onycholysis

By now, you’ve heard quite a lot about onychomycosis. And in case you’re scratching your head wondering what we’re talking about, that’s just a big fancy word for toenail fungus. So while we’re on the subject of big fancy words, it might be a good idea to mention that onycholysis can sometimes be caused by onychomycosis. In other words, toenail fungus can lead to the separation of your toenails from the nail beds.

Ouch, right? Well, not necessarily. On MedicineNet.com, Dr. Melissa Conrad Stöppler writes that onycholysis or toenail and fingernail separation is generally painless. This is likely because the separation usually occurs very gradually over time. Toenail fungus, by the way, is not the only cause for onycholysis. As we described in our “5 Conditions Often Mistaken For Toenail Fungus” blog, onycholysis can sometimes be confused with onychomycosis.

Hmm, we wonder how! Okay, we’ll stick with the easier words to pronounce. Toenail separation, according to Dr. Stöppler, can also be “associated with other abnormalities of the nails, including nail pitting, flaking or crumbling, or other damage to or changes in the nail.” As well, she notes that it can also be related to such systemic conditions as “connective tissue disorders or hyperthyroidism.” (We know, more big words!)

This may sound like scary stuff, but the truth is that you are most likely to experience your nails separating from their nail beds if they endure some form of trauma. An injury to the nail area is bound to be among the most common and painful experiences you can suffer that lead to onycholysis. And that’s why they make steel toe boots! Construction workers are arguably the most prone to damage to their feet.

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So what to do in the event that a nail separation occurs? It’s bound to look pretty bad and probably not feel any better. In some cases, nails need to be completely removed. Not to worry, nails – as you know – do grow back. They will, however, take some time to grow back fully. Numerous sources report that fingernails generally take six months to completely grow back while toenails can take up to a year and a half!

And then there are cases where treatments are needed to assist with onycholysis. On Medscape.com, Dr. Melanie S. Hecker writes that there are various treatments depending on the cause of the condition. For example, “onycholysis related to psoriasis or eczema may respond to a midstrength topical corticosteroid.” Pulsed dye laser treatments or psoralen plus ultraviolet A (PUVA) treatments have also been reported as effective therapies.

In such cases, patients would also be required to take very good care of their treated nails. There is an emphasis, as pointed out by Dr. Hecker, on avoiding moisture to the affected areas. Tips for care include, keeping the nail beds dry, avoiding contact irritants and moisture, wearing cotton gloves inside of vinyl gloves for wet work, clipping the affected portions of the nail and keeping the nails short in general.

It sounds like a lot of work, doesn’t it? And to be honest, to keep your nails healthy, a lot of work is necessary. In the event that your nails have not separated from their nail beds, but you do have the symptoms associated with toenail fungus, you may want to try Funginix as a solution. This very effective product was designed specifically to combat toenail fungus. For more information, log on to the Funginix website today!