Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsNail PsoriasisBrittle Splitting NailsOnychogryphosisIngrown ToenailsFungal Nail InfectionsOnycholysisParonychiaWhen to Contact a Healthcare Provider
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Nail Psoriasis
Brittle Splitting Nails
Onychogryphosis
Ingrown Toenails
Fungal Nail Infections
Onycholysis
Paronychia
When to Contact a Healthcare Provider
There are many types ofnail diseases. They can occur for a wide range of causes that can beacute (short-term) or chronic (long-lasting).
Nail diseases can cause physical changes in how your nails look and function. These changes can lead to feelings of self-consciousness anddepressionin severe cases.
This article describes some of the most common nail diseases, their causes, symptoms, and treatments. It also explains when to seek medical care.
Reproduced with permission from ©DermNet NZ www.dermnetnz.org 2022
Nail psoriasisoccurs whenpsoriasisaffects your nails.
Causes
About half of all people with psoriasis have nail symptoms at their diagnosis. Nail psoriasis typically appears about 10 years after skin psoriasis. It can also occur without psoriasis and may be linked to other whole-body or skin diseases.
Symptoms
Since symptoms of nail psoriasis are visible and can reduce manual dexterity, nail psoriasis can severely impact your quality of life. Its association withpsoriatic arthritiscan also contribute to the functional decline that nail psoriasis causes.
Symptoms of nail psoriasis can appear on your fingernails and toenails, though the condition affects fingernails more often. More than one digit is typically affected. Symptoms include:
Treatment
Contact your healthcare provider if you have psoriasis and notice changes on your fingernails. Keeping your nails short and protecting them from damage can help prevent the condition from worsening.
Treatment involves prescribed therapies, though achieving results is a slow process. Treatments for nail psoriasis include:
Plaque Psoriasis: Pictures and Symptoms of the Types You May See on Your Body
Carlos Andres/ Getty Images
Brittle-splitting nails, oronychoschizia, have become thin, weak, and fragile.
While little information is known about the cause of onychoschizia, it is commonly linked to the following conditions:
Onychoschizia causes horizontal splitting of the nail plates. The following changes to the nail can also occur:
Brittle-splitting nails that occur secondary to a body-wide problem should involve treating the primary dermatological or systemic condition. Cure of the brittle nails typically requires the following strategies:
The following treatments may also be effective:
Ekaterina Rekina/ Getty Images
Onychogryphosis, also called Ram’s horn nails, is a condition in which your nails become very thick, long, and curved.
Symptoms of onychogryphosis typically affect the large toenail. They can include:
Treatment for onychogryphosis depends on the cause and comorbidities. The problem is typically handled with conservative treatments that include:
Brett_Hondow/ Getty Images
An ingrown toenail, or onychocryptosis, occurs when your toenail grows into the skin surrounding it. The affected area can become painful and inflamed.
Causes of an ingrown toenail include:
Symptoms of an ingrown toenail typically occur on your big toe, though it can happen on any toe. Symptoms include:
Contact your healthcare provider if you have a condition like diabetes, nerve problems in your leg or foot, any condition that causes poor circulation, or signs of a toenail infection. Do not attempt to treat the ingrown nail at home.
To treat an ingrown toenail at home:
Depending on the severity of your ingrown toenail, your healthcare provider may use one or more of the following treatments:
How to Treat Your Ingrown Toenail
Nitya Dambiec / Getty Images
A fungal nail infection, also calledonychomycosisortinea unguium, is afungal infectionthat occurs on your fingernails, toenails, or nail beds. For most people, the infection isn’t a serious problem.
Causes:
Nail infections occur when the fungi invade your nail and then grow in the warm, moist environment under your nail. Fungi typically attack your nail via one of the following entry points:
Symptoms of nail fungus develop slowly and include:
Treatment:
Contact your healthcare provider or a podiatrist if you notice any thickening, discoloration, or deformity in your nail. The earlier you start atoenail fungus treatment, the greater your chance of cleaning your nails and preventing it from spreading to other nails or other areas of your body.
You may be able to treat a mild fungal infection with home treatment that involves:
While at-home treatment can relieve symptoms, it does not eradicate the problem and will likely return. Your healthcare provider can prescribe one of the following treatments:
The 6 Best Toenail Fungus Treatments
Reproduced with permission from © DermNet dermnetnz.org 2023
Onycholysisis when your nail plate separates from your nail bed.
Causes of onycholysis can include:
Onycholysis can appear with one of the following symptoms:
The disease often causes substantial distress, which can affect your quality of life and cause significant physical and occupational limitations.
Onychomycosis is difficult to treat. The main goals of treatment include eradication of pathogens, restoration of healthy nails, and the prevention of recurrence. Based on your condition, your healthcare provider may use one of the following treatments:
This photo contains content that some people may find graphic or disturbing.See PhotoReproduced with permission from © DermNet and © Raimo Suhonen dermnetnz.org 2023
This photo contains content that some people may find graphic or disturbing.See Photo
This photo contains content that some people may find graphic or disturbing.
Reproduced with permission from © DermNet and © Raimo Suhonen dermnetnz.org 2023
Paronychiais an infection of the skin surrounding the nail known as theperionychium. The condition usually isn’t serious.
Paronychia can occur as a result of injury, such as biting or picking a hangnail or trimming or pushing back your cuticle. The infection occurs as a result of the following:
Symptoms of paronychia occur at the cuticle or the site of a hangnail or other injury. They can include:
If the infection spreads to the rest of your body, symptoms may include:
Home treatment for paronychia involves the following treatment:
Contact your healthcare provider if you have pus or anabscess(a pus-filled pimple). A portion of your nail may need to be removed. The type of treatment you receive depends on the cause of your infection. Your healthcare provider may advise one of the following:
For acute, bacteria-associated paronychia:
For chronic, antifungal paronychia:
Symptoms of common nail diseases can overlap and be difficult to identify. Getting an accurate diagnosis is important because some nail diseases can be a sign of systemic diseases that require medical care.
Contact your healthcare provider if your nail condition has any of the following symptoms:
Contact your healthcare provider immediately if your nail disease has the following symptoms:
Summary
23 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Haneke E.Nail psoriasis: clinical features, pathogenesis, differential diagnoses, and management.Psoriasis (Auckl). 2017;7:51-63. doi:10.2147/PTT.S126281
Hadeler E, Mosca M, Hong J, Brownstone N, Bhutani T, Liao W.Nail psoriasis: a review of effective therapies and recommendations for management.Dermatol Ther (Heidelb). 2021;11(3):799-831. doi:10.1007/s13555-021-00523-x
Iorizzo M, Tosti A.Updates in treatment and impact of nail psoriasis.Expert Review of Clinical Immunology.2023;19(9):1091-1100. doi:10.1080/1744666X.2023.2215987
The Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis Alliance.Psoriasis in the nails.
American Academy of Dermatology Association.What is nail psoriasis, and how can I treat it?
Sparavigna A, Tenconi B, La Penna L.Efficacy and tolerability of a biomineral formulation for treatment of onychoschizia: a randomized trial.Clin Cosmet Investig Dermatol. 2019;12:355-362. doi:10.2147/CCID.S187305
Chessa MA, Iorizzo M, Richert B, et al.Pathogenesis, clinical signs and treatment recommendations in brittle nails: a review.Dermatol Ther (Heidelb). 2019;10(1):15-27. doi:10.1007/s13555-019-00338-x
Kutlu Ö, Wollina U, Göktay F.A new hope in the treatment of onychogryphostoenails: intramatrix dexpanthenol injection.Journal of Dermatological Treatment. 2023;34(1):2187658. doi:10.1080/09546634.2023.2187658
American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.Ingrown toenail.
MedlinePlus.Ingrown toenail.
Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG).Ingrown toenail: overview.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Fungal nail infections.
American Academy of Dermatology Association.Nail fungus: who gets and causes.
American Podiatric Medical Association.Toenail fungus.
American Academy of Dermatology Association.Twelve ways to prevent another nail infection.
American Osteopathic College of Dermatology (AOCD).Onycholysis.
Queller JN, Bhatia N.The dermatologist’s approach to onychomycosis.Journal of Fungi. 2015;1(2):173-184. doi:10.3390/jof1020173
American Academy of Family Physicians.Paronychia.
MedlinePlus.Paronychia.
Relhan V, Goel K, Bansal S, Garg VK.Management of chronic paronychia.Indian J Dermatol. 2014;59(1):15-20. doi:10.4103/0019-5154.123482
Mount Sinai.Nail abnormalities.
Meet Our Medical Expert Board
Share Feedback
Was this page helpful?Thanks for your feedback!What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit
Was this page helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit
What is your feedback?
