skin disorders
Fingernail and Toenail Injury
Onychogryphosis
Onychogryphosis is a dystrophy in which the nail, most often on the big toe, becomes thickened and takes on an extremely curved, hooked appearance (ram’s horn nail). The curved hooked nail may injure an adjoining toe and is caused by one side of the nail growing faster than the other. This disorder involves damage to the nail bed, which is most often caused by repetitive injury (such as by ill-fitting shoes) but may also occur in disorders such as Psoriasis . Onychogryphosis is common among older people. The nails should be kept trimmed, and injury to nearby toes can be prevented by placing lamb’s wool between the toes. Footwear or stockings that gather at the toes should be avoided. 