Is there danger lurking down at the local Happy Nails? The fungus among us is something doctors affectionately call onychomycosis, and it’s fairly common. Some 15 percent of us have it and almost half of people over the age of seventy suffer from this ailment, which causes the toenail-particularly on the big toe-to become thick and discolored. Toenails are a cozy environment for the fungus because they are usually dark and damp, and dark and damp is heaven for fungi.

Toenail fungus can sometimes get better on its own, but usually worsens without treatment. Prescription medication used to treat toenail fungus includes fluconazole (Diflucan), itraconazole (Sporannox), and terbinafine (Lamisil). Onychomycosis is contagious and, yes, you can get it at a nail salon.

But you can also get it in a shower stall, a locker room, a bathroom, or from sharing a nail file or emery board with a friend or family member who has toe fungus. So, please don’t deprive yourself of the pleasure of a pedicure, just be careful.

If you want to pamper your little piggies at a salon, make sure that it has a current operating license, and that its instruments are properly sanitized. Autoclaving (heat sterilization) of the instruments is best, but germicidal chemical sterilization will also suffice. You can also always bring your own set of toe tools.