Thick Nails

Thick toe nails are very common and hard to manage.  The cause of thick toe nails is nearly always attributable to some form of damage to the nail matrix.  The nail matrix is located behind the portion of nail that is visible and is where the nail grows from.

Damage can be in the form of an acute trauma such as a cow treading on the toe or by dropping a heavy object on the toe.  Damage can also occur from a much milder trauma that is repeated constantly.  This may be from poor fitting footwear of from pressure placed on toe nails in the instances of clawed and hammer toes.

Infection to the nail bed, often fungal, can also cause damage to the nail matrix.

Your podiatrist can easily and painlessly reduce the thickness of the affected nails, making them much more comfortable and easy to manage.  Unfortunately however, the damage to the nail matrix is often irreparable and the nails will eventually become thick again.