How to Cut Through Thickened Toenails
Thick toenails can be painful and the result of a fungal infection, neglect, damage or even wearing the wrong shoe size. If untreated, they can crumble or chip off, causing harm to other toes. Thick toenails can be difficult or painful to cut, so it is recommended you seek out a podiatrist, but some home remedies might keep you out of the doctor's office. Does this Spark an idea?
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Instructions
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Prepare a foot bath by filling your bathtub with just enough warm water to cover your feet. Soak your feet in the warm bath for 10 minutes. Warm water softens the hard nail, making it easier to cut.
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Remove your feet from the bath, and pat them dry with a clean towel. Gently rub the emery board or nail file back and forth over the nail's surface to thin the nail while it is still soft. Once thinned, you can begin trimming your toenails.
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Trim from the toenail's corner and across the nail using small cuts so you don't splinter or split the nail. There are two types of cutters that work best for thick nails. A podiatry-grade toenail cutter is stainless steel, long and has a perpendicular cutting blade. Another is the barrel spring cutter similar to the podiatry grade, yet it has sharp blades to cut thick toenails. Ask your doctor or a pedicure specialist for recommendations if you are unsure which to use.
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Cut straight across the nail, and do not round the edges. Rounding the nail can cause ailments such as an ingrown toenail. Dust any debris from your feet using your dry towel, and make sure all of your nails are dry. If not, wait a few minutes until completely dry to begin filing.
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File your dry toenail's jagged edge with an emery board or nail file. File straight across for a clean finish by running the file back and forth across the nail's edge.
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Tips & Warnings
Women can paint their nails to hide unsightly growth, but leaving polish on too long can yellow your nails.
Podiatry-grade cutters or toenail trimmers can be very sharp. Take caution when using them for the first time.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit feet image by Mat Hayward from Fotolia.com
