Why do my toenails grow thick?

Have you ever looked down at your toes and found that your toenails are becoming unmanageable? If yes, don’t worry! You’re not alone. Many people struggle with their toenails growing thick and difficult to maintain.

To help answer the never-ending question of “why do my toenails grow thick?” we’ve compiled a comprehensive guide on everything from causes to solutions. So grab a cup of tea, put up your feet (at least until we get to the solution part!) and keep reading.

Understanding Your Toenail Anatomy

Before we dive in too deep into what causes our nails to become abnormally thick, it’s essential first to understand how they work.

Each nail has three layers: The outer layer is called the nail plate; Beneath it is the middle layer or nail bed- containing blood vessels that provide nourishment and oxygen; Muscles run along each side of this third layer known as Nail Matrix responsible for producing new cells within about six months’ time frame after which these will gradually replace old dead ones.

While there might be differences across individuals regarding several aspects like coloration, growth rate etc., understanding these standard parts present in almost all humans helps us know why some people face excessive thickness issues compared to others due to certain specializations like genetics, environment conditions OR lifestyles forcing them beyond normal limits.

toe-nail-anatomy

What Causes Toenails To Become Thick?

Now that we have a basic understanding of our toenail makeup let’s dive into probable reasons, contributing towards abnormal growth:

Fungal Infections

Fungi can infect any part of our body -including nails-taking over there causing infection by changing texture & appearance often resulting thicker nails. It’s crucial that you keep your feet clean and dry as fungi thrives in warm, moist environments.

Genetics

Genetics can play a role in how fast or slow our toenails grow. Some of us will have naturally thicker toenails than others because of genetics passed down from parents -while the opposite could also be true depending upon genetic makeup & adaptation.

Footwear

Wearing tight-fitting shoes including poorly ventilated socks could damage our toes over time giving way to thickening problems. Any continuous pressure on nail beds results in increased chances to develop abnormality problem-similarly complete baldness related issues btw are very rarely seen where protective measures like proper footwear become must-do things.

Don’t know about you but this point makes me feel better for spending my life savings at Nike stores 😉

Ageing

As we age, it’s common for toenails to thicken due to various reasons -including reduced blood supply & slowed growth rate that comes along with natural aging process . Add everyday wear-tear + years worth experiences- guess what-the end product is, yes You Guessed It!

How Can I Fix My Thick Toenails?

So we’ve covered all likely reasons behind thicker toenail-related issue-but just knowing them won’t solve anything! So here are some tips which might help improve the situation –

Embrace good hygiene habits

We’re often overlooking basic hygiene care practises -ensure regular washing usage closed-toe well-ventilated shoes / changing socks AVOIDING SHOWERING IN PUBLIC SHOWERS etc.

clean-nail

### Evaluate Medications Being Taken

A variety of medications could potentially contribute towards making nails thicker-medicines used against fungus-related infections are also often associated with such issues. So it’s crucial to discuss concerns regarding medications/nail thickening problems with medical practitioners.

### Nail Trim Routine

Instead of trimming your toenails at an angle, trim straight across and not too short! This will allow the nail to grow correctly, reducing the likelihood of thicker nails arising. Using quality clippers is essential as inferior-quality may lead to jagged cuts- hence damaging nail areas leading towards more significant thickness chances.

Topical Applications

Specially formulated treatments which contain antifungal agents can go a long way in ensuring healthy nail growth by neutralizing early stage fungal attacks swiftly -better safe than sorry they say!

Now you know everything about why your toenails grow thick -it’s time for action-taking best suitable measures-lifestyle modifications/proper routine practices/topical application being worth exploring-till then Sit back, relax-and keep enjoying awkward moments while trying/hiring someone (I do!) to manage those stormtrooper-style appendages repeatedly making our lives difficult!

Random Posts