It is never a good thing to look down to your toenails and see that they are yellowing, or going a dark yellow to brown colour. Nor it is particularly great when you then attempt to cut your toenails and find that they are too thick to cut, or that they are flaking and crumbly.

Thick, yellow toenails are caused by fungi which has gotten beneath your nails. This is usually due to sweating and wearing the same sweat laden shoes, or through picking up bacteria when you wear no shoes in a public place. Toenail fungus can be painful, and extremely difficult to pick up when you have gotten it.

The best thing to do is prevent yourself from getting it in the first place. As toenail fungus can be an extremely difficult infection to get rid of entirely, you should be careful about getting them in the first place. When swimming, in the gym, or using saunas, always be careful to wear sandals or a swim sock of sometimes, always try and keep your feet out of the wet ground, which is a breeding place for fungus.

Toenail fungus also lives within sweat. Have good foot hygiene. Put on clean socks, and rotate and wash your shoes. This is especially important for your running shoes, which have more than the average daily sweat within them.

However, if you have already caught toenail fungus and have thick yellow toenails, what are the remedies? Fungus can be treated medically, but oral medications - prescribed by your doctor - can have bad side effects, which can even become fatal. Liquids and creams which are applied directly to the area, or natural remedies are usually the best way to resolve this issue.

You should treat them carefully and attempt not to use all the preventatives you can so as not to get thick, yellow toenails again. See a Podiatrist, and use the prevention techniques, and if you can, go and have, or give yourself regular pedicures to keep your feet in good working order.