So, your nails aren't the pearly-thin things they used to be?  Perhaps they don't clip off anymore as need garden pliers pressure.    ​No joke, one of the most frequent questions I'm asked is: "Why do toenails get thick with age"? (And often get an infusion of the dreaded discolor)  So how and why does this happen? Why do Toenails Get Thick With Age (The 5 Reasons) ​Toenails thicken with age due to five main factors. You can have one ingredient — or all five.  ​​The two main ones are friction from shoes and big bangs from falling anvils etc.  ..read more

Sesamoiditis is a mysterious foot malady.  X-rays are ambiguous and some claim it doesn't even exist. ​You can't see your sesamoid bones. You'd be hard-pressed to feel them — literally. ​What is certain though: sesamoids sit snug under your big toe.  When the area here's injured, it burns.  (Problem is other conditions also cause this. But we'll get to that later) So, what exactly is sesamoiditis and how can you treat it? Sesamoiditis: Toe Pains and Snow Chains The clue's in the name. Sesamoid bones are sesame-shaped and (big) seed-sized.  They're not unique to feet ..read more

This weeks sack 'o' questions covers acid plasters, sneaky pinky toe corns and white nail marks. Call it a bumper crop. Right now, corn plaster manufacturers are spraying Cristal like a kid with a garden hose.  They're in a Dubai 7-star hotel, served by waiters dressed as lobsters.  This is going by the sheer amount of questions I've received lately about corn acid.  Query 1: Corn Plaster Conundrum "I've got a corn in my heel and been having terrible pain with walking. So I got the corn removal plaster with acid and I'm worried if it's working or making things worse. The ..read more

This was an excruciating little toe corn that was dug in. Deep. The patient couldn't even wear trainers without it throbbing and last had it treated over a decade earlier. With pinky toe corn removal, you have to be sure to get ALL the fragments of hard skin. (If not, they still irritate) ​If they're years old, like this one, there's almost always some riiiiight at the bottom. ​The soothing cream I used at the end was Gehwol Mint.  ..read more

Now this query is a real common one: "Have I got fungal toenails?" (I get all the glamorous questions) Then it's followed by — how can I get rid of it?!  Now, sometimes even for me, it's hard to tell. ​​I'd have to know your medical history, what you've tried etc.  Also, the reality is that not all fungal toenails are home-curable.  ​ ​But there's always a few tell-tale signs. As well as one or two things you can do.  Faintly Fungal (Toenails) | Ask The Podiatrist The Query Hi, I've been having problems with my toenails for many years. I've tried different ..read more

I get asked a lot about odd-shaped toes. (Mostly of the pinky variety) It's generally not something you need to get alarmed about. (That's unless it's causing you an insane amount of pain, of course!) I also get asked regularly about white marks on toenails.  ​Chalk Spot on Nails and Swollen Toes | Ask The Podiatrist The Query "My biggest concern is my right foot.  ​About 4-5 years ago, I had a blister form, which burst while I was on vacation.  I was on a sandy beach and didn't really cover it up as well as I should have.  It seems like my problems started a cou ..read more

I get a lot of questions; and I send a lot of informational replies. (For free)  So much so, it struck me: why don't I share the love? This one's about three subjects close to my heart. I of course mean, pinch callus, nail fungus and corn acid burns.  Query 1 - Pinch Callus and Fungus  "​I’ve had issues with my foot for a long time. I file hard skin back every so often yet it returns. My toe nail next to the big toe now is deformed. I work on a xxxx so I mainly wear boots all day which doesn’t help. Do you think there could be a fungal infection in the nail? Any advi ..read more

Ah, the dreaded white spot on your nail. You thought it would never come for you.  That fungal tap on the shoulder was for other people. Or so you thought. Yet, here you are, avoiding eye contact with your nail for too long. ​Yep, I get a lot of emails about white spots on nails.  Now there's a few different causes; and a fungal nail infection is one of them. ​White Spot on Nail (Is it Fungal?) Ok, let's get straight to the chase. Is a white spot/s on your nail anything to seriously worry about? Answer: No. In the vast majority of cases.   Excluding r ..read more

So, there's a dark mark beneath your toenail. It's gnarly. You can't remember banging it. You googled — and now you're anguished. Is it a toenail hematoma or melanoma? ​Trust me, black stains under nails are a big patient worry. The vast majority of the time it's nothing serious.  ​But now and again, sometimes, occasionally, it's something else... ​Toenail Hematoma vs Melanoma Toenail hematomas are bruises under your nail caused by a trauma (whether you noticed it or not).  A subungual melanoma is a blob of cancerous cells.  (Subungual means under your nail ..read more

Rough and ready winter cracked heel taken down a peg or two. I used a small 15 scalpel blade which worked surprisingly well. This heel fissure is painful and split. Ones getting deep like this need several skin removals over time. The callus itself is easy to chip off. I then applied foot cream halfway through to thoroughly moisturize (Gehwol Fusskraft Mint ..read more