One risk factor, and this is something you do nothing about really, is age. Nail fungus have been noted to affected older people than younger people – though this is of course not to say that young people are completely immune from the nail fungus. It is just that the infection is more common among older people. Several possible medical explanations for this phenomenon have been put forward. The most plausible of these explanations is the one that sees increased exposure (as a function of age/time and hence more contact with the fungus) as one of the reasons why nail fungus are more common among older people.

It has also been noted that blood circulation tends to be impaired as people get on in years, and since diminished circulation is known to be one of the factors behind an increased risk of fungal infections, it follows that nail fungus would be expected to more among the older people in any population where such infections are common. Furthermore, it has been noted that the nails of older people tend to be thicker than those of younger people (as nails tend to thicken with time), and this is thought of as being yet another reason as to why nail fungus are more common among older people, as the thicker nails so developed with age naturally make a better habitat for the nail fungus than nails of lesser thickness.

Another risk factor for nail fungus, once again something that there is very little you can do about, is gender – where the condition has been observed to affect more men than women. Again this is not to say that women are absolutely immune from nail fungus. It is only to say that men have shown greater predisposition, on average, than women to the same infection.

Then there is heredity as another risk for nail fungus. Like the previous two, this too is something about which you really can do very little. So if either of your parents always complained of nail fungus, then chances are that you may find yourself doing the same sometime down the line. Of course, it is should be noted that heredity only translates to enhances predisposition to conditions, and is not therefore not a sure sentence that if you are genetically predisposed to nail fungus that you will get them.

If you tend to sweat heavily, especially on your feet, then you are at a greater risk of suffering from nail fungus than a person who sweats more modestly.

If you have suffered from the inflammatory skin illness called psoriasis, then you too, are at a greater risk of suffering from nail fungus infection that someone who has never had a psoriasis infection.

If you have previously suffered from the condition called 'athletes foot' you are also at great risk of suffering from nail fungus later, as is the case if you happen to have diabetes or problems with circulation in your body.