They may have similar symptoms, making it hard to tell the difference.
However, the causes of nail psoriasis and nail fungus differ.
Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatoryautoimmune diseasethat can affect your nails, skin, hair, and joints.
Alona Siniehina / Getty Images
Your treatment will vary depending on which you have, so it’s important to get the right diagnosis.
This article covers the differences between nail psoriasis and nail fungus, including the symptoms and causes.
It also discusses how each condition is diagnosed and treated.
Reproduced with permission from © DermNet NZ www.dermnetnz.org 2022
Your healthcare provider or dermatologist can detect the subtle differences that set these two conditions apart.
It’s also possible to have both of these conditions at the same time.
Nail psoriasis and nail fungus share some symptoms.
Here’s what to know about the causes of nail psoriasis and fungus.
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Your healthcare provider will also examine other areas of your body for additional plaques or lesions.
To get rid of nail psoriasis, your treatment will depend on the severity and extent of the condition.
Since nail fungus can be difficult to treat, your doctor may even prescribe an oral antifungal medication.
Even with treatment, these fungal infections can take several months or more to resolve completely.
With either condition, it helps to seek treatment early, before pain and tenderness or nail damage occurs.
Prevention
The prevention strategies for nail psoriasis vs. nail fungus are different because their causes are different.
Since nail psoriasis can be inherited, there may not be anything you could do to prevent it.
However, avoiding certain chemicals or environmental pollutants may help.
It’s also helpful to have good control over your psoriasis in general.
When it comes to fungal infections, keeping the affected area dry and clean is an essential prevention strategy.
Psoriasis can develop from a number of causes, but yeasts and molds lead to fungal nail infections.
Keeping your nails clean and short, and managing your overall health can help prevent both of these conditions.
It can also make you more prone to fungal infections of the nail.
It’s important to not share nail clippers or other hygiene products.
You should also avoid walking barefoot in locker rooms and other wet, public places.
Keeping your hands and feet clean and dry and your nails short can help prevent nail fungus.
It’s generally not a good idea to get gel manicures over damaged nails.
Placing gels over a damaged nail can increase the problems you are already experiencing on your nails.
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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Fungal nail infections.
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