Trigger warning thick toenails

[pinenuts75]

I have attached a photo hope this is allowed, both my toenails fell off a while ago, has anyone else had this happen? They have regrown but really thick and look so ugly, I’ve booked to see a podiatrist but it’s quite expensive, just wondering if there’s anything I can buy to treat them? They are lifting away from the nail bed though.

I'm not in the UK, but there are lots of people here who cut nails for those who have difficulty. My late DF used to have a woman visit him every couple of weeks to cut his nails, and there are also clinics. Surely there must be something similar in the UK?

There are but very expensive.

Mine are similar and it's because my nail beds are damaged from an accident and so the nails grow thicker to try grow over the damage. I would go speak to a chiropodist and try find out what's wrong. If it's not treatable they should still be able to file them down to make them look a bit more normal.

@zerored What is a chiropodist?

It's taken me over 6 months but mine has completely cleared in one toe and almost in the other by using this morning and night -
Boots treatment
Also soaking in a vinegar/salt/warm water one part vinegar and 2 parts water and a few drops of tea tree oil.
I made some jojoba oil with tea tree and oregano oil in as they are both anti fungal.

So each night I painted on the Boots fungal nail treatment. Once a week I used a nail file to rub over the top of the nail as per the instructions in the nail treatment as it helps the treatment gets to the infection. Daily last thing at night after putting in the treatment I put a few drops of my oil mix which really seemed at increase my improvement after I started. Then a shower in the morning and put on the Boots stuff again.

For the first month I soaked my feet in vinegar with warm water and tea tree oil before putting on the treatment each night. That did seem to help but it was inconvenient so I swapped to using the oil at night which worked well for me.

It's a palaver but worth it.

Can’t you see what’s in front of you. They are thick nails because you have a fungal nail infection. You need the tablets from the docs once cleared the nail won’t be thick.’

Podiatrist

Can’t you read? The doctor won’t give me tablets

Ask for a second opinion / ring 111 if necessary (outside of the hours of your doctors surgery otherwise they’ll just refer you back to them again). You definitely need the fungal treatment.

These are severely infected fungal infections.

Over the counter treatments won't work.

You need to go back to your GP or ask for a second opinion.

The only thing that will help is the fungal tablets.

I'm sorry OP I am a podiatrist and I can tell you that is permanent.
Once a nail looks like this it will be like this forever because the actual nail bed has been damaged and it cant be repaired.
It will most likely have some fungal infection in it because the structure of onychauxic nails make them nore susceptible to fungal infections.
I can see from the photo that the far end of the nail has seperated from the nail bed and this cant be repaired either. The nail bed is too damaged to produce cells.
Your best bet is to go to a nail salon, get them to grind it down flat and put an acrylic nail on top for cosmetic purposes.
Or you can have the nails removed permanently by NHS podiatry. Most NHS podiatry depts will do this for you for free.
Removing the nail and letting it grow back will not result in a normal nail.
A very thick damaged nail is not always fungal. They look exactly the same.
I damaged one of mine and had it removed as it was half an inch thick. I dont miss it.
I had a new nail tattooed on but I warn you the pain is dreadful.

I recently contacted my GP re a couple of thickened nails & first thing he requested was nail clippings to confirm if fungal or not. It’s not fungal, they’re just thickened due to age, trauma etc.
if anyone has any advice for making thickened nails more presentable I’d be interested to know.

@WinterNightStars , pedicures.
Why Toenails Get Thick & How to Fix Them Safely at Home — Meticulous Manicurist

Rub cream with urea (e.g. cracked heel foot lotion) into the toenails or apply vapo rub every night.
Wear thin cotton socks so it doesn't go on bedlinen.

Manicurist will grind them down and gel or acrylic them. Mine does this all the time for people. Its a common ptoblem.

Vapo rub is not effective. There has been a study done on it fairly recently. Tea tree oil is better.

@Gettingbysomehow , My reply was to a poster who was asking about thick toenails not fungal ones, so your correction isn't relevant to my post.

Surely that's a nail infection. It's not just thick, it looks yellow, blotchy and slightly lifted away from the nail bed. The other nail in the photo looks completely normal.

There's paint on treatments you can buy but I think it takes a while for it to work.

@Gettingbysomehow when you say the pain is dreadful, do you mean when having the nail removed or when having the tattoo done please? I’ve got a horrible fungal fingernail which is too far gone to recover but I’m terrified of having it removed because I’m rubbish at dealing with pain during a procedure! TIA

Thank you for your advice, I think I will go to the nail salon and get them to make them look better for the summer.

It can be, army boots often left men’s nails like this in older life

id use pliers type nail cutters, never do this after a bath of shower, always before when nails are dry. Always cut straight across and never angle. If you can’t cut file with a foot file and nail file

use body shop peppermint lotion on the nails and feet daily

Agree with this. My nail looks exactly the same following surgery 20 years ago for Ingrowing nails. The nail hasn’t even grown a cm in that time, it just stopped growing, got thicker and thicker and the top half was completely away from my toe. I cut off the part that wasn’t attached so now it’s v v short. I file the face of the nail a lot to thin it so it looks better but I’m def stuck with it.