Healthy nails have a curved surface regularly, pink, bright by the reflection of light, with longitudinal striations visible with age. The nail is a reflection of hygiene, occupation and personality of the individual.

The nail disorders are of psychological effects of pain, infection, difficulties at work and in social relations.

Onychomycosis is an infection of the fingernails or toenails caused by different types of fungi (dermatophytes, Candida, molds, etc.)..

Fungi are a few microorganisms, being widespread in nature, may be sitting directly on the edge of the nails or pass them through contaminated the surrounding skin.

When the nail dermatophyte fungi reach and find appropriate conditions, they reproduce slowly but surely invading the nail asymmetrically. The invasion is without pain, dryness, loss of elasticity, thickening and distortion that looks rotten. There are irregular changes color (from white to yellow), with depth to reach the infection, which always looks dirty.

Within the wide range of fungi that can colonize the nails include yeasts Candida because they produce inflammation around the nail with redness, swelling, heat and pain. If inflammation persists, ends up making a pit between the nail and the skin fold, destroying the protective layer, and increased the nail. In this case there is dryness, but the invasion is done wet, with pain and color from red to violet. The evolution makes the nail to grow irregularly and at each stop or band to produce a cross fold.

Dermatophyte infection is more common in men than in women, feet in hands, over 40 years than in youth, but the figures are relative to the different risk factors. Moisture is a 35% risk, public recreational areas by 23%, poor hygiene 16%, injuries by 14% and 11% age.

Candida infection is more common in women and 70% are located in your hands by working with water, trauma to the nail, occlusion and maceration of rubber gloves, etc.