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Fri Sep 22, 2006 10:06 am  |
Okay, sorry in advance if anyone is squeamish about toenails, but please can anyone give me some advice?
Several weeks ago, I wore the most fabulous shoes ever a couple of (long) nights running. Unfortunately, they badly bruised the skin directly beneath both big toenails and the area was quite swollen and painful, causing the nails to lift a little. Things seemed to calm down after a while, except for the fact that the skin remained very black/purple.
Then, yesterday, I knocked one of my big toenails slightly and felt a weird scraping sensation. When I plucked up the courage to look, the toenail is still attached but feels kind of loose. Worse, the bottom left hand corner (that should be embedded into my toe and cuticle) appears to have popped out - the other corner is still where it should be.
I think that the nail will maybe eventually drop off, but can anyone please reassure me (or otherwise) that it will grow back again? And if so, how long will it take? Also, is there anything I can do to help matters along - for instance, make the nail grow faster?
Apart from the fact that I'm going to freak everyone out when I go swimming, I have another pair of (hopefully much less harmful) peeptoe shoes I desperately want to wear for a Christmas party!  |
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Fri Sep 22, 2006 11:05 am |
I feel your pain. When I was in high school I ran to answer the door at my parent's house, and bumped a huge oak picture frame that was hanging in the hall. It started to fall, I moved to catch it, but missed and it crashed on my bare foot. It popped my nail 1/2 out at the base, and broke my toe. I went to a poditrist. He removed the nail, and gave me bandages to keep it covered and a topical antibiotic to apply. He said the nail might not grow back. My poor toe looked like a sausage.
It took several months, but the nail did eventually grow back. It isn't attached to the tip of the nail as much as it was before, and it grows slightly upward, but at least it's back.
I'd go see a doctor if it's possible. He migt remove the nail, but if it gets infected it would be a lot worse. |
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Fri Sep 22, 2006 11:11 am |
| I would definitely recommend going to a foot doctor. I actually had some toenails removed before--- I'm not going to lie, it was a terrible experience, but afterwards they grew back beautifully so in the end it was well worth it. Be sure to keep us updated!! |
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27, sensitive/reactive/acne prone skin, dark brown hair, blue eyes, possibly the palest woman alive... |
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Fri Sep 22, 2006 2:05 pm |
| I second the trip to the podiatrist. Have a professional who deals with that help. Good luck! |
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40, fair skinned, dark hair, blue eyes |
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Fri Sep 22, 2006 3:02 pm |
When I was in college I had a similar thing happen. I was playing basket ball with sports oriented guys and got my toe stomped on. I kept playing and did not go to the MD. It got gross and infected. It is OK now but I really should have gone to the doctor and saved myself a pain in the foot. I did not learn though, recently I got a bad rope burn on my leg from a retractible dog leash. We were going to Disney World the next day so I did not go to the doctor. Well two days later I ended up in the emergency room with IV antibiotics due to blood poisoning.
Go to the doctors! (Do what I say not what I did) |
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Sat Sep 23, 2006 12:02 am |
A few years ago, after a summer of going around with pretty toe nails and sandles, I had to put my feet back into bondage.. {Closed toe shoes and boots} I wasn't thinking, and had left my nails on the longer side, like I do every summer.. My big toes kinda of go up, so in closed shoes, I have to make sure there is room for my big toe and I have to keep the nail really short.. Big duhhhh, I didn't shorten them before I wore some fancy boots for hours.. OY, was I ever in pain after that.. After a while, {Can't remember how long it took" my big toe nail started to lift from the side all the way to the top.. I just knew it was going to fall off.. What happened was at some point I was able to just cut that part off.. It grew back just fine.. I did keep it cleaned very well until the skin toughened up..
And there have been a couple times, when I've broken toes, the nail fell off, but grew back fine.. Also had a finger nail fall of when I was in HS, and I have NO idea what happened there.. The nail grew back, and caused me to stop biting my nails, when I saw how pretty it was...LOL
I never went to a Dr myself, but if you want to go to the Dr, just for your own peace of mind, you should, you decide... But if you keep it clean and protected, it should grow back with no problem.. |
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Colorful Colorado! Highlands Ranch, a burb south of Denver... |
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Sat Sep 23, 2006 1:13 am |
Thanks so much for all the help, advice and pep talk. Just what I needed. I love you all! 
So it sounds like I'm going to have a scary toe for quite a while, then. Probably jinxed myself by buying those gorgeous new peeptoe shoes.
It's much harder over here to get to see podiatrists, dermatologists and such. We usually can only see our GPs - and it can be a struggle sometimes to get an appointment with them. We do get to see specialists, but only for more life-threatening stuff (if you've very lucky!)
I may ring a chiropodist, though, as you don't need to ask your doctor for a referral and go on a huge waiting list to see them. Hopefully, they'll be able to either do something for me or give me more advice.
I'll definitely keep on keeping the area as clean as poss. I'm using boiled salted water at the moment. May even apply a dressing to stop my socks and boots pressing on the area and making it worse.
Will let you know how things go.
And those of you who've been through this - I feel your pain too!!!! |
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Sat Sep 23, 2006 4:06 am |
A quick update in case this helps anyone with the same problem.
The chiropodist's receptionist advised me to bathe my toe in lukewarm boiled saltwater every day and to apply a dressing on top. (Which is what I'd planned on doing anyway.)
She gave me an appointment for Tuesday, when they'll probably trim the nail to help prevent it catching and tearing.
I'm so keeping my fingers crossed to be able to wear my gorgeous peeptoe shoes again.  |
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Sun Sep 24, 2006 1:52 pm |
ouch!! i can feel ur pain since i once knocked off the nail on my little toe..and it hurt like crazy!!!! it did grow back out after some time, but it took quite a few weeks b4 it looked normal
so don't worry, u can wear peep toe shoes again in some time |
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Mon Sep 25, 2006 8:41 am |
| milodomi wrote: |
so don't worry, u can wear peep toe shoes again in some time |
Wahey! Just what I wanted to hear! |
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