Gabe Mirkin, M.D.
Fungus infections cause less than five percent of
deformed nails. Drying of skin and skin conditions such as
psoriasis are more common causes. The part of nails that you
see is dead. Living nails are located underneath the skin at their
base. It takes four and a half months for the nail to grow from the
nail plate to its end where you cut it off. During this time, the nail
dries out and the ends can crack and fray. So the most common
cause of deformed nails is drying, which is best treated by
coating the nails with nail polish to slow water loss.
Most deformed nails are caused by skin conditions such
as psoriasis or seborrheic dermatitis. If you have thickened
toenails, check with a dermatologist who will clip off a piece of
the nail and place it in a special bottle to culture it for a fungus.
Since a fungus infection in the nail starts in the plate underneath
the skin and no creams can get into the nail plate, pills are the
most effective treatment for toenail fungus infections. A special
laquer called Penlac can cure some fungus nails when applied
for several weeks. Fungus infections can be cured with drugs
such as itraconazole or terbinafine, but if no fungus is present,
fungus pills will not help. If no fungus is present, most effective
treatment is to keep the nails short. Go to a medical supply store
and buy surgical quality nail clippers that are strong enough to
cut thickened toenails without tearing them.
April 2, 2006