What can be done about my ugly toe nails?

[Goodfrock]

I'm going away with friends on a sunshine holiday in a few weeks, they'll have all had pedicures.

My feet are a mess, some of the nails are think and yellow, some of them are broken. I'd assumed it was a fungal thing, but the podiatrist says it's damage from running and there's no infection fungal or otherwise.

I can put up a picture, if that helps, but it's not pretty!

• thick and yellow

No idea, mine are the same from hillwalking. I've just learned to view it as the sign of an active life!

Can you book yourself a medical pedicure? I had one and they really made my nails look much more presentable!

Mine grey and one has a fungal infection. I would trim them and paint them.

Ooh, I've never heard of that, how would I go about finding someone to do that?

Go see a podiatrist

Some podiatrists can do temporary reconstructions. Mine does and she offers gel toes too! She does my big toe where the nail is damaged from an old injury.

I've been to see a podiatrist. He said no infection, damage from running, unlikely to change unless I stop running.

Lots of podiatrist do medical pedicures which a pp said will help, then you can paint them and no one will see any discoloured bits.

I had mine done at a private podiatrist clinic, they filed down my nasty nails and they look so much more presentable!

They can give you a second opinion on whether it’s a treatable infection too, I know you said you’d seen someone but can’t hurt to see what they say.

Is there enough of your nails left to have acrylic/gels?

Possibly, how much needs to be left?

Try a Margaret Dabbs clinic. Medical pedicure is like magic on thick nails and hard skin.

I have damaged nails from running. I went to a podiatrist recently and couldn't believe the difference she made. She thinned out my nails which got rid of most of the yellow colour..... I have booked in again!

I had a similar issue. Went to see a podiatrist who confirmed that it was due to nail damage not an infection - and then went on to cut them down so there was barely anything there (horrific) - and it cost about £70. They grew back as bad as they had been when I originally saw him but I didn't want to see him again. In the end I bought myself a kit from Amazon: this one

Amazon.co.uk/Clippers-Professional-Podiatrist-Scissors-Treatment/dp/B09PG2GF1Z/ref=sr_1_7?crid=22B9B94ZLG78W&keywords=toenail%2Bkit&qid=1699213754&sprefix=toe%2B%2Caps%2C335&sr=8-7&th=1

and a nail 'grinder':

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Electric-Toenail-Toenails-Manicure-Cordless/dp/B0CB6S4D9H/ref=sr_1_5?crid=22CRUV311AFWU&keywords=toenail%2Bgrinder%2Bfor%2Bthick%2Btoenails&qid=1699213981&sprefix=toenail%2Bgrid%2Caps%2C114&sr=8-5&th=1

and did them myself. The grinder enabled me to take the thickness way and the clippers were able to get through thick nails and tidy them up. Then you can go and have a normal pedicure for the polish.

I had a thick yellow nail. Had gel nails all summer for years. GP said it was fungal, the chiropodist said it was damaged at nail bed level.

I gave up sugar and wheat (and alcohol) four months ago. It was completely normal after two months. I am.amazed!

YOu can get fake toe nails from amazon. Game changer!

Otherwise cut them as short as you can and paint them a bold colour.

Horse reps on my foot whilst I was wearing wellies and my instinct was to pull foot away and my big toe nail got ripped out.

It grew back very very slowly and very thick.

No fungal infection but it looked awful.

I saw several podiatrists who would only cut it down and it grew back exactly the same and looked just as bad.

A couple of times I had a gel extension out over it which looked lovely but of course grew out and I could not be bothered with the upkeep of making an appointment for just one toe nail!

I did lots of research and found that the slow growing and thickness and discolouration is due to keratin build up .

I bought this and after years of having a 'manly' big how nail, it now looks almost back to normal.

amzn.eu/d/jjqeX22

I've seen those and wondered if they'd be any good. Do they stay on well?

Interesting. How long did it take to make a difference?

You can only properly determine if it's a fungal infection by testing some cuttings in the lab (organised via your GP).

You can guess at a fungal infection but you can't tell by looking.

It sounds highly likely it's fungal, especially if you run (nearly every runner I know, including me, has had issues with fungal infections).

These take a long time to eradicate.

In the short term, you can file them down & paint them.

Where are you based? People may be able to share recommendations of where you can get a medical pedicure/toe nail reconstruction