Do you suffer from psoriasis under the toenails?

Psoriasis under the toenails can result in severe thickening, discoloration and pitting of the toenails. Learn how to make your toenails better!

Psoriasis under the toenails and fingernails

Causes of psoriasis under the toenails

The cause of toenail psoriasis is unknown. What we do know is that a good percentage of people suffering from psoriasis also develop nail problems as well. The reports vary with some saying only about 10-15% suffer from them, but other studies claim much higher numbers. The average seems to be around the 25% range.
You are more likely to have psoriasis under your toenails if:

• You have had psoriasis longer.
• You are older in age.
• Your psoriasis is more severe.

Symptoms of psoriasis under the toenails:

Toenail psoriasis displays the following symptoms:

• A discoloration beneath the nail. It is described as an “oil spot”.
• The nail is much more thick.
• The nail is extremely rough.
• The nail displays characteristic pitting.
• The distal part of the nail appears abnormal.
• Beau’s lines – these are horizontal ridges.
• Callus formation under the nail.
• Loosening of the nail.

Diagnosis of psoriasis under the toenails:

The toenails are graded by a system known as the Nail Psoriasis Severity Index (NAPSI). It is a numberical and reproducible system for monitoring the toenail psoriasis. The system is based on assigning numerical values for some of the symptoms listed above.

Home treatment for psoriasis under the toenails:

Some quick tips for home care:

• Keep your nails short and smooth. They are susceptible to bacterial and fungal infections which could make them look much worse.
• Wear gloves to protect your nails while you are performing activities to keep your nails protected.
• Wear properly fitted shoes to avoid excess pressure on your nails. Even light irritation and inflammation can make things worse.
• Make sure to dry your nails properly after bathing.
• Nail psoriasis is hard to treat, as nails grow very slowly. Be careful with them! They only grow 1mm per month.
• You can try topical steroid cream temporarily to improve nail appearance.
• Taking Vitamin D Vitamins may help.
• Moisturizing ointments at night before bed work well.
• Soak nails in vegetable oil while watching TV. You can then use an emery board or nail file to take the nails down a little bit.
• Synthetic nail hardeners can make the nails look much better. These are glossy covers, no one will know the difference!
• Acrylic nails are dangerous because you are more susceptible for nail fungus already with your psoriasis- I don’t recommend these.
• Salicylic ointment can work great for your psoriatic nails. Follow directions of your prescriptions.
• A mutlivitamin- while not completely proven through medical trials, has been recommended by many specialists.

Podiatrist treatment

There are many advances that are occuring in this field, so get excited! The outlook for psoriasis, while still dim is looking better and better every year.
Treatments focus on managing symptoms with a rheumatologist. Individualized plans can included topical and intralesional creams and injections. You can combine these with systemic and combination oral medication therapies.

For more information about psoriasis under the toenails visit this link.

Do you experience the toe nail coming off the nail bed?

The most common causes of the big toe nail coming off the nail bed is due to a traumatic injury, light rubbing of the toenail within your shoe that you never even noticed, a very severe fungal infection or in some cases we may never know the reason it fell off. The nail will almost always grow back and you shouldn’t get too worried as it is usually something that can be treated or corrected if you follow the treatment guide below. The nail usually appears discolored because it is filling up with blood underneath the nail as it is separating from the skin underneath it. Once the separation has began it is a normal process and at this point there are a few things that you can do to limit more pain or injury.

Trauma is the number one cause of nail loss
First confirm that you have actually experienced trauma, this is usually pretty evident because you stubbed your toe really hard or dropped something really heavy onto your toe. You will experience the following symptoms:

• Pain
• Bleeding under the nail bed leading to red streaks or discoloration under the nail.
• Eventual loosening of the nail from the nail bed as the blood fills under the nail and you are able to evaluate the damage.

If you suspect another cause:

• Fungal infection causing separation - The nails would have been thick, hard and discolored yellow or orange for a period of time before the nail separated. This is a very common and treatable cause of nail separation.

• Jogger’s Toe - If you spend alot of time on your feet and you think it may have been possible that your toenail has been pressuring up against the front of your shoe then this is highly possible. This results in blistering under the toenail leading to the detachment of the nail- with or without pain!

Home treatment for the toe nail coming off the nail bed
The priority in this situation is to accept that the nail has been lost and that you will need to wait until you can grow out a new nail.

1. Accept that the nail is gone and you will have to wait for it to grow back 1 millimeter per month or so. This means 6-9 months if the entire toenail has fallen off (the fingernails grow back a little bit faster). Unfortunately there is not too much that can be done to speed up the growth of the nail beyond leading a healthy lifestyle and getting lots of exercise and sun(basically anything that boosts your metabolism).
2. If the toe is really painful – apply ice for 15-20 mins until it starts to get numb. Take some anti-inflammatory medication like ibuprofen or aspirin to prevent long lasting pain. Initially elevate the foot to decrease the pain as well. Once the pain is low enough you will be able to start trimming the nail down.
3. The nail should be trimmed back as far as it is still attached, the danger here is that if you hit the nail again it will bend back and rip out with the tissue attached to it. OUCH! Avoid this serious and painful complication by trimming back early.
4. If you cannot get to all the blood underneath the nail out and it is not painful then it is ok to let it just grow out over the next 6-9 months, but if it is really painful over a period of time then you should go to the podiatrist to get the blood drained(pain is due to pressure under the nail).
5. Use a nail file, emery board or pumice stone to smooth out the remainder of the nail after it has been trimmed back so that it doesn’t get caught on your socks.
6. Apply some antibiotic ointment- neosporin and triple antibiotic ointment work very well here. Use some water to wash out the bloody area and apply the antibiotic ointment and then cover it with a band-aid.
7. If you are going to continue running or working on that foot put some heavy duty duct tape or athletic tape over the band-aid
8. If the toe is getting red hot and swollen, you experience nausea, fever or redness moving up the toe or throbbing pain that lasts past the icing, anti-inflammatory medication and elevation then you likely have an infection. Get yourself to a podiatrist or a emergency room as soon as possible.
9. Unless you damaged the nail matrix(the base of the nail) then it should grow back every time. The long term problems may be that the nail does not look exactly as it once did. It may curve more or be thicker- it is essential a scar of the nail bed. There are ways to treat it at this point. check out our guide on how to handle long nails.

Home prevention

• Treat your fungal nails or joggers toe as outlined above.
• Get fitted for for your proper shoe size
• Trim your toenails straight across
• Get proper socks
• Use athletic tape or duct tape to cover the nail

To learn more about the toe nail coming off the nail bed, please visit this link. 

Do you have red spot under toenail?

Red spot under toenail – this is usually caused by bleeding under the toenail, even if not painful! Learn what to do about it right here!

Causes of red under the toenail:

Red under the toenail is more commonly known as a subungual hematoma. This is nothing more than a buildup of blood underneath the toenail or the fingernail. The downward constant pressure of wearing shoes or a traumatic injury can cause the vessels under the nail to rupture and bleed.  The blood then pools underneath the nail plate. This can sometimes lead to pain, but the majority of the time there is not severe pain.

Most common in runners and joggers:

The most common cause is in runners or joggers. Thus this injury is sometimes called runner’s or jogger’s toe.  This is due to poorly fitting shoes and not enough space underneath the front of the shoe.

• Poorly fitted shoes.
• Not enough space in the front of the toenail.
• Morton’s foot – short 1st toe puts pressure on the 2nd toe.

Diagnosis of red under the toenail:

• It can look black, red or even brown.
• It can be painful or not hurt at all.
• If it does hurt, the pain is a throbbing type.
• It can be small or take up the entire nail.
• There can be a large traumatic incident before the spot appears.
• There can be a history of new shoes being worn.
• There can be a history of new exercise or job being started recently.
• Running or jogging.
• Slamming toe or fingernail.

Consider 4 other causes to black toenails:

• Toenail Fungus.
• Subungual Hematoma.
• Pseudomonas Infection.
• Black Streaks Under The Nail.

Home treatment of red under the toenail:

If you are feeling extreme throbbing try the 5 following things:

1) Ice the toenail!

The first step is to take some ice and apply it to the jammed toenail to decrease the inflammation in the area.

• This will help decrease the immediate pain.
• This will also help decrease the healing time over the next few days.
• It will increase the odds of your toenail not falling off.

2) Put some pressure on it.

• Wrap it to stop the Toe From Swelling.
• Don’t make it too tight.
• You still want to feel the toe.

  

3) Anti-inflammatory medication.

If you are healthy enough(with podiatrist or pharmacist), it is a good idea to take some anti-inflammatory medications. These will help decrease the swelling and the pain.

• Decreases the pain.
• Increases the healing time.
• Increases chances of keeping the nail.

4) If it is still hurting - go see a podiatrist to have the blood drained.

The podiatrist can drill through your toenail and drain the blood out the bottom if the pain is still hurting. This is considered the ultimate treatment!

5) Prevention is the best medicine!

• Get your shoes fitted properly.
• Try a Brannock Device
• Measure the arch length, foot length and the foot width.
• Cut your toenails properly.
• Don’t leave the toenails too long.

To learn more about red spot under the toenail visit this link. 

Do you have black spot under the toenail?

A black spot under the toenail is usually caused by one of four common problems: Learn what to do below!

Black spot under the toenail causes:

There are four common causes that I have seen of a black spot under the big toenail, here they are listened in order from most common to least common:

1) Jogger’s toe.

Jogger’s toe is essentially just “overuse toe”. The trick with this one is it sneaks up on people without any pain! Be aware that you can still have bleeding underneath your toenail and it doesn’t have to be extremely For example I just saw a woman had a scary black toenail without any cause. But the more I talked to her I realized she bought new shoes and started Zumba classes. She was exercising more, had small shoes and was not suffering from any pain!

Black spot under the toenail

Diagnosis:

• Sometimes no pain.
• Small shoes.
• New shoes.
• New exercise regimine.
• Heavy running or work.
• Traumatic injury.
• Dropping something on your foot.
• It will grow out over time.
• It will not get bigger over time.

2) Subungual melamona (black streak or mole).

This is as a result of a mole! These can appear underneath your toenail or around the toenail. The first step is to keep an eye on these and see if they are getting bigger. These can be dangerous, so if they are getting bigger or growing into the skin- go see a podiatrist or foot doctor immediately!

Diagnosis

• No Pain.
• It is getting bigger.
• It has been there a long time.
• No cause for its appearance.
• It may be growing into the tissue.
• See our “Is it dangerous guide?“

3) Pseudomonas bacterial infection.

Greenish-black spot under the toenail

This is different than toenail fungus- this is an bacterial infection. This means it comes quick and strong, then gets cured for good once you see a podiatrist. This goes against toenail fungus which is very slow and resistant.
Pseudomonas is a bacteria that loves oxygenated moist environments like wet mud and pond water. If you have been around any of these recently and you start getting greenish-black toenails, it may be this!
You should go see your podiatrist or foot doctor for some antibiotics!  It can also be confirmed by it’s sweet smelling grape-like odor.

Diagnosis:

• No Pain
• Greenish-black.
• Appears quickly.
• Sweet, grape-like odor.

4) Black toenail fungus.

Toenail fungus usually doesn’t present as a black spot under the toenail, but I had heard people describe it this way! So if this is you, here you go. Toenail fungus can present as many different types. It can grow from the front, the base, the sides or invade the entire nail. Visit our complete guide to learn more:

The complete toenail fungus guide.

Diagnosis

• Thick Toenails.
• Yellowish-green.
• Crumbling toenails.
• Discolored.
• Appear slowly and last forever.
• No Pain.
• Usually associated with older age, smoking and diabetes.

I hope that information on this  page may help you solve problem with your black spot under the toenail! For more information see this link.

Do you see white patches on toenails?

White patches on toenails are usually due to dehydration (especially from nail polish) – Learn what all the causes are and learn what to do about them!

Causes of white toenail patches

• White patches on the toenails are most commonly caused by dehydration and drying.
• This is most commonly seen after the removal of toenail polish!
• It can be a type of nail fungus, but don’t worry it usually is not.
• These white patches can also be caused by simply stubbing your nail against something, this is called Leukonychia. Don’t worry, leukonychia is harmless as well. These white marks will grow out normally.
• In cases after pedicures and manicures, and if you are sick- it is possible to catch white fungus. This is called white superficial onychomycosis.
• The least common and most severe cause of white stains on your toenails is due to systemic diseases.

Are white toenail patches dangerous?

In most cases toenail patches are not dangerous. The only time you should really be worried is if you have it due to systemic causes. But in most cases you probably knew that there was something wrong anyway, so the white marks themselves are no big deal.
It is very easy to treat these white stains and rehydrate them in most cases. If it is a cases of superficial toenail fungus, it is very easy to treat as well.

by nail polish leading are “keratin granulations” that are frequently misdiagnosed as superficial white onychomycosis but there are other reasons white stains can occur on the toenails and fingernails. The other causes of white stains on your toenails are due to scraping or hitting your nails, nail fungus or due to other systemic problems. The systemic problems option should not be suspected unless you rule out all the other options, so don’t worry!

Home treatment guide for white patches on toenails

1) Keratin granulations from nail polish

Skip straight to the keratin granulation treatment guide

White patches on toenails

Nail polish can dehydrate the nail leading to what is called “keratin granulations”. This is an extremely tricky diagnosis as almost everyone will think that this is a common type of nail fungus called superficial white onychomycosis. It is more likely to occur the older you get, but have no fear, there is an easy treatment that works in most people!

Home treatment guide:

1. Buy some cutical oil or any other emollient and apply it daily to the nail until it starts to get better.
2. You can use any moisturizing agent to perform this function, they do not add water to the skin or the nail, but simply prevent water water loss from the cells.
3. Nail polish really dries out the nail, so oils help reverse those dehydrating effects.
4. The nail should get better in a matter of days or weeks.
5. If you let your nails grow out because the moisturizing agent is not working; the bad news is that toenails and fingernails only grow at a rate of 1 millimeter per month. This means 6-9 months for toenails and potentially even longer for fingernails.
6. It is very difficult to make the nails grow any faster. There are many gimmicks out there that report stronger nails, but really all you can do is increase your metabolism and health by getting some more sun and exercising. Fun Fact: Nails grow up to 50% faster in the summer over the winter.

For more on keratin granulations:

 Keratin granulation treatment guide

2) White patches due to trauma

White Patches can also occur due to damage to the keratin(the substance that makes up the nails) and it is usually irreversible and you should just wait until it grows out. Think of this as a scar that happens to your nail plate.

White patches on toenails

Home treatment guide

1. The bad news is that toenails and fingernails only grow at a rate of 1 millimeter per month.
2. This means 6-9 months for toenails and potentially even longer for fingernails.
3. It is very difficult to make the nails grow any faster.
4. There are many gimmicks out there that report stronger nails, but really all you can do is increase your metabolism and health by getting some more sun and exercising.
5. Fun Fact: Nails grow up to 50% faster in the summer over the winter.

3) White stains that are due to superficial white onychomycosis (nail fungus)

Nail fungus can look very similar to keratin granulations. It is very difficult to differentiate these from keratin granulations. One factor that may lead you more to this is if you can try and scrape off the fungus.

White patches on toenails

Home treatment guide

1. Go see your podiatrist to make sure.
2. If you treat your nails as keratin granulations and they don’t get better after 1-2 weeks, suspect this.
3. If you are immune suppressing medication, suspect this.

Click on this link to our comprehensive nail fungus home treatment guide. Always be sure to see a podiatrist if you are ever unsure!

4) White nails due to systemic problems

If the nail does not seem like described in the above three situations, it may be due to a vitamin deficiency or systemic problem
Consider these scenarios for white patches on toenails:

• Do you have any systemic medical conditions
• Are you are many medications?
• Has your diet decreased.
• Do you not get enough vitamins and nutrients?

If this applies to you go see your podiatrist or foot doctor.

I hope that with all information presented here you will be able to take care and solve problem with your white patches on toenails!

For more information about white patches on toenails see this link.

Do you see black streaks under your toenails or fingernails?

Black Streaks under the nails (fingernails or the toenails) can be very dangerous. Follow our diagnosis guide to see if you should be worried!

Black streaks under the nails.

Most people should not be worried!

A thick black dark streak could be a subungual melanoma- a type of skin cancer. Don’t be too worried though, the odds are low that you actually have this tough, but better safe than sorry!
Watch the following video to get a better idea if this is what you have:

Dangerous causes black streaks under the fingernails or toenails:

• Subungual melanoma is the most dangerous cause. It is a very rare form of skin cancer; it is usually seen between ages forty to seventy. It is not due to sun exposure or trauma. It just appears one day without any incident. If your dark spot appears after an injury then you are most likely on the safe side.

Safe causes of black streaks in the fingernails and toenails:

• The odds of the streak in your fingernail are actually pretty low because a lot of people, especially African Americans normally have light thin streaks of dark pigment that that form a vertical line down their nail which is completely normal. It is very easy to predict whether the streak is dangerous or safe.
• Normal vertical streaks of pigment that are not melanoma. This is especially common in non-white individuals. These are usually thin lines in a very normal looking nail; check the guide below to see if you are on the safe side or if you should go get it checked out.
• Trauma and loss of fingernail leading to a streak of blood. But this should eventually grow out at 1mm per month. If the blood is not advancing then you should get it checked out just to be safe!

Probably safe (but should still visit the podiatrist) if:

• The streak is less than 3 millimeters in width.
• The streak is uniform in length and of continuous color as it progresses down the nail.
• The streak or pigment is only present in the nail and not in the skin.
• The nail is not deformed, bloody or cracked in that area.
• The nail looks normal compared to the other nails.

Black Streaks Under the Nails.

Visit a podiatrist for a biopsy immediately if:

• The black streak is over 3 millimeters in width.
• The streak is widest at the start of the nail origin.
• The streak is not uniform or appears disrupted.
• The streak changes color the further you get.
• The streak continues from under the nail into the skin, termed “Hutchinson’s sign”.
• The nail becomes deformed, bloody or starts to crack in the area of the streak.
• The nail looks very unusual compared to the other nails.
• The streak is more common in the thumb and the big toe.
• The streak may even be white; in this case be aware of a nodule or irregularity that is forming under the nail plate.
• If you have ever considered that there may be a wart underneath your nail that is just not healing.

Subungual Melanoma:

• The outlook is usually very good if the cancer is confined to just the toe.
• Most people that suffer from this disease have avoided seeking treatment for many, many years. It has usually spread far throughout the body.
• If you are cautious and follow up on the streaking and ulcerating in a reasonable amount of time, you will most likely be safe.
• The cure consists of excising the lesion or amputation the tip of your fingernail.
• See your podiatrist as soon as possible!

To learn more about the black streaks under the nails visit this link!

Do you require permanent ingrown toenail removal surgery?

AKA partial nail avulsion

Removing the outside edge of the nail plate in a procedure known as a partial toenail avulsion is is the best permanent ingrown toenail removal surgery. The nail matrix is then permanently inhibited from ever growing that nail edge back. When performed correctly this procedure is shown to be the greatest possible option for keeping your ingrown toenail away.

Permanent ingrown toenail removal surgery

Prior to surgery- See our complete guide for Ingrown Toenails
See our complete home remedy guide on removing ingrown toenails at home. We discuss how to perform soaks to soften the skin, how to cut down the nail with very little pain and then prevent an infection from occurring in the area.

Option prior to permanent ingrown toenail removal surgery

1) Complete or partial toenail avulsion
- This refers to the removal of the nail in the podiatrist’s office. The big toe is first numbed up with anesthetic so that you won’t feel a thing. The edge of the nail is then cut out, or if something is really wrong with the nail- the whole nail may be removed and allowed to then grow back. In some cases it does grow back and a nail avulsion with inhibition of the nail matrix must be attempted. In most cases this is unnecessary as the nail will grow back normally.

2) Partial toenail avulsion with nail matrix inhibition.
- If the nail regrows in the painful position, the avulsion should be attempted with chemicals or electricity to stop the nail from re-growing. Most offices will use phenol which works very well, but some people advocate that newer techniques such as using electricity or a laser to stop the nail from re-growing are the best options. Research is limited on this opinion, but the claims are decreased inflammation and more regular healing when using electricity.

3) Complete excision of the nail in the operating room.
- Although this method is the most guaranteed to work, it is usually only used if you are going into the OR for a second larger procedure like a bunion or hammertoe surgery. The cost to benefit ratio doesn’t really make sense otherwise.

Ingrown toenail removal surgery

Supplies:
Sterile gloves, Iodine solution, Syringe with lidocaine, gauze, spatula, 2 straight hemostats, sterile rubber band, Nail splitter (English Anvil), electrocautery unit.

Procedure description:
1) Patient’s toe is prepped with povidone-iodine solution. Digital block is performed with lidocaine(2-3ml of lidocaine on each side of the toe).
2) The toe should be given 10 minutes to become numb.
3) The rubber band should be tied at the base of the toe to reduce bleeding during the procedure. Clamp it tight with a hemostat
4) A drape should be placed to obstruct the patient’s view to prevent fainting.
5) The outside edge of the nail should be loosened underneath with a spatula, and then the nail splitter should cut the edge all the way back to the base of the nail. The hemostat should then turn the nail in and remove it from the base. Make sure that no nail spicules remain in that area.
6) The electrocautery unit or phenol should then be applied to the nail matrix for 10-30 seconds. Make sure there is no blood in the area.  If there excess granulated tissue to the area, this can then be treated as well at this point electrically or cut out.
7) Apply antibiotic ointment and put on a dressing.
8) Prescribe an anti-inflammatory medication.

To learn more about removal of ingrown toenails see this link.

Do you have curved toenails?

A thick and curved toenail can jam into the corner of your skin and cause some serious pain! If it is too painful to cut out yourself- follow our tips for getting better!

Curved big toenail

 Ingrown toenail?

A curved or ingrown toenail is a very common problem which occurs when the corner of your toenail grows into the soft border of your toe. If the pain is not that bad, you can just cut the corner out yourself and after a day or two the swelling will decrease and you will feel much better. If you can’t seem to get to the corner because it is too painful, follow this guide on getting that corner out of there!
If you have diabetes, problems with bleeding, poor circulation or any other medical problem- go see your podiatrist immediately!

Causes of curved toenails inward:

The cause is not the most important part, usually they are just curved in genetically. This may also be because of your biomechanics or an increase in weight over the years. If you think there may be something going on with your walking biomechanics, go see a podiatrist for an evaluation.

• Wearing tight shoes that crowd your toenails.
• Cutting the nails too short.
• Injury to your toenails.
• Jamming your toenail.
• Most Common: Genetically curved or hardened toenail.

Thick curved toenail symptoms

Uninfected
You are probably fine if none of these symptoms are taking place:

• No Nausea, fever or chills.
• No pus is present.
• Toe doesn’t smell unusual.
• Toe is not really hot.

Infected
If this is you , get your but to the emergency room or your doctor to get some antibiotics. There is poor blood flow to the ends of the toes and this can take a long time to heal or worse!

• Redness that is spreading.
• Swollen nail bed & toe is very warm.
• Increased nausea, fever or chills.

If you think you may have toenail fungus instead:

If your nails are thick, crumbly and discolored, follow our complete toenail fungus guide.

Home treatment of thick curved toenails

First make sure to check if the skin is broken or irritated around the curved toenail edge. Make sure to have an antibiotic ointment around, we want to keep this from developing any type of infection!

Tip #1: Epsom soaks and splint the nail.

• Soak the foot in warm water once or twice for 15-30mins. You can added Epsom salts for added benefit. Just add a couple table spoons to your warm water foot bath.
• Epsom salts can help may the nails and skin much more soft. They are very cheap an available at most stores, the help moisten and swell the tissues around the nail.There is limited scientific research on the added benefits of Epsom salts. But there is a huge amount of testimonial data (as with most natural cures).

Tip #2: splint the nail after soaking.

• Continue these baths until they have made the nail and the skin softer allowing better evaluation or cutting of the corner. Once there is less pain you can move onto the next step.
• After the nail is more flexible, try to lift the nail and put some gauze or a band-aid underneath the sharp and painful corner. Doing this will allow the nail to grow out over the edge of the nail bed.
• You can also try using a nail clipper to just snip the edge of the nail at this point as well.

Tip #3: cut the curved toenail across.

Don’t cut curved toenails inward

• The general recommendation is to cut the nail across. rather than curving it back.
• I say at this point: just cut out what is bothering you, because that is the most important thing.
• Usually you shoudl try and cut across though.

Tip #4: make sure you apply antibiotic ointment.

• Most Important: Make sure to apply antibiotic ointment over the red area. Any ointment is good (Neosporin, Triple antibiotic ointment, bacitracin etc).

Tip #5: wear open shoes.

• Wear open shoes like sandals until it gets better.
• Or try to wear shoes with a nice amount of room in the front.
• You can lso keep the cotton ball jammed under the corner of the nail for added relief.
• Don’t wear things like any high heeled shoes or dress shoes, your nail might push against the edges after a couple hours and cause some serious pain.

Tip #6: take anti-inflammatory medication.

• If there is severe pain, it never hurts to take some pain relievers.
• PS- Always check with your doctor 1st!
• Acetaminophen (Tylenol and others)
• Ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin and others)

Tip #7: prevention!

• Trim your toenails straight across.
• Prevent cutting them far too short.
• Wear shoes with enough room in the front.
• Wear protecting shoes if you work a job that puts your toes at risk.

Tip #8: get the nail edge permanently removed.

• If it comes back for many months, a 15 minute podiatrist appointment will get rid of that edge for good!
• Take a look at our nail edge removal guide.

When to go see a podiatrist:

• Come see us the ingrown toenail keeps coming back and causing you pain.
• You should not have an ingrown toenail for more than a couple months.
• Early treatment includes splints, cotton wicks, plastic strips, plastic tubes down the side of the nail, plastic type glue under the corner is possible.
• The 1st step is to resect the nail after some numbing medication is used, then correct the underlying problem, whether it be nail dystrophy or nail fungus.
• The 2nd step is to see if it comes back in 1-2 months. An X-ray should be taken to rule out a bone spur under the nail.  A nail avulsion may be attempted- this is a permanent resection of that border of the nail ensuring it will never grow back.
• Tetanus prophylaxis may be needed. 1st the podiatrist will numb around the base of the toe, then cut back on the nail and use sodium hydroxide or phenol in the nail bed to keep the nail from growing back .
• If an infection is present- Antibiotics will be necessary, then the toe is covered by ointment and gauze- you will be back on your feet in no time!
• More extensive surgery can be used in very severe cases to remove the entire nail. The nail matrix is then treated with Phenol to prevent re-growth.
• This nail resection procedure usually keeps the border away for good!

For more information about curved toenails and treatment visit this link.

Do you have very long toe nails?

Very long Toe Nails are a frequently encountered problem that is easily correctable! Follow our guide to learn how.

Very long toe nails treatment

What  causes very long toe nails?

If you have very long toe nails and it is not fungal nails (onychomycosis) then it is almost always a condition called onychogryphosis or mechanically induced nail trauma. The stem cells that grow the nail are permanently damaged and you have a very thick and difficult to trim nail- but it is usually a normal color. This is especially common on the first and the fifth toenails.

Symptoms

• Thick, crumbly and tender nails that can result in an ingrown toenails.
• The surface of the nails becomes thick and rough.
• This pressure is transferred into the nail bed and causes pain.
• They can impair walking by injuring the adjacent toenails and but becoming long and curved.

Prevention

• Most likely your shoes are too small, get bigger ones!
• Check if you are sore at your big toenail and fifth toenail, this means too tight.
• Keep you nails trimmed with a heavy duty nipper.
• Use a moisturizing agent on the nail.

Causes

• Most commonly in people who work on their feet all day.
• Most common cause – Small shoes that constantly crush the base of the nails or long distance running or athletics that create chronic rubbing against the shoe.
• Pregnancy(swollen toes) is a very common cause of thick nails!
• Injury, infection, peripheral vascular disease, diabetes or even malnutrition

Home  treatment for very long toe nails

• Soak the foot in warm water 3-4x per day for 15-30mins, this will make the nail and the skin softer easier trimming of the nails. It also makes the nails softer for using an emery board or a pumice stone to make the nails smoother on top.
• If the nail is ingrown and causing you any pain: Soak the nail as above and try to lift the nail and put some gauze or a bandaid underneath the sharp and painful corner. WATCH VIDEO.
• Be careful attempting to cut out the ingrowth yourself, if you cut yourself at all go see a podiatrist immediatly, especially if you have diabetes, you have unusually bad foot circulation or any other systemic medical condition.
• Avoid heels or tight shoes until the nails become softer and you are able to cut the thickness down. It is good to use a Brannock device to measure your shoe in width, length and arch length.
• When trimming your nails, cut straight across. Do not round the corners.
• Keep the nail thin and make sure the nail curvature remains decreased.

Podiatrist treatment for very long toe nails

• Essential to go see the podiatrist if this ever comes back or if the nail ever penetrates your skin after trying to take care of it at home.
• Early treatment can be splints, cotton wicks, plastic strips, plastic tubes down the side of the nail, plastic type glue under the corner is possible.
• The physician can attempt a nail avulsion.
• The 1st step is to resect the nail after some numbing medication is used, then correct the underlying problem, whether it be nail dystrophy or nail fungus.
• The 2nd step is to see if it comes back in 1-2 months. An X-ray should be taken to rule out a bone spur under the nail.  A nail avulsion may be attempted- this is a permanent resection of that border of the nail ensuring it will never grow back.
• Tetanus prophylaxis may be needed. 1st the podiatrist will numb around the base of the toe, then cut back on the nail and use sodium hydroxide or phenol in the nail bed to keep the nail from growing back If an infection is present- Antibiotics will be necessary, then the toe is covered by ointment and gauze- you will be back on your feet in no time!
• More extensive surgery can be used in very severe cases to remove the entire nail. The nail matrix is then treated with Phenol to prevent re-growth.

For more information on very long toe nails see this link.

Do you have toenail fungus?

Advice from a Toenail Fungus Podiatrist: Yellow and thick toenails are usually note even caused by the fungus, but by the skin under the nail bed!

Kill your toenail fungus infection

Causes of a severe toenail fungus infection?

Yellow and thick toenails are not always caused by a problem with the cells that are responsible for growing the nail. Yellow and thick nails are actually caused by what is happening in the nail bed!
Dr. Bradley Bakotic , THE leading foot dermatology-pathologist (backed by cutting edge publications),  states that the toenail itself is rarely even thickened. He states that it is the skin under the toenail becomes thick and spongy; it then causes the nail to lift and the callus makes the toenail appear yellow. The thick skin under the toenail is really what is making the nail look yellow and deformed!
Over time the nails lose their blood flow from the skin underneath them and become dry, brittle and detach from the skin underneath it. The nails lose their pink appearance because the blood vessels underneath the nail plate are no longer visible. This also means that the immune cells don’t have access to the area under the nail because they are blocked off by the spongy and thick tissue. This leaves the area ripe for fungal invasion.

A less pink nail bed makes the nail yellow, not the fungus!

Only now does fungus get under the toenail

Once this process begins to happen, it creates a space for fungus to enter underneath the nail. This is why nail fungus is so hard to cure! Toenail fungus is not really the cause of ugly nails, but an inevitable progression from the callus formation under the nail states Dr. Bakotic and recent literature. The fungus is not what is causing your nail to look bad. Your nail looking bad is what is allowing the fungus to get underneath it! My mind was absolutely blown the first time I heard this!

Ask yourself these questions before kill or remove the fungus:

It is a good idea to skim over these commonly encountered problems. Otherwise you could spend months and huge $$$ attempting to treat the wrong problem!

Solutions to save time and money!

1) How to fix severe toenail fungus?

**No need to read this if you read the stuff above, but make sure to understand that the fungus is not the only thing to fix!**
Read this before attempting any home cure! You must understand that the fungus is not what is causing your toenail fungus. If you attempt to treat only the fungus your nails will never look better! There is something predisposing you to being able to catch the nail fungus. Read point #2 to find out why you are susceptible and if it is even worth pursuing a cure.

2) Who is most susceptible to toenail fungus

First there must be some type of trauma causing
Systemic Factors

• old age.
• Immunosuppression.
• Poor peripheral circulation.
• Nail psoriasis.
• Onychomycosis susceptibility genetics (very rare).

Agent Factors

• Exotic non-responsive organisms (<10%)
• This is very unlikely

Environmental Factors

• Occupational factors- excessive sweat
• Occlusive footwear
• Prolonged contact with water or sugary food

3) Is toenail fungus contagious?

Toenail fungus is not contagious unless you are susceptible to it. There is fungus everywhere, but not everyone gets it. It is only usually systemically compromised people. The people listed in #2  are more contagious and susceptible for toenail fungus because of their systemic problems. You also need to be experiencing some microtrauma and irritation; this allows the fungus a route to get under the nail.

4) Does nail polish cause toenail fungus?

It is very common to remove your nail polish and see white chalky nails. But don’t panic, it is probably not nail fungus! This is a condition known as keratin granulations almost all of the time; unless you are already susceptible for fungus and the nail polish was just masking it. There is still a chance it may be a type of nail fungus called white superficial onychomycosis; if you are worried go see your toenail fungus podiatrist because running a lab test is the only way to know for sure.

5) Black toenail fungus?

If you have black toenail fungus, then this is likely not even toenail fungus. If you suspect black toenail fungus then look at these options first:

• Bleeding under the toenail - Heavy running, traumatic injury or new shoes can cause this.
• A mole underneath the toenail – If it is a black streak or a linear smudge.
• Pseudomonas infection- if it is black and green.

What should you use to clear and eliminate your toenail fungus:

Should you try a  Natural Home Cure? Or go straight to the podiatrist for heavy duty treatment? If you meet the criteria for option number 1 – you should try using home, natural or topical treatment first. There is no guarantee that it will work, but there is no harm in trying it out. Going to a good toenail fungus podiatrist will  boost your chances from about 0% in severe toenail fungus to above 90% according to published medical studies.

1) Natural, homeopathic home remedies or topical creams:

The home remedies and topical creams are not very effective on their own. They normally work under 40% when the conditions are right. If the conditions are not right, then there is virtually a 0% chance of them working. This does not mean that they are bad, you can combine for greater effect with strategies I will show you. There is also no harm in trying the easy solution first and seeing what happens. So see if you qualify for these home remedies:
Use Home Treatment or Over The Counter Medication if:

• Area of nail involvement is under 50% of the total nail surface.
• There is no ingrowing of the nails into the skin edges.
• The nail is not painful.
• The skin under and around the nail still looks normal and has not yet become thick.
• No White, yellow, orange, brown streaks in the nail exist.

2) Go see your toenail fungus podiatrist:

**Unfortunately if your nail is over 50% involved, it will be very difficult (but still possible) to cure your nail fungus at home**
A toenail fungus podiatrist can provide you with many services such as evaluating why you are predisposed to toenail fungus in the first place. They can correct these problems and make sure you are not susceptible for further toenail fungus. They can also place you on systemic medications, which when combined with dremeling and topical medications can produce an 90%+ cure rate.
You need a Podiatrist if:

• If you have trouble walking or have toe pain.
• If you have never been evaluated for why you have space under your toenail.
• If this is all very overwhelming to you.
• If all toenails are 100% involved, thick or crumbling.
• Immunosuppression (Diabetes, Rheumatoid arthritis or any systemic disease).
• Diminished peripheral circulation (Peripheral vascular disease, smoking, high blood pressure or more).
• Poor nail growth (nail has detached before, loose edges).
• If you are over 65 years of age.
• If you are a child under 18 years of age.

How to get cured: the home treatment review guide

Note #1: Be careful using any of these methods at home- this guide is for educational use only and should never be attempted without a toenail fungus podiatrist for supervision.
Note #2: Remember that any home treatment or topical medication will only give you a 40% cure rate. And that is if you qualify for home treatment. Home Treatment or Over the Counter Medications will not work if you have any of the following:

• >50% nail involvement.
• An entire hand or foot involved.
• Any systemic abnormalities that will depress your immune system: Smoking, PVD, Diabetes etc.
• Any of the criteria listed above.

Note #3: If you still want to try these- your toenail fungus won’t get any worse. It may even be advised that these be combined with the more advanced systemic medications. Check with your toenail fungus podiatrist.

Home treatment reviews (in progress - check back!)

Before you get started, get one of the following tools:

• Emery Board.
• Nail File.
• Pumice Stone

Thinning your nails makes treatment 25%+ more effective!

Studies show that using an emery board to file your nails down in thickness increase the effectiveness of all of the following treatments by 15-25%. This is especially impressive when they only had a 40% chance of working in the first place!

A thick layer of fungal biofilm needs to be removed to allow treatment penetration.

The toenail fungus can create a thick impenetrable layer of biofilm that prevents treatment agents from entering into the nail bed. This lack of penetration under the nail plate is the #1 cause of treatment failure!
Research states that as you thin down your nails with an emery board or a pumice stone as described in treatment, you gain a 15-25% increased chance of the following treatments in working for you. So trim and thin your nails before the following treatments are tried!

A) Vick’s vapor rub treatment

• A Spanish study states that Vick’s Vapor rub is very effective.
• The Mayo Clinic states that while many people vouch for this treatment method, it is difficult to prove that the Vick’s Vapor Rub is effective.

Vick’s Vapor Rub contains ingredients which have been independently proven to have anti-fungal properties in studies.

• Camphor (4.8%).
• Thymol (1.2%).
• Menthol (2.6%).

What to do:

1. For this to work, you must fix whatever is allowing you to be infected with toenail fungus in the 1st place.
2. Rub it onto your nail every night before you go to bed.
3. Put some socks over it so it does not get onto your sheets.
4. It is essential that you do this for at least 6 weeks to 3 months to eradicate the fungus from your nails.
5. The nails then need 6-9 months to grow out.

B) Apple cider vinegar soak treatment

• A Michigan State University (MSU) study shows that Vinegar has anti-fungal properties.
• The MSU study has specifically to reduce nail fungus symptoms and even cure the fungus, but it was in very superficial fungus in completely healthy people.
• Apple Cider Vinegar provides a inhospitable acidic environment for the fungus. It is common to hear stories about how pouring just a little bit on foot skin fungus has made people almost instantaneously better!

What to do:

1. Pour some apple vinegar or some white vinegar (either is fine) into a tub of warm water.
2. The mixture can be 50/50 or 33/66 if your skin becomes irritated.
3. If the skin becomes irritated, then slow the treatment down; do it every second day instead of every day.
4. It is essential that you do this for at least 6 weeks to 3 months to eradicate the fungus from your nails.
5. The nails then need 6-9 months to grow out.
6. Put lemon or orange peels into the vinegar while you are storing it within the fridge, this will help eliminate the vinegar smell.

C) Listerine treatment

There is much less research behind using Listerine for toenail fungus. But like vick’s vapor rub, there is a good amount of testimonials stating it works, and the ingredients are anti-fungal. Thus there has to be something behind it.
Listerine contains the ingredients which have been independently proven to have anti-fungal properties in studies.

• Camphor.
• Thymol.
• Menthol.

What to do:

• The goal is to rub it onto your nail every night before you go to bed for six weeks.
• Pour some Listerine into a tub of warm water.
• The mixture can be 50/50 or 33/66 if your skin becomes irritated.
• If skin is irritated do it every second day instead of every day.
• It is essential that you do this for at least 6 weeks to 3 months to eradicate the fungus from your nails.
• The nails then need 6-9 months to grow out.

Prevent toenail fungus from coming back!

It is amazing how difficult it is to treat your fungal nails, but then people jump right back into the situations that caused it in the first place. It is essential that you start to control your sweating, correct your footwear (and throw out the disgusting gym shoes!), use anti-sweat powders and use lysol to spray down your old shoes.

To learn more about toenail fungus treatments see this link.

Do you have fractured hallux?

A fractured hallux usually occur as a result of severe impact and usually have associated bruising, but there are times you don’t have much bruising at all. If you think your toe is broken from running or repetitive stress, then it is likely just a sore bruised toe or a stress fracture, not a broken toe.
The only way to know for sure is to go in for an X-ray, because if the toe is not obviously deformed then it is impossible to know for sure. There are some tricks that may sway you one way or the other, but this is risky because ***If the fracture is serious and not properly healed – you will have permanent arthritis****.

Broken 1st & 2nd toe

Rough guide for a fractured hallux vs bruised hallux:

1) Feel for a deformity – if it is uneven it is a broken toe.
2) Wiggling your toe- if no severe pain or rubbing/popping sound, may not be a break.
3)If your toe is extremely swollen (2x the size)- it may be broken.
4)Compare that toe to your other foot, if it looks shorter or bent – it may be broken.
5)Check your temperature- after a break you are more likely to have the surrounding area inflammed.

Concerns of a bruised or fractured hallux

• Pain: Instant if fracture or gradual if a stress fracture from running.
• Swelling and Stiffness occur very quickly, the toe will not look normal.
• Blood under the nail called a subungual hematoma which needs be drained if swollen, or the nail could fall off and be abnormal for the rest of your life.
• An open fracture with a tear in the skin is extremely prone to infection and will need to be treated with antibiotics at the emergency room.
• ***If the fracture is not properly reduced – you will have permanent arthritis, it is better to play it safe and get it X-rayed if it looks really bad***
• Often with fractures of the smaller toes, the patient is not aware that they have a fracture.

When to call a podiatrist for a fractured hallux?

• Play it safe and go get an X-ray right off the bat, it probably does not need surgery or the re-attachment of ligaments, but better to be safe than sorry. Most people will get arthritis and pain for the rest of their life is it is even slightly displaced.
• If the pain is getting worse, especially after anti-inflammatory treatment and icing as described below.

When to go to the ER for a fractured hallux?

• Toes turn white, blue or gray colored- *Arterial injury*
• Numbness or tingling *nerve injury*
• Play it safe and go get an X-ray right off the bat, it probably does not need surgery or the re-attachment of ligaments, but better to be safe than sorry.

Treatment

Home treatment for a fractured hallux:

• Ice: This is not just about pain! It will decrease the inflammation and decrease the time needed to heal. Put ice in a bag and hold apply it for 15-20 minutes every 2hours or so for the 1st day. Leave some cloth inbetween the ice and the skin.
• Elevation: Like above, it is more than about pain. Recline in a chair and elevate our foot while watching tv, the more the better, elevation can take days or weeks off your healing time.
• Non-weight bearing: wearing a surgical shoe or using crutches increases the healing rate and potential. There are clinic trials that correlate a reduction in body weight to healing time and quality.
• Pain medication: Ibuprofen or other anti-inflammatories are great at reducing inflammation, again this is not just for the pain, but it decreases the swelling and increases the healing speed. Check the recommended dose for your drug of choice.
• Combine icing, elevation, non-weight bearing and pain medication gives you the best chance at healing as quickly as possible.
• If it is a small toe it is possible to tape the toes together with a piece of cotton in between to keep them from bending as much.
• Play it safe and go get an X-ray right off the bat, it probably does not need surgery or the re-attachment of ligaments, but better to be safe than sorry.
  

What a podiatrist can do for your fractured hallux

• Get an x-ray to check the severity of the broken or bruised big toe.
• Reduction of the bone under anesthesia.
• Surgical shoe, cast or pneumatic compression boot to help prevent non-union or malunion.
• Surgery if the bone is displaced to prevent arthritis or deformity.
• Play it safe and go get an X-ray right off the bat, it probably does not need surgery or the re-attachment of ligaments, but better to be safe than sorry.

To see more information about a fractured hallux see this link.

Do you have swollen painful toe?

A swollen painful toe can be caused by a number of reasons. We outline and link to more detail of some of the more common ones.

 

What causes a swollen painful toe?

There are many possible reasons for a swollen toe. It could be due to a traumatic injury, overuse injury or even an underlying medical condition.
The toes consist of three bones called the phalanges, with the exception of the big toe (or hallux) which contains only 2. These bones are held together by ligaments. Tendons also pass through the toes and connect to these bones to allow movement when the muscles within the foot and lower leg contract. You will also find nerves and blood vessels in the toes.

Traumatic injuries

If you have dropped something on your toe or been involved in a traumatic incident such as a tackle or a car accident, then a swollen toe could indicate:

• A broken toe

• Bruising of the bone or surrounding soft tissue

• A ligament injury if the toe was bent backwards or twisted e.g. turf toe

• Overuse injuries- an overuse injury is one that comes on gradually, rather than following a specific incident. Pain usually gradually increases.

• Metatarsalgia

• Tendonitis – inflammation of one of the tendons in the toe.

• Bursitis – often secondary to a hammer toe and located on the top of the second toe.

   

 Certain medical conditions may result in swelling in the feet and toes:

• Gout - other symptoms will include redness, heat and pain.

• Arthritis.

• Infection.

• Venous thrombosis (blood clot).

• Allergic reaction (to anything from medications, to food, to insect bites.

   

Treatment of a swollen painful toe

Treatment will depend on the cause of the swelling. Visit your Doctor or a sports injury specialist for an assessment. If you suspect it may be any of the medical conditions listed, visit your Doctor as soon as possible.
If the swelling is as a result of a traumatic injury, swelling can be reduced by resting, applying cold therapy and elevating the foot.

For more on a swollen painful toe visit this link.

Do you have itchy rash on the arch or heel of the foot?

An itchy rash on the arch or heel of the foot is an extremely common problem to have. Since the arch of your foot is very thin, it is a prime target for feeling the effects of the itching and irritation. The most common causes are eczema, dehydration of the skin, dermatitis due to irritation by a material (sock or shoe) and athlete’s foot (Tinea Pedis). These are usually very easily treated since the offending agent can be removed or corrected and the fungus easily treated compared to the more difficult nail fungus.

Itchy Rash on the Arch or Heel of the Foot

Symptoms of an itchy foot arch rash:

• Red or violet skin color.
• Inflamed skin.
• Blisters if very severe (Assume acute fungal infection or athlete’s foot).
• Flaky dry skin (assume chronic fungal infection).
• Peeling skin.
• Bleeding and scarring from scratching.

Prevention of itchy rash on the arch or heel:

The majority of causes of itchy foot arch rashes consist of irritations that should be removed by trying to remove different materials that may be irritating your feet such as the socks, shoes or detergents. The second major cause is due to dehydration which can be prevented by wearing thinner socks, moisturizing your feet after taking a bath or shower;  The third common cause is hygiene- simply washing and moisturizing may take care of it; the fourth major cause if fungal infection which will need an athlete’s foot medication to take care of the problem.

• Allergies to a material.
• Dehydration (low humidity and wet feet that need to be moisturized).
• Overly sweaty feet due to bacteria (pomphylox which may need medication and moisturizing).
• Overly sweaty feet due to heat (need better socks).
• Insect, tick or flea bites.
• Sock material irritation.
• Shoe material irritation.
• Soap, laundry detergent or perfume irritation.
• Pregnant women hormones.
• Poor foot hygiene.
• Lack of moisturizing after bathing or showering.

Home treatment of an itchy foot arch and heel rash

First you should identify what the cause of your athlete’s foot is which may be an involved process, but try the above preventions first.

Stage 1: Remove the cause of the problem

• Wash feet your feet with soap regularly.
• Moisturize with any moisturizing cream after your feet get wet (this prevents dehydration) every time for 2 weeks!
• Change the material of your socks or any other material that may be irritating your feet (perfume etc)

Stage 2: Try an over the counter cortisone cream or antihistamine medication

• Consult with your doctor and pharmacist, but 2/3rds of itchy rashes will be taken care of with a week or so of over the counter cortisone cream.
• If this works you likely had eczema or dermatitis.
• If the rash does not get better move on to step 3.

Stage 3: Assume Fungus

• If the rash got worse with the cortisone cream or antihistamines, it is likely athlete’s foot or a fungus.
• At this point you should go see your podiatrist for some foot medication.
• 2 weeks of medication will take care of almost any athletes foot with 100% certainty.

For more on itchy rash on the arch or heel visit this link.

Do you have dry cracked feet?

Dry Cracked Feet – Stop getting annoyed by itchiness, flaking and irritated skin. Find out what’s causing it and start treating it!

Why do you get dry cracked feet?

Usually if the the skin is severely dry an cracked as seen in the picture, something is causing it. The skin on the bottom of our soles is special because it is thicker than the rest of the skin in our body. It also relies more on sweat glands rather than oil glands to keep moist, so it is more important to keep it moisturized.

• It is important to keep the bottom of the feet moisturized, it is the ultimate cure for any cause!

This thick skin is more susceptible to dehydration to to lack of moisturizing; it is also more prone to inflammatory reactions and fungal irritation.

Dry cracked feet symptoms:

If the dry, cracked feet are very severe, then something else can be causing it. The symptoms will range from the following:

• Itchy skin.
• Red skin.
• Cracks in the skin.
• Bleeding may be associated with the cracks.
• Peeling at the bottom of the foot and heel.
• Flakes and flaking.
• Rough, uneven skin.
• Development of a rash.
• Worse after showering or bathing.

Dry cracked feet causes:

• Showering or bathing.
• Inflammatory skin conditions: exczema, psoriasis and many more.
• Contact dermatitis (irritation by a harsh substance- such us a lower quality soap, or chlorine).
• Cold weather (causing dehydration).
• Low humidity in your home (causing dehydration).
• Older Age (less blood supply)
• Peripheral vascular disease.
• Smoking.
• Diabetes.

Dry cracked feet causes:

Essentially it breaks down like this:
1) Assume initially it is dryness, dehydration or an inflammatory condition.

• 2/3rds are caused by inflammatory causes: eczema, skin conditions, irritation, dehydration, sweating disorders.
• **Inflammatory Conditions are all treated the same way, but different than fungal conditions**.
• For best results always go see your podiatrist or dermatologist!

Follow the link to see part 1 of treatment guide!

2) If part 1 does not cause your foot to get better after a week, it may be a fungal infection.

• 1/3rd are caused by Fungal Irritation.
• **Fungal conditions are all essentially treated the same way, but different than inflammatory conditions**.
• For best results always go see your podiatrist or dermatologist!

The way I would treat this if it was myself:

1) Assume inflammatory causes and start treating it that way.
2) If it doesn’t start getting better after a week or so, it is most likely fungal irritation.
3) Go see your podiatrist since something more complicated may be going on.


To check more information about dry cracked feet visit this link!

Toe Osteochondroma

Do you have osteochondroma deformity in the toe or foot?

An osteochondroma is a noncancerous tumor that develops on the surface of a bone near a growth plate. The reason it develops near a growth plate is because cartilage is developing there and an osteochondroma is made of both bone and cartilage. The osteochondroma usually appears in childhood and adolescence and starts growing as the growth plate grows but then stops growing when the growth plate stops growing. The toe and foot osteochondroma deformity is usually something that should be monitored by not really worried about in most cases.

Cause of the toe osteochondroma deformity

-Osteochondromas in the foot and toe are thought to be the most common benign (non-cancerous) bone tumors by a mile, making up about 1/3rd of all benign bone tumors in the foot. Like most tumors it is not exactly known why these things happen, anything could have caused it and it could even be genetic or through a random environmental agent.
-If you start to get multiple osteochondromas in multiple regions in the body you may need to start worrying about Maffuci’s Syndrome or other multiple osteochromatosis disorders, but otherwise you should be safe.
-It is difficult to prevent these because it is very difficult to predict who will get it and why they will get it.

Symptoms of toe and foot osteochondromas

In most people they will cause no problems and will not be noticed unless you are getting an X-ray for a different reason and the podiatrist happens to notice them.
-Painless bump that may be confused with a cyst
-Lifting of the toenail is the osteochondroma exostosis is underneath the nail
-Pain on pressure because the skin and nerves are being compressed
-Numbness or tingling because of nerve compression
-Impinged blood vessel if it is very severe

Home treatment

-The best option is to go see a podiatrist where he will give you surgical options or decide to just monitory it, but most of the time you will be ok just monitoring it
-The podiatrist will use X-ray, MRI or ultrasound to come to this decision as well as the normal physical and historical exam.

Foot and toe osteochondroma surgery recovery time

-Surgical is usually advocated if the podiatrist believes that the osteochondroma is:

• Causing Pain
• Putting a Nerve or Blood vessel at risk
• It has unusual characteristics on imaging

-If removed the osteochondroma will be checked with biopsy to see if there is anything to worry about, but usually there is not.
-The toe and foot osteochondroma surgery recovery time depends on how big it is and where the location is, but usually you should be on your feet in a couple of days or even immediately in a surgical with the main worry being to just get the wound closed.

 For more information about toe and foot osteochondromas see this link.

Do you have a soft lump on foot or ankle?

A soft lump on foot or ankle is almost always a “Plantar Lipoma”, this is simply the formation of a slow growing fatty tissue. Its actually quite common on the bottom of the foot and its nothing that you should be overly worried about. A lipoma is the most common formation of extra tissue or  tumor growth(but its not dangerous); it is non-cancerous and its nothing to worry about.

What should I do?

• Usually nothing needs to be done.
• This is the most common soft tissue mass in the population
• These are technically tumors but very common.
• They are non-cancerous.
• An evaluation by your podiatrist or foot doctor should be done if you are concerned.
• If they are uncomfortable they can be removed.
• Unfortunately surgery is sometimes considered cosmetic unless there is pain.

Is it dangerous if painful?

It is almost never dangerous, and if it is not causing pain then it doesn’t even require treatment. The only time is is even something to worry about is when it is in an unusually spot and compressing against a nerve or artery, then it may have to be removed. It can also be removed if it is in a pressure bearing area that makes it uncomfortable to walk, but otherwise there is nothing to worry about.

Can it be removed if there is pain?

Unless your podiatrist or foot doctor determines that it is causing you pain or it is dangerous, these are usually considered cosmetic surgeries and some insurance companies will not pay the money to have this tumor removed.

Treatment of soft lumps in the foot or ankle

The only real treatment is to have surgery to have the lipoma removed, there is no medication you can take or change in lifestyle that will make this extra fat tissue go away.

For more information about soft lumps in the foot or ankle see this link.