really looks like staining to me also - I see a lot of this when clients have previously had Jessica Geleration on their toes, seems to affect their big toe more than the other toes.. dunno why.
Does not look like a fungal infection at all.
For what it's worth, I agree with you in both your posts.
Look at the image.
1. The staining clearly stops where the nail is covered with cuticle at the eponychium ... nice clean new growth.
2. You can also clearly see the curve of the stain which is exactly in line with where the polish would have been removed.
3. Look at the free edge line at the onychodermal band; there is no sign at all of nail plate separation (onycholysis) which normally one would see very clearly if a fungal organism had infested the nailbed. ON THE CONTRARY, the nail looks well attached all the way to the onychodermal band.
4. Look at the soft tissue surrounding the nail unit; no sign at all of redness, weeping, crustyness etc which would also normally be present in any common fungal toenail I have seen.
5. The rest of the toenails in the image look perfectly healthy and I can not see any sign at all of anything 'evolving' on any other toes ... quite the contrary, these feet and nails look in good shape and quite healthy.
STILL even looking at all the evidence .. I would not discount anything as I am not qualified to make that diagnosis ... ONLY a qualified person is able to make that judgement. That is a doctor or a podiatrist and not a nurse or a nail technician.
Therefore I think this thread should be closed. Although I would love to hear a COMPETENT DIAGNOSIS.