To soften thick toenails is a struggle. A struggle that people with nail fungus face daily. Softening toenails with fungus is an important part of grooming practices that you need to keep up regularly. The origin of a fungal infection of the toenails varies. But the condition is very contagious and easily spread between people.

Fungus commonly attaches to surfaces in public areas where people walk barefoot. Public pools, locker rooms, beaches, and nail salons are all common places to get infected. After the fungus infects the nail bed, it can fall off onto surfaces that the toenail comes into contact with. The fungus can then survive on these surfaces. Fungus waits for someone else to walk over them so that they can find a new host. The fungal spores then attach to the nail and enter the nail bed, causing an infection. Getting rid of a fungal infection once it has entered the nail bed is usually a difficult task. Fungus is a difficult organism to eliminate completely. This is due to the physical location of it being under the nail making it difficult to get to.

The struggle of thick toenails and why it’s important to soften thick toenails

When you set out to cut your fungus-infected toenails, you probably struggle considering how thick and hard they are. Thickened nails are a symptom of nail fungus and patients often find themselves at their wit’s end. Even with a medical-grade nail clipper, cutting your nails can be difficult and painful. In this case, you can use the following simple tips to soften your nails before cutting them.

Softening fungal nails can be very helpful to trim and groom them. This needs to be done regularly when they have become damaged from the infection. Grooming the nails regularly is important for many reasons especially when they have a toenail fungus infection. Keeping the nails trimmed makes them appear to be well maintained and clean. Keeping your nails at an average length will make the dirty look that toenail fungus damage can sometimes lend appear less apparent.

The alarming appearance that toenail fungus damage can cause will appear worse if the nails are also overgrown. Trimming your nails regularly will lessen the unclean look and reduce the degree to which the fungus condition is noticeable to everyone. Trimming the nails is part of regular hygiene as well, and is important for everyone to do regardless of if they have fungus or not. Ingrown toenails also are more common when nails are left to become overgrown, so trimming the nails regularly will protect you from that as well.

Symptoms of Toenail Fungus

Thick fungal nails are just one of many symptoms of toenail fungus symptoms that can be assessed. However, some of the most frustrating changes include the thickening and hardening of the nail. These symptoms pose unique concerns as they affect the ability to groom the nails properly and regularly. If the grooming of your nails is affected in this way, it will be necessary to use other techniques to trim the nails regularly.

The main trick is to soak your feet to soften the nails. In a tub or bucket, take enough warm water to reach a depth that would cover your feet. You can opt to add Epsom salts into the water. Then proceed to soak your feet for about half an hour, or more if your nails are very hard. Since you will likely need to do this every time you trim your nails, you may choose to invest in a foot bath for comfort and relaxation.

Soaking feet to soften thick toenails

After soaking your feet, make sure to thoroughly pat them dry, since lingering moisture promotes the growth of nail fungus. Once your feet are dry, apply a nail softening cream of your choice directly to the nails, and leave them overnight. You can then trim the nails the next day.

If you would like to try even further tricks to soften your nails, you can apply VapoRub to them, or tea tree oil, and then trim your nails once your nails feel softer. Alternatively, you can also soak cotton balls with white vinegar or apple cider vinegar, and dab your nails until they feel softer. Then, you proceed to trim your nails right away.

While these tips can help you to cut your fungal nails, they will not be able to treat the infection itself since the fungus resides on the nail bed and not on the nail itself. The most effective method of treatment is laser treatment using the PinPointe laser, which you can get by calling us to schedule a free consultation with one of our doctors at one of our over 160 locations.