Like your feet, your toenails don't always smell like roses. Like your feet, they are subjected to the dark and sweaty environment of shoes, a breeding ground for bacteria and fungi that cause infections.

But toenails have another added problem, they are prone to infections and injuries due to improper use of pedicures.

It can be difficult to tell toenail odors from foot odors (which have so many different causes). Still, there are some specific toenail signs that can tell you that your nails are responsible for the stench.

For example, changes in color and texture. Toenails are telling us something if they become thick or discolored. If your feet are fine, with no apparent problems of flaking or dry or cracked skin, your nails may be the problem of odor.

Causes.

Badly trimmed toenails.
Both long and short can be the cause of the problem. Nails that are too short can be prone to ingrown, a perfect route for fungal entry. Toenails that are too long tend to trip over shoes with every step, causing lifting, damage, and also the potential for fungus and bacteria to enter.

The best solution is to cut your nails properly. We must cut the nails in a straight line so that the corners sit smoothly against the skin, avoiding very rounded or V-shaped edges.

A yeast infection
Fungal infections proliferate deep under the nail plate and under and behind the cuticle in the nail matrix, which is where the nail cells that grow the nail live.

Check the color of your toenails. There may be a fungal infection if the nails are yellow, green, brown, or white, are spreading, are thick, or are rising from the nail bed. Pain and buildup of debris under the nail are other signs.

Fungi are spread, contagious, and can be difficult to treat and cure.

The bad smell comes from your shoes.
If your shoes or socks smell bad, your nails can absorb those odors. To reduce shoe odor, you can use foot antiperspirant to keep your feet dry or spray your shoes with an odor-eliminating shoe spray. The same reason as shoes can be socks. Change your socks more often, and do not use them again, choose natural materials that absorb moisture such as wool.

And watch out for socks with many colors and patterns. Dyes and colors can also stimulate odors by decreasing breathability.

If you notice dirt sticking around the cuticle, at the corners of the nails, or between the nail and the nail bed, it could be subungual debris. This is an accumulation and combination of: infected or uninfected dead skin and nails, sock lint, and soap residue. A good cleaning should be enough to fix it.