By following proper hygiene and regularly inspecting your feet and toes, you can reduce your chances of the problem, or even stop the chain of events once it starts, says Paul Kechijian, MD.

Here’s how to treat discolored nails, or keep these changes from happening to you.īecause fungi are everywhere, including the skin, they can be present months before they find opportunities to strike. In addition, age alone-without fungal infection-can also cause your nails to become yellow, but in this case, the nails are just discolored, but not thick and misshapen. This whole process often happens more frequently with age, Connolly says. Toenails are affected more frequently than fingernails. The infection can spread to other nails and even the skin. Debris may collect beneath the nail, and a white area on the nail edge may form as the nail begins to lift from the nail bed. The nail often becomes yellow to brown, and then it gets thicker and may develop a bad odor.

The first sign of a fungal infection is a change in color. Why so common? Toenails and fingernails and surrounding skin are prone to everyday wear and tear, which invites dirt, germs, and infection-causing fungi to take up residence there. According to the National Onychomycosis Society, 11 million new cases are diagnosed each year. This nail fungus occurs when organisms known as dermatophytes move in under your nails. Connolly, DO, the most common cause of discolored nails is a condition called onychomycosis. Smoking can stain nails a very unattractive brown, while the wrong nail polish can leave them tinged an unnatural orange-yellow.Īccording to Coyle S. “Nail discoloration can be caused by a variety of conditions, such as reactions to medications (blue discoloration), bacterial infection (green-black), fungal infection (yellow), or even melanoma (black or brown discoloration),” says Audrey Kunin, MD. Your eyes may be the windows to your soul, but your nails can reveal a lot about your body.

Fingernails odd spreading of white area