Thickened toenails

Thickened toenails are very common and can become problematic as they can be very difficult to cut with normal nail clippers. Nails can become thickened due to repetitive trauma or damage to the nail bed. Incorrectly fitting shoes can cause the toes to bang repetitively against the end of the shoe causing microtrauma. If you have dropped or kicked a particular toe it can cause damage to the nail bed causing it to grow back thicker permanently. . As the nail thickens, they can increase the pressure on the toe which can become painful when wearing shoes.

In some cases, the way that a person walks can contribute to thickening of the toenails (for example if a person has developed claw toes due to their walking style, the toes will absorb the ground reaction forces through the end of the toes which can causes thickening of the toenails and corns/calluses on the ends of the toes). Age related changes can also cause nails to thicken.


Our podiatrist can remove or thin down the thickened and deformed nails and advise you on proper footwear or insert.




Reference information: http://podi.com.hk/en/skin-toenail-part2.html#topic3
It is not intended as medical advice to any specific person. If you have any need for personal advice or have any questions regarding your health, please consult your doctor for diagnosis and treatment.