Onycholysis help please

[NZNailz]

Hi everyone, this is my first case of Onycholysis with a client and looking for advice on what to suggest to them

This only presents on her big toes and in the same shape-ish on both toes which leads me to suspect that one possibility is a repeated trauma caused by shoes?

Do I tell her that it's impossible to know if infection is present without Dr doing a test but in the meantime keep those nails very short, use daily oil and perhaps assess her footwear?

Advice greatly appreciated on this case or others I may encounter. Thanks

 

[Trinity]

Your response is perfect. Onycholysis on toes is more likely to be due to fungal infection or ill fitting shoes, both of which you've clearly understood and recognised. I would send her to a doc or chiropodist for confirmation. That said it's notoriously difficult to clear as the body needs a certain level of fungus within it to function normally, and balancing it to clear away from the nails but maintain enough elsewhere is really hard and takes many many months.

There are over the counter remedies available which she might like to try, but no guarantees. You can still perform a pedicure ensuring you following specific H&S guidelines such as thowing away abrasives used, correct santisation of tools, foot bath, etc. but you know that from your training.