Why is there white stuff coming out of my toenail?

“Nail keratin debris results from a fungal infection of the nail. In medical terms this is called onychomycosis or tinea unguium,” says Batra. The fungal infection breaks down the keratin in the nail to form a white or yellow chalky substance under the nail plate.

What is keratin debris?

Keratin also makes up your skin and hair, and other mammals’ nails, quills, hooves, and horns. When the dermatophytes find their way to your feet, they feast on your keratin, breaking it down into smaller particles. The crumbly residue on your infected toenails is actually keratin debris.

How do you get rid of the white stuff on your toenails?

In white superficial onychomycosis, for example, the white patches of fungus that form on the nails can sometimes simply be filed off and an over-the-counter antifungal topical medication can be applied to the nail to kill the fungus.

How do you treat purple toenails?

Subungual hematomas usually heal on their own within a few days. In the meantime, try to rest the affected foot. You can also wrap an ice pack in a towel and place it on the nail to help with the pain.

Why are my toenails turning purple?

Subungual hematoma is bruising under the nail bed, which can have a bluish-purple color. When you experience trauma to your toe, such as stubbing it or dropping something heavy on it, small blood vessels can bleed underneath the nail. This can result in discoloration.

Can you scrape out toenail fungus?

If your fungus doesn’t clear up at home, you should check in with a dermatologist (a skin, hair, and nail specialist) or podiatrist (a foot doctor.) They may gently scrape under your nail to get rid of some of the fungus or send it to the lab for diagnosis.

What does toe fungus look like when it starts?

Nail fungus can cause the nail to become thick or ragged and appear yellow, green, brown or black. An infected nail may separate from the nail bed. Nail fungus is a common condition that begins as a white or yellow spot under the tip of your fingernail or toenail.

How do I stop my toenails from thickening?

How are thick toenails treated?

1. Clean the affected area with soap and water daily.
2. Groom your nails regularly.
3. Apply an over-the-counter fungal treatment after you gently file your nails.
4. Apply Vicks VapoRub on your toenail each day.

Why did my toenail turn purple?

If your toenails are purple, this may be due to a subungual hematoma, or bruising under the nail bed. “Small blood vessels bleed underneath the nail, staining it darker,” says Miguel Cunha, DPM, founder of the NYC-based Gotham Footcare.

Why is my big toe purple under my nail?

How do you fix purple toenails?

How do you treat purple toe syndrome?

Purple toe syndrome can occur anytime with warfarin therapy and can be successfully treated by stopping the warfarin and using fondaparinux for continued anticoagulation.

What does it mean when your nails turn purple?

When the color of your nail beds turn purple, there is high chances of poor blood circulation in the body. The purple color may be accompanied with some tingling which is an indication that the nails are not getting enough blood.

Why do I have white nails on my toenails?

Also, white nails are going to be one of the later symptoms of liver disease. You’re likely to experience nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain and jaundice before you get white nails. So, if you have white nails without any of the other symptoms you can likely discount liver failure as a cause.

How long does it take for purple toenails to grow out?

While the minor injury or subungual hematoma will subside in a few days, it takes about six or nine months for the toenail to grow out completely. For the treatment of purple toenails that are caused by serious conditions like diabetes, lung or liver diseases, psoriasis, etc. it’s wise to contact a doctor immediately.

What to do if you have white spots on your nails?

If you do get a nail injury ensure you keep the nail clean and dry to help prevent infections. If you start to see fungal growth (white or yellow nail), try treatment with a topical product like ClearNail Pro+ to stop the fungus early. White spots or areas on multiple nails? Thickening nail? Crumbling or brittle nail? Nail not growing out properly?