Weird Pinky Toenails

Do you have weird pinky toenails? No, I’m not talking about the odd shade of luminescent pink you painted your toenails with yesterday; I’m talking about having odd nails on that smallest of digits – your little toe, as referred to in the nursery rhyme “This Little Piggy.”

Having weird pinky toenails is much more common than you may think. Many people are even born without nails on their little toes. But if you are one of the lucky ones who have them but are also one of the unlucky ones whose little toenails are not aesthetically pleasing, there are things you can do to remedy the situation. It all depends on the nature of the problem. One way or another, if it can’t be remedied, it can be disguised.

Typical Small Pinky Problems

Being the smallest of your feet’s digits, the nail beds on your pinky toes are pretty small, to begin with, so the nails are never going to be a big cosmetic feature. They can, however, prove worrisome. The most common causes of problems include:

• Nail fungal Infections
• Nail trauma,
• An ingrowing toenail
• Split toenails
• Ski-jump toenails
• Ridged toenails
• Sixth toenail syndrome

I know; it’s quite a big list for such a small digit, but I guess it goes with the territory of a small appendage attached to a foot that typically contains 28 bones and numerous joints.

Fungal Nail Infections

Fungal toenail infections are characterised by your nails becoming thicker, taking on a yellowish appearance, losing their flexibility, and becoming crumbly. Even when you cut off the edge of the infected area, it continues to grow back infected.

Fungal infections can be remedied with Over the Counter treatments. If you have a particularly bad case of toe fungal infection, see your podiatrist. He or she may offer you fungal nail laser treatment. In some instances, oral anti-fungal medication may be prescribed.

Nail Trauma

Nail trauma can result from tight-fitting shoes, stubbing your toe, dropping something heavy on your toes or being involved in an accident that causes toe damage.  If you suffer nail trauma, it is usually accompanied by significant pain – at least just after the event or accident. Stubbing your toe is a common type of accident. It can cause the nail to turn black and eventually drop off. A new, healthy nail will usually grow back. However, if the trauma is more severe, it can cause permanent damage to the nail bed. It might result in abnormal nail growth thereafter.

The trauma caused by tight-fitting shoes can be quite subtle. The trauma is sometimes referred to as micro-trauma. A little bit of pressure on the pinky toenail may not feel too bad, but the accumulation of all the pressure actually damages the nail. Then it is too late! Buying better-fitting shoes, even if they are stilettos, will usually solve the problem.

An Ingrowing Pinky Toenail

Ingrowing toenails are another common cause of weird pinky toes. As the nail grows, it expands sideways into the skin. It is quite painful, making the affected toe inflamed, swollen and very tender.  If you have a severe case of ingrowing toenails, you will need to visit your doctor or a specialist podiatrist.

Ski-Jump Toenails

It probably needs no imagination to know what this term refers to – yes, the nail curves upwards, although maybe not quite as dramatically as a ski-jump – but you get the idea. Your toenail beds naturally curve downwards. This is the bit where you hurtle down on your skis at a rate of knots. The edge of the toenail curves upwards, and this is the bit that gives the ski jumpers their lift. A little bit fanciful and exaggerated, perhaps, but ski-jump toenails is a commonly used term.

Ski-jumps toenails are another genetic trait where the nail bed is too short. It is not an easy condition to rectify, but a softening cream may help.

Ridged Toenails

Again, as with ski-jump nails, the name gives this particular condition away. You will have a ridged line that appears either horizontally or vertically across or up your nail. As well as visually, you will be able to detect it by rubbing your fingertip across it.

Horizontal lines, also known in the trade as “Beau’s Lines,” can be caused by diabetes, heart disease, malnutrition, or a zinc deficiency. A nail softening cream could be the answer – not to the underlying causes of course, but to the nail problem.

Vertical or longitudinal ridges come with aging, and nothing can be done to remedy them. Vertical lines can also be related to some medications. If the medication is essential, the vertical lines will just need to stay.

Split Toenails

Split toenails are quite common. They are the result of some sort of toe or foot trauma and will usually grow back intact. In more severe instances, if the nail bed has been damaged, you will need to see your doctor or a professional podiatrist.

Sixth Toenail Syndrome

Sixth or double toenail syndrome is a genetic, inherited trait that often skips a few generations. It results in your nail being permanently split. Unlike ordinary split toenails, which usually grow back in one piece, a sixth or double toenail grows back the same – i.e., split.

Aesthetic Solutions

Some of the weird pinky toenail conditions will require medical and sometimes surgical intervention. Most, on the other hand, can be disguised with various aesthetic solutions. They include false nails, or professional cosmetic toenail restoration carried out by an experienced, trained podiatrist. Many can be self managed with an emery board – go gently after a shower.