You are so welcome! Keep up the great work of oiling and not picking! 🙂

For me it started with a single pinky, then my other pinky, then my ring fingers, and now even more. SO frustrating because I LOVE painting nails! I asked a doctor but he didn’t have answers, but I believe I need to see a dermatologist. When my nail separates first it gets mildly painful, then the area that is going to separate turns a darker shade of pink, then the nail starts to separate from the leading edge in a jagged manner. The nail part that lifts immediately looks white like the nail tip. At first it was just a tiny amount that used to separate, but now, on some nails, it does so 1/2 to 2/3 of the nail. It usually takes 4-6 weeks to fully grow out during which time I keep the nail short so it doesn’t get caught and pulled further from the nail bed.

I really truly hope that something can be done to fix this because I hate naked nails!

Milbrey, since I’m not a doctor, I’m not allowed to make a diagnosis. But what you describe are the symptoms of a nail fungus, as your doctor diagnosed. The discoloration and thickening happens when the fungus has been happy for months or even years. This is why you will see it most when looking at the toenails of older people. They don’t notice it for a long time, if they even realize they have it. 90% of the population with nail fungus, don’t even realize that they have it.

I’ve had toe nail fungus on and off for decades. And polishing makes it worse. Fungus likes a dark moist environment—closed shoes are perfect for this. So is any polish that’s not clear. I find that anytime I polish my toe nails, the fungus flares up.

If I were you, I would continue with the topical medication until the separation has grown out. Make sure your hands are wet as little as possible—this will mean wearing gloves for everything except the shower. You could apply tea-tree oil under your nail tips. The oils in Pure Nail Oil™ are also anti-fungal, anti-microbial, and anti-bacterial, so it may help if you don’t like the strong scent of tea-tree oil. Once the fungus has grown out, you may still need to keep applying the topical med before each manicure. If that doesn’t work, as much as it makes me cringe to say this, colored polish may no longer be an option since it will only continue to create the dark environment that makes the fungus happy.