Put Your Best Foot Forward for Better Toenail Health

Having great looking toenails goes beyond a pedicure and fresh coat of nail polish. According to experts, toenails grow as little as one or two millimetres per month, so skin care experts like Dr. Mani Raman, a cosmetic and medical dermatologist in Richmond Hill, Ontario, recommend growing a long-term relationship with your nails from finger to toe. To keep nails looking and feeling their best, Dr. Raman recommends the following tips:

Fight infections at their source: Toenail fungus infections are common, affecting more than 18% of people over the age of 60. Dr. Raman recommends speaking with your doctor at the first sign of a possible infection. “Common signs of nail fungus are white or yellow discolouration, brittleness, crumbling or a slight thickening of the nail. Your doctor may prescribe a medication called Jublia, the recently approved topical treatment that has shown to be almost as effective as some of the powerful oral treatments, but with a safety profile that is far superior to systemic treatments,” says Dr. Raman. According to a recent study, the penetration of Jublia into the nail does not appear to be influenced by nail polish. “Because it can take months for the treated nail to look better, being able to wear nail polish is often a big plus,” says Dr. Raman.

Polish with the right products: Check the ingredients in your nail products. Dr. Raman says many quick drying nail polishes contain high levels of formaldehyde and alcohol, which can lead to dry, fragile and cracked nails. If you can’t go without some colour on your nails, play it safe by sticking to formaldehyde and alcohol-free products.

Don’t give up hope: “In the past, our success with topical treatment has been relatively poor,” says Dr. Raman. “Systemic medications on the other hand are effective, but they may have considerable drug interactions and side effects, including possible liver toxicity. Patients often decide not to take them. As a physician, not being able to help my patients is always frustrating.”

Dr. Raman points out that the approval of Jublia is a welcome addition to the fight against toenail fungus. “This treatment has been well-studied internationally and at home, with 15 investigator sites in Canada, and has been shown to be almost as effective as systemic treatments, but with the safety profile that is far superior to a topical treatment. Some say it’s a game changer in terms of what we can now recommend.”

More information is available from your family physician, dermatologist, podiatrist, or online at nailfungus.ca.

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