Do the chemist paints work?

Sometimes, on early and mild infections, with months of daily use. On a thick nail they rarely penetrate far enough to matter.

Can you tell if it is fungal just by looking?

Often, but not always. If it matters — before starting a long treatment — a nail sample can be sent for testing.

Thick, yellow or crumbling toenails

A thickened nail presses into the toe from above and hurts inside a shoe. Whether or not it is fungal changes the treatment, and it is worth knowing which you have.

Fungal, or just thickened?

Not every thick yellow nail is fungal. Old trauma — a dropped weight, years in tight boots, a football injury — thickens nails permanently and no antifungal will change that. The two look similar and are managed differently, so it is worth having it looked at rather than treating blindly.

What treatment actually achieves

Reducing the nail with a drill takes the pressure off and makes the toe comfortable straight away. That part works every time. Clearing a fungal infection is slower, takes months, and does not always succeed — I will tell you honestly what the odds look like for your nail rather than sell you a course of something.

Keeping it under control

For many people the practical answer is regular reduction every couple of months, so the nail never gets thick enough to hurt. That is a perfectly reasonable outcome.

Common questions

Do the chemist paints work?: Sometimes, on early and mild infections, with months of daily use. On a thick nail they rarely penetrate far enough to matter.
Can you tell if it is fungal just by looking?: Often, but not always. If it matters — before starting a long treatment — a nail sample can be sent for testing.