Grim footage has emerged which shows what can happen if you leave a fungal infection to fester for many months on end.
A woman in Tampa, Florida hadn’t cut her fungal infected toenails in over a year, resulting in very long, thick, discoloured nails.
The nail of the big toe was so unkempt, it even covered the toe next to it, leading podiatrist Dr Binh Nguyen to describe it as a ‘little toe hat’. This nail was a reported four centimetres in length, and looked to be extremely uncomfortable.
Dr Nguyen, of Healthy Feet Podiatry, spent nearly 20 minutes chipping away at the patient’s nails, and certainly had his work cut out.
Before hacking away at the toenails, Dr Nguyen can be heard reassuring his patient she had come to the ‘right place’:
She hasn’t had her nails cut in over a year. A little long, this one is covering this one – it’s like a little hat, a toe hat.
And we’ve got some nails over here too. But you know what? She came to the right place and we’re going to take good care of her.
Dr Nguyen then went to work on the woman’s feet, hacking away at the nails in a procedure some have described as being ‘satisfying’.
Rock music can be heard as the plucky podiatrist chipped and chiselled away at the tough talons. The big toenail proved to be a particularly pesky pinky, and Dr Nguyen had to slow down to avoid causing his patient any pain.
When Dr Nguyen asked his patient how she was doing in the midst of the procedure, she simply laughed:
I’m fine, you people are the ones who aren’t!
Ever the professional, Dr Nguyen replied:
I’m okay, imagine being a foot doctor getting grossed out by toes.
Eventually, Dr Nguyen’s skilful hard work paid off, and the woman’s toenails looked vastly improved and far more manageable.
Reflecting on the transformation, Dr Nguyen appeared pleased as he inspected his handiwork:
Check out her feet, just cleaning them a little bit here. Looking a lot better and not as long. Not as smooth as we would like, but then again she couldn’t tolerate the general. It’s okay. A lot better than what it was.
The woman could be heard to say ‘yes’ in agreement, no doubt feeling much better following her trip to Dr Nguyen’s clinic.
The Healthy Feet Podiatry YouTube channel has over 160,000 subscribers, and features patients with a range of foot issues, from ingrown toenails to under-nail pus pockets.
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Jules studied English Literature with Creative Writing at Lancaster University before earning her masters in International Relations at Leiden University in The Netherlands (Hoi!). She then trained as a journalist through News Associates in Manchester. Jules has previously worked as a mental health blogger, copywriter and freelancer for various publications.