

"These nails can become thickened, brittle, discolored, and look as if they are infected with fungus,” Cunha explains.

Genetics: Inherited conditions may also play a part in some nail discoloration, such as psoriasis, which can lead to the development of psoriatic nails.Cunha adds that a splinter hemorrhage, which occurs when blood vessels under the fingernail are damaged resulting from impact and injuries, is also a possible explanation for a black stripe on the toenail.
TOE NAIL COLORS WHITE SKIN
Cunha explains, "This condition occurs when pigments in the nail, known as melanocytes, make excess pigment causing the nail beds to darken." Less common but more serious explanations include taking certain medications such as chemotherapy drugs or skin cancer and immunodeficiency diseases such as lupus, scleroderma, and HIV. These can either be of no concern or of serious concern and should almost always be evaluated by a medical professional. As Cunha states, this could be linear melanonychia, which affects the majority of African Americans.

This is usually caused by trauma to the area, the result of something like stubbing or dropping something on your toes. One option for dealing with a subungual hematoma is to simply wait it out. Bruising: Black or purple nails, on the other hand, are usually signs of what’s called a subungual hematoma, or, “a bruise of the nail bed that occurs when the nail is injured and small blood vessels bleed underneath the nail staining it darker,” Cunha describes."These microscopic organisms typically thrive in dark, warm, and moist environments, which makes a prime place for fungal growth the inside of your shoes." Fungal nails often begin as Athlete’s Foot, when the skin becomes infected first, and then will grow deeper into the nail where it can cause the nail to, as Cunha describes, “discolor, thicken, and develop crumbling edges-an unsightly and potentially painful problem.” Fungus: According to Cunha, while several things can negatively impact the color and texture of nails, fungus is usually the leading culprit. "Yellow or brown and thickened nails are signs of fungal nails," he says, which are caused when a microscopic fungus infects one or more nails.He specializes in foot and ankle surgery with experience treating a wide array of conditions. Miguel Cunha, DPM, is a Manhattan-based podiatrist and the founder of Gotham Footcare.
