Toenails--Keeping Them Healthy

Maintaining proper toenail health will make your feet look and feel great. Since your toenails are generally covered with socks and enclosed in shoes for over half of each day, keeping your toenails healthy can be quite a chore. Depending on what ails your toenails will depend on what treatment will be best for you. In severe cases you might have to resort to making an appointment with a podiatrist.

Three common ailments that affect the toenails are fungus, discoloration and cracking. All of these occur by themselves or you may have a combination of the three.

The most important treatment in all of these conditions is proper hygiene. Bathing your feet and drying the toes completely is very important. Also giving your feet a break from the confines of shoes and socks is also a good idea. If your feet sweat alot, take extra socks with you and change them often. Make sure you dry your feet in between changes, paying attention to the toe area.

Discoloration of the toenails may be caused by unproper nutrition. Make sure you eat right. Discoloration may also be a sign for an underlying fungus issue. If you use a nail polish on your toes, you should stop for the meantime. The best way to prevent discoloration is proper diet and hygiene. Soak your feet in warm water and a mild soap for at least 15 minutes. This will soften the nail. Use toenail scissors that are sterilized and clip the affected nail straight across. Don't cut to much off. This process does take some time. You'll have to wait it out while the toenail grows and clip as necessary. After clipping wash the toes with an antibacterial soap. Dry completely. Keeping your toes dry is very important. If after a month or two and not seeing any improvement you might want to seek out a podiatrist for help.

Cracked toenails are unsightly. Sometimes it's just a cracked toenail and other times it might mean an underlying condition. Tea tree oil is a good treatment for cracked toenails. Use one drop per day and rub it gently onto your toenail. Wear clean socks overnight and continue doing this until you see an improvement.

Fungus can be tricky. Not all fungus can be treated at home. Tea tree oil and lavender oil will help treat alot of fungus cases. Apply the same as you would for the cracked nails.

Preventative measures can be taken. Like before, proper hygiene is key. If you visit places where you may come into contact with fungus. Gyms, public showers and swimming pools all harbor bacteria, Wash and sterilize your feet as soon as possible after visiting one of these places.

If any of these treatments do not show results after one to two months, seek treatment from a podiatrist.