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Thickening and discoloration of the toenails is a fairly common problem. Physical damage to the toenail, psoriasis and fungal infections could be the underlying cause. Wearing tight or ill fitting shoes for extended periods can result in damaged and hardened toenails.
The most common cause for thickening and discoloration of the toenails is fungus. Wearing closed shoes for prolonged periods, wearing damp socks and not cleaning your shoes regularly can cause fungal infection to set in. Fungus requires a warm and damp environment to thrive and so you need to wear open shoes or sandals as far as possible. If this is not possible, dust the insides of your shoes with a broad spectrum antifungal powder to eliminate fungus within the lining of your shoes.
Wash your shoes often and make sure that they are completely dry before you use them. Use a clean pair of socks every day and make sure that they are 100% cotton socks as synthetic materials do not absorb sweat and will, therefore, aggravate the infection.
Scrub your feet everyday with a soft-bristle brush to keep your feet clean and control the infection. Soak your feet daily in a tub to which a pinch of baking soda has been added. Alternatively you can use a few spoons of salt along with a few drops of lavender oil as salt has mild antiseptic properties and lavender oil soothes irritated skin and fights infection. Dilute natural apple cider vinegar in an equal amount of warm water and soak your feet in this mixture at least once a week. After your shower make sure that you dry your feet thoroughly. You can use a blow-dryer to ensure that there is absolutely no moisture left under your nails. Oregano oil is known for its antiseptic, antifungal and analgesic properties and so mix a few drops of this oil along with olive oil and apply it to the affected nails before you turn in for the night.
Always cut your nails in a box shape and file the edges slightly to round off the corners. Make sure that you do not cut your toenails too close especially towards the corners as this will aggravate infections and can even lead to painful ingrowths. There are various diseases and common health conditions (like diabetes) that can cause thickening of the nails. If your infection has not cleared in a month or so, visit a podiatrist or your family doctor.
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