Have You Lost Your Toe Nails?

toes
My big toe nail fell off this week. It was actually killed at the Pierra Menta Ski Touring Race in March but has taken until now to fall off. Quite an amazing process as it detached from the toe underneath and allowed the skin to harden and begin to form a new nail before deciding it was time to leave. Quite clever for a  toe really. A quick chat in the office revealed that 4 out of the 9 of us have lost our toe nails in some way or other, it could almost be seem as a perverse badge of honour. So the question is have you and if so, how?[poll id=”2″]

12 thoughts on “Have You Lost Your Toe Nails?

  1. I dropped about a 500Lb log that had been chopped with an ax on my big toe. The end of the log was pointed from being cut with an ax. The log ripped out the nail, opened a gash under it and broke the toe.

    It bled like crazy and I went to the ER. The ER doc told me there was no way I could lift anything heavy enough to break the toe but took an x ray anyway. Toe was busted. It took four stitched to close the nail bed and then he sutured the nail back on to act as a bandage.

    That was 25 years ago and I now have a terrible thick nail there and can still see where the bone broke.

  2. Glad I saw this. Debating removal of big toenail or just leaving mine alone (it was full of fluid so it’s definitely a goner – I squished out the fluid by clipping it short). Did a marathon, 2 wks. later a 41 mile hike/run in one day along the Rogue national wilderness trail with hiking shoes that were too small. I think it’s a good idea to keep them as long as you can for protection from further trauma. And protect from infection. IT would be a very raw open wound if removed.

  3. Yes, I lost several toe-nails, one on my left pinkie toe never returned after it developped an yellowish, thickened structure, grew upwards and was quite disturbing.
    It was deleted at the roots with carbolic acid and now I have a “smooth” pinkie toe with a small dot where the former nail was.
    Looks and feels quite good now!

    Other toe nails got lost and just grew back! So far ! Greetz, Bob

  4. Hi, i was out with round on the hills when it was snowing and they were sledging. I think i may have stubbed my toe on a rock up there. It hurt at first and went black/purple then faded colour and now it is half off. Im not going to putt it off but let it do its thing. Underneath is still bits off hard blood i think. Does it hurt when it comes off? Thanks. (I done it about 1 month ago)

  5. Leave it alone, nails have to fall off rather than be pulled (apart from when they are only just hanging on). Sea water would be good for it I’m sure

  6. Hi, wondering if anyone can help, I caught my big toe on a flip flop which raised my toenail, it began to bleed badly and is definately lifted from the nail bed but still attached further towards the bottom so i do not want to pull it off, for fear of making it worse, for fear of pain and for the biggest fear: i am going on holiday in a week. The toenail is currently bandaged up but i am wondering if i am able to go on the beach, in the sea/pool? and what should i do about the nail itself, leave or pull? hlep would be very much appreciated, panicking badly!

  7. Glad I found this blog! I was worried about my toenail, which I damaged in a DIY incident some months ago. I didn’t consult a doctor, but it recently detached. Like you though, I found a new, thin looking nail beneath it. Good to see it happens to 4 out of every 9 of us!

  8. So glad I found this page…my big toe nails got squashed big time at the start of July coming down Snowdon as my boots weren’t laced tightly enough – schoolgirl error accodring to my outdoorsy husband!

    Massive blisters and brusing followed – one of the toenails has started to hinge up and is indeed quite disgusting but can feel new growth below so will let nature take its course. Of to Italy on holiday in 10 days time though so may need to bite the bullet and speed up the process!

    Funny semi-related story – on a recent visit to a very rich and very groomed friends house I was quite ashamed to show her and another equally groomed friend my ‘snowdon’ toes – until they saw them though they thought I’d had a trendy new pedicure they had not yet heard about..!

  9. As it happens I’ve got a blackened toenail that’s ripening for detachment at the moment. It started during a weekend hike in the southern Pennines in boots that I’ve hardly used before.

    The worst part of losing toe/fingernails is when they start hinging up before coming off altogether. Man, it makes me stomach churn just thinking of it.

  10. Mine was a mistake at kendo involving one floorboard collapsing and another staying still and my foot moving with the moving floorboard and my toenail staying with the motionless.

  11. I’ve gone for Domestic as that was my big toenail, an accident involving a door. A lot of bleeding and a trip to A&E later it grew back just fine.

    I also lost my little toenail after wearing wet walking boots for too long but that grew back too.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *