Discoloured toenails can be more than just unsightly. They may signal an underlying medical condition problem, physical damage or an infection that needs to be treated before your nails can return to their normal appearance.
Wearing shoes that fit properly and allow you to wiggle your toes can help your toenails from thickening as a result of pressure.
Avoiding nail polish that is dark in colour and applying a base coat to your nails can reduce staining of the nails.
If you believe your nails have a fungal infection, you should seek advice from your GP or Podiatrist about treatments to tackle it.
It's also worth noting that nails become less shiny with age. This is because the surface tends to lose its smoothness, making them less able to reflect light.
When toenails become discoloured, it can be a result of several things, including, thickening of the nail, bruising from bumping your toe against something, nail varnish or a fungal infection. Discoloured nails are usually yellowish in colour.
Changes in the rate of nail growth can cause thickening. Slow nail-growth can be caused by factors such as age, disease or diet. An increase in nail production can be caused by pressure, such as when the ends of your toes rub against your shoes. The yellowish appearance is a result of the nail losing its translucency as it thickens.
Nail polish is another reason nails can become discoloured. When polish is applied on a frequent basis it can penetrate the nail itself, causing a stain that nail polish removers are ineffective against.
Yellow nails can also be caused by a fungal infection (onychomycosis), bacterial infection or rarer conditions such as yellow nail syndrome.
Scholl Healthy Nails, Nail Brightening System is a 3 in 1 clinically proven, gentle and easy way to care, condition and treat discoloured toenails caused by nail varnish stain or thickening of the nail. It can be used as a base coat with nail varnish and prevents nail varnish from staining the nail.
