Where
Plot No 13D/B, Wellington Rd, Vikrampuri Colony, Karkhana, Secunderabad, Telangana 500009.
- Serves Trimulgherry, West Marredpally, Bowenpally, Alwal
- Formerly BNR Skin & Vitiligo Hospital
Hyderabad
Nail treatment and nail surgery in Hyderabad
Nails are skin, and they get the same diseases skin does: fungus, psoriasis, lichen planus, alopecia areata. Which is why a nail that has changed is worth a dermatologist looking at, rather than months of an antifungal that may be treating the wrong thing.
45 years in dermatologyDermatologist & dermatosurgeonKarkhana, SecunderabadBooking on WhatsApp
At a glance
- Treats
- Ingrown nails, fungal nails, nail psoriasis
- Surgery
- Ingrown nail procedures, nail biopsy
- Confirmed first
- Fungal nails tested before long treatment
- Duration
- Nails grow slowly: months, not weeks
- Anaesthesia
- Local ring block for procedures
- Where
- Secunderabad clinic
The common mistake
Half of thickened nails are not fungal.
A thickened, discoloured, crumbling nail is assumed to be fungus by almost everybody, including a fair number of prescriptions. A substantial proportion are something else: psoriasis of the nail, damage from repeated trauma, lichen planus, or the pitting that goes with alopecia areata.
This matters because the treatments are not interchangeable and the courses are long. Months of oral antifungal for a nail that has psoriasis achieves nothing except the monitoring that goes with the drug. So where a long course is being considered, the diagnosis is confirmed before it starts rather than assumed from the appearance.
The other thing nails do is report on the rest of you. Sudden changes across several nails, a dark streak in one, or nail changes appearing alongside a rash are all reasons for an examination rather than a pedicure.
Before you decide
Who is treating you, and what his patients said.
Dr. (Lt Col) Khagendra Varada
- 45 years in dermatology and dermatosurgery
- 25 of them in the Indian Army Medical Corps
- MBBS, Osmania Medical College
- Dip. Practical Dermatology, Cardiff · Dip. Dermatology, AAAM
Reg. No. 10461, Hyderabad State Medical Council
Full background →“Dr. Varada is an incredibly patient, knowledgeable and wonderful doctor. He sorted out an issue that I had been dealing with for years in one appointment and there’s been no looking back since!”
“Dr. Varada was excellent. Clearly knowledgeable and thorough, took time to explain what they saw and why. Office staff were friendly and the visit felt unrushed. Highly recommend for anyone wanting a dermatologist who really knows their craft.”
The nail unit
The nail you see was made months ago.
A nail is produced by a growth zone tucked under the skin at its base and then slides forward over its bed. Damage there shows up at the fingertip months later, which is why nail treatment is slow and why the diagnosis matters before anything is prescribed.
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 1Where the nail is made
- 2Fungal thickening
- 3Pitting, and lifting
- 4A single dark band
Half of thickened nails are not fungal. Psoriasis, injury and a few other causes look similar at a glance, and antifungals do nothing for them.
- Where the nail is made
- Fungal thickening
- Pitting, and lifting
- A single dark band
Illustration, not a photograph.
What is treated
Nail problems and their answers
| Problem | Usual approach | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Ingrown toenail | Procedure under local anaesthetic | Recurrent ones need the nail edge dealt with, not just trimmed |
| Fungal nail infection | Oral treatment, confirmed first | Months; topical alone rarely reaches the nail bed |
| Nail psoriasis | Treated as psoriasis, not as fungus | Often the clue that a rash elsewhere is psoriatic |
| Pitting and ridging | Depends on cause | Seen in psoriasis, eczema and alopecia areata |
| Chronic paronychia | Address the moisture and the inflammation | Common in people whose hands are wet all day |
| A dark streak in one nail | Examined promptly | Usually benign, but it is not something to watch for a year |
Recurrent ingrown toenails are the one where repeated trimming is the problem rather than the treatment. A definitive procedure on the nail edge is what stops the cycle.
Nail surgery
Short procedures, done with a ring block.
Nail procedures are done under local anaesthetic given as a ring block at the base of the digit. The injection is the uncomfortable part and it is brief; the procedure itself is felt as pressure rather than pain, and you walk out afterwards.
For a recurrent ingrown toenail the aim is to stop it recurring, which means treating the offending edge of the nail rather than cutting the spike out again. For a nail that is changing in a way nobody can explain, a biopsy is sometimes the only way to get an answer. Small, and worth it.
If the skin is fungal tooHealing is slow by nature
A fingernail takes around six months to grow out fully and a toenail considerably longer. Improvement is judged against that.
Footwear is part of the treatment
For ingrown nails and recurrent fungal infection, what you put your feet into all day matters as much as what is prescribed.
Where to book
One clinic, in Secunderabad
Consulting rooms, phototherapy and the surgical list at one address in Secunderabad. The practice was formerly known as BNR Skin & Vitiligo Hospital.
How to book
On WhatsApp: one number, answered by the clinic team, who confirm a time and say what to bring.
- Photographs welcome before you travel
- Video consultation arranged the same way
Questions patients actually ask
Nail treatment questions
How long does fungal nail treatment take?
Months, because the nail has to grow out. Toenails take longer than fingernails, and the treated nail does not look better until new growth reaches the tip. This is precisely why the diagnosis is confirmed before a long course is started.
Is my thick yellow nail definitely fungal?
Not necessarily. Psoriasis, repeated trauma and lichen planus all produce similar changes, and the treatments are completely different. Where a long course of medication is being considered, it is worth confirming what you have first.
Will removing an ingrown toenail stop it coming back?
Simply cutting out the spike usually does not. It grows back the same way. A procedure that addresses the edge of the nail is what breaks the cycle for recurrent cases, and that is decided after examining it.
Does nail surgery hurt?
The local anaesthetic is given as a ring block at the base of the toe or finger, and that injection stings for a few seconds. After that the procedure is felt as pressure. There is soreness for a day or two afterwards.
Can I have a pedicure while being treated?
Tell the clinic what you are having done. Aggressive cuticle work and shared instruments are a route to both infection and recurrent paronychia, and are worth avoiding while a nail is being treated.
Do nail changes mean something is wrong internally?
Sometimes, and that is one reason a dermatologist looks at them. Nail changes accompany several skin conditions and occasionally point elsewhere, which is why sudden changes across several nails are worth examining rather than covering.
References
The clinical statements on this page follow the guidance and evidence below. They are independent sources. None of them is connected to this clinic, and none of them sells the treatments described here.
- Nail disordersDermNet (New Zealand Dermatological Society)
- Fungal nail infectionsDermNet (New Zealand Dermatological Society)
- Fungal nail infectionNHS (United Kingdom)
- Nail psoriasisDermNet (New Zealand Dermatological Society)
- Ingrown toenailDermNet (New Zealand Dermatological Society)
Keep reading
Related on this site
The first appointment is a diagnosis.
Not a treatment plan sold on the spot. Message the clinic and bring your history.