My toenails literally grow straight up. I'm not even kidding, this is like my toenail when you look at my toe sideways: _(_ (the bottom line is my toe--my toenail grows all the way up and curls a little bit). It's SO embarrassing, I can hardly paint them or get pedicures. It's just awful!!

After doing some research online it says it could be fungus but I find that hard to believe because my toenails have been like this my whole life. I really want to not be embarrassed when people want to rub my feet or when I wear flip flops or walk around barefoot!

I read that if it IS fungus I could treat it with tea tree oil...I actually bought a bottle. I'm thinking about cutting my toenails REALLY short and treating them with tea tree oil twice a day and see if they grow in a bit more normal. I don't know though...

Anyone have any idea what it could be? Am I just destined to have ugly feet?

I could post a picture but I don't think you guys would want to see that LOL!

My niece has the same exact toenails, and they've been like that since she was a baby so i don't believe its fungus.

Had to read this thread ;-)

First, sorry to hear how they grow up - I cannot imagine how you wear shoes.

My questions are:

Have they been like this for your lifetime or is a new thing? Have you ever asked your doc or a podiatrist about them? I suspect it's not a fungus, but I really have no idea.

A lot of people have less than attractive feet yet still wear sandals - I wouldn't let them hold you back. Everyone has something quirky!

Well, they've been curly since I was a baby. They seem to have gotten worse though as I got older.

Last night I clipped them extremely short, filed them flat and doused them with tea tree oil. I'm going to keep doing this for about a month to try to train them to grow properly.

I read about a trick where you can cut an inverted triangle in them and they'll grow to "fill" the hole. It sounds like a load of bs but people swear it works and I'll do anything to try to fix it right now lol!

I was curious so I googled it. lol

Quoted from healthboards:
"The shape of the toenail (as in the fingernails) is directly related to the shape of the underlying bone. The nail bed follows the shape of the bone; the nail plate follows the shape of the nail bed. When a nail grows in an upward slope, it is called a "ski-jump" nail. There is nothing wrong with it, there is just very little nail bed for the nail plate to grow forward on; hence the upward turn. Keep the nail trimmed as short as possible, but it is better to trim (or file) it more often than to cut it too short."

Are all your toes like this? Both pinky toes are like this for me and the nail is so tiny as to practically not be there. All my other toenails grow curling around the toe so I have to keep them super short or they actually start growing into the skin, which hurts.

That's not what it is. My fingernails are ski-jump which just means they're slightly upturned. My toenails are totally different, the edges curl into the toenail like Eliana described.

Eliana. yeah they're all like that. I have a couple of toenails that are kinda normal but for the most part they're just weird.

I think we may be twins separated at birth! I have the same pinky toenails. My other toenails are rather normal, except the big toe, which is thick and yellow (thinking fungus) and both get ingrown if I cut them too short. The three middle toes appear relatively normal, unless they get too long, then they start growing into the skin on the ends. . .

Linsy, no experience in this area, but I would go to the doc and see what they can offer you!

I was told I have "sheep's toenails". Apparently that's how the toenails of sheep grow. And yes, my big toenail is like yours, normal and thick, but thankfully not yellow. I've never had problems with ingrown toenails, thank goodness!

Did the oil trick help at all? I've had the same exact problem since I can remember too

Hi DD8, I don't know if you noticed but you just posted on an old inactive thread and I don't know if the OP will (ever) respond back because she has not been on since Sept, 10 '12 according to her profile.

I have the exact same thing since i was a baby too! I dont know why i have it but i also dont believe its fungus either.. i wonder what it could be !

Wait so how do you do this? Because im wanting to do whatever it takes to have pretty feet too

I have the exact same issue and this is such an old thread. Wish the original poster would come back 😁

Same! Can we exchange pictures? I feel like nobody can have uglier feet than mine but I feel like this is the same issue I have and I hate them