Black Spot on Toenails: Symptoms, Causes & Treatments

It doesn’t come as a surprise that we feel concerned about certain dark spots that mysteriously appear around our body at times when we don’t expect it. If you have a black spot under toenails, this article should be able to cover all of your concerns.

Be Concerned about Black Spot on Toenails

So, you have found dark spots under your toenails – possibly just one, or maybe there’s several of them on your toes. What’s next? It’s normal to worry, but depending on your recent activities and health conditions, you might not need to worry too much.

Just to be clear, we are talking about any dark spot. Even if the spot is not black in color, you still carry the same health risks as you would with black dots beneath your toenails.

Are Those Dark Spots Fungi Growths?

With the high number of nail fungal infections that you can easily get in contact with, it’s no surprise if it does turn out to be a fungal infection, in which case you usually needn’t worry too much unless it has brought along some bacterial infections as well.

However, on the other hand, you should still be cautious and don’t mark it as a fungal infection immediately since there are several reasons why you might have gotten the black toenails.

Causes of Black Dot under Your Toenails

There are several reasons why dark spots can appear on your toenails, and if you want to truly resolve the problem you’ll need to figure out the root of the problem.

Aside from fungi growths, the spots could have been caused by injuries or trauma to the toenails.
On a more serious note, it could also be toenail cancer, otherwise known as subungual melanoma.

Signs & Symptoms of Toenail Fungus

Noticeable signs of the black toenail fungus are:

If the dark spot is indeed caused by fungal infections, you can expect your nails to appear discolored.
At time same time, your toenails could be hard and brittle nails due to the fungi’s growths and give out a foul smell as well.
Some patients have also reported their skin feeling sore just around the affected toenails.
Sometimes, if your toes are already injured and have been left untreated for a while, you also might contact fungal infection. In turn, these fungal infections turn your nails weak so that they get injured more easily. As such, you might be stuck in a vicious cycle of toenail injuries and fungi growths.
One of the earliest signs of toenail fungi, for one, could be a tiny white or yellow dot on your nail. These dots are most likely to turn dark or turn black afterward.

Treatments for Toenail Fungi

If you have a black toenail infection, you need to get it removed and treated quickly. This is because these fungal infections are easily contactable and very contagious. These fungi tend to strive in wet and dark environments as well, so you’d want to treat it quickly.

Tea tree oil is one of the most effective agents to get rid of nail fungi. You can also use anti-fungal nail polish on your nails, and apply any similar creams and gels.

Differences Between Manicure and Pedicure

Home Remedies

Like most other conditions, there are also home remedies which you can use to treat your toenail fungus. Here’s a pro tip for you-

If your black spot is caused by injuries or blunt trauma, you can get rid of the blood clots simply by soaking the affected toes in a basin of warm water to encourage blood flow.
Don’t stop using whichever remedy that you have chosen until you are sure that the fungi are completely gone! In fact, to play safe, you can even keep using the treatment option for a while more after the fungi have gone away.
Some of the home remedies that you can use include apple cider vinegar and coconut oil.

Learn The Curative Methods of Dark Spot Under Your Toenails

How to Prevent Black Spot on Toenail

If your dark spot is caused by accidental trauma and injuries, then there are very few ways which you can prevent them from forming if you have already hit your toes on a hard surface.

Be more careful about tools and places where you might injure your toes.
Since these fungi are infectious and can grow where it is damp and moist, one of the best ways that you can prevent getting toenail fungus is by keeping your nails short so that there is very little space for them to grow.
If you usually do pedicures, it will be a good idea not to share your tools with other people – even your family members, so that if any of you have the infection, it will not spread to someone else.

Is There Any Cancer Risk With These Spots?

Usually, fungal growths will cause a circular black spot to form on your toenails. If you notice your toenail is turning black and which don’t go away even after your toenails grow out, or if they continue spreading, you should consider seeing a doctor.

Sometimes, melanomas can appear very similar to dark spots formed due to trauma, except that they usually show up as vertical stripes – either dark brown or black in color, similar to bruises.

In any case, if you are concerned about any black spots on toenails or anywhere else on your body, you should immediately seek professional medical advice from your doctor instead of trying to diagnose it by yourself. This can prevent plenty of unnecessary troubles in the long run for both the doctor and you.

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