Thickened Nails / Nail Fungus

Your nails have become thicker. Not a little firmer, not a little rougher — but truly thick. Yellowish, crumbly, sometimes hardened beyond recognition. What was once a smooth, translucent protective layer has become a hard, opaque mass. A small suit of armour. A plate that can no longer be trimmed without real effort.

Medically, much can be explained: a fungus that has taken hold. An old injury that has permanently altered the nail. Age, which slows the nail matrix. Shoes that are too tight. A circulatory disorder. All of that is true, all of it is real, and all of it deserves to be taken seriously. Nail fungus is nail fungus. A trauma is a trauma. No one should feel ashamed because their body reacts physically.