There is no special name for a person with these nails. Medical terms describe the condition instead: onychomycosis refers to fungal infection, onycholysis to nail separation, and onychogryphosis to unusually thick, claw-like nails.
Fungi can enter through small cracks and feed on keratin, causing yellow or brown discoloration, thickening, brittleness, shape changes, and sometimes separation from the nail bed. Warm, moist environments, aging, injuries, athlete’s foot, and certain health conditions can increase the risk.
Treatment may involve topical or oral antifungal medication and can take months because nails grow slowly. Not every abnormal nail is fungal, though, so persistent changes should be properly diagnosed rather than judged by appearance alone.
