Without any doubt at all the toenails are really neglected after all they spend most of the time hidden away, so just what harm can they actually do?

There are a variety of conditions that can affect the feet and especially the toe nails but with some proper care you should be able to avoid them.

Here are some of the common infections that can affect the feet and toe nails:

In growing toenails – these can become very uncomfortable and also very painful, and this happens when the nails actually grow into the sides of the skin. And in the worst case, some cases can only be treated via surgery.

What normally happens is that the nail starts to turn white or a yellowish colour, and sometimes you may even notice streaks across the nails. For some reason it always appears on the big toe and can quickly move to the other toes and in some cases it can also affect the skin around the toe itself.

As well as being unsightly to look at it can also become very difficult to walk for some people and there can also be a bad smell that comes from the nail. However whilst it can be treated in the worst case scenario it can take up to 12 months for the problem to go away.

But for many the actual problems that affect the toes can be avoided just through some proper care and attention. One simple thing that you need to be aware of is the shoes that you are wearing are fitted correctly otherwise your shoes if tight could be pushing your toes together and this can create many issues.

You need to make sure that you are protecting your feet and nails at all times as any kind of bruising or infection can lead to a permanent deformity.

The best way to cut your toe nails is to cut them straight and not too deep especially in the corners near the skin, as this is what can lead to the in growing toe nails. You should also make sure that you have a good set of toe clippers as the nails on the toes are much stronger than the nails on the hands.

Once you have competed cutting your nails, you should then use a file to smooth them down so that they are smooth to the touch and do not have any rough edges, otherwise if you catch your toe nail on anything you could have your nail ripped off and this would be very painful indeed.

Always make sure that you are wearing correctly fitted shoes and make that they are not too big and not too small. And when you are washing your feet make sure that you wash everywhere and this includes in between your toes.