatment or schedule a free consultation with a licensed podiatrist, give us a call at 1-(800) 672-0625 or visit our website for more information.