Toe-nail regrowth. Has anyone here lost a toenail?

[JoeFahey]

So long story short, I bruised my big toe awhile back, and there was a dark spot on the nail for awhile. Today, while doing some yard work, I jammed it and the entire nail flipped up. I will not come completely off easily. I applied antiseptic as well as gauze. My school's health center will open tomorrow at 1PM and I will go to it then.

Should I do anything else? Should I try to tug the nail off? (I don't think I should) Also, I read that it can take up to a year to have it grow back. How will this limit my physical activity during this time? I was planning on doing a great deal of hiking this summer, and I really do not want to put this on hold, can I still hike with it while it is regrowing if I cover it somehow?

I will ask all these questions when I see someone at the health center tomorrow, but I was wondering if anyone here who has a similar experience could give me some advice/information.

Thanks!

 

[dquan97]

get a hot glue gun and duct tape

 

[JSFLY]

Don't do anything yourself, just wait for the doc to take a look @ it.

You'll be fine, nails grow back and u'll be able to hike fine I'm sure.

 

[Newbian]

We needs pics to vomit over.

 

[SSSnail]

It'll grow back, you'll be fine. Just don't pick at it and it'll be pretty gross looking for a few months, make sure you cover it up and keep it dry.

 

[Mo0o]

It's fine. The bottom new nail will start growing and eventually will loosen up the top nail for easy removal. happened to be about 2 years ago

 

[joesmoke]

thats funny my captain toenail is hanging by a thread too. its happened before, and it never takes a whole year for me. just yank it and let it do its thing... least thats what i did.

 

[lxskllr]

I wouldn't worry about it. I wouldn't even bother going to a doctor. Put a bandaid on it to keep it from pulling off, and give it a gentle tug every night to see if it's ready. If you pull it off too soon, you'll be in for a world of pain. A new nail will grow back, but I don't remember how long it takes.

 

[JoeFahey]

Originally posted by: lxskllr
I wouldn't worry about it. I wouldn't even bother going to a doctor. Put a bandaid on it to keep it from pulling off, and give it a gentle tug every night to see if it's ready. If you pull it off too soon, you'll be in for a world of pain. A new nail will grow back, but I don't remember how long it takes.

That the problem with it, it wont rest flat down on the toe again. It is at an upward angle form the way it got jammed upward.


For those of you who had this happen to you, does it limit the amount of physical activity you can do at all to help growth?

 

[nakedfrog]

I pulled mine off because it hurt badly every time something touched it... it's almost grown back all the way now after six months. This is my second toe, not the big one.
After a couple weeks it didn't hurt any more and I started wearing shoes instead of sandals again. Pulling it off did hurt like a MFer, even with some booze to soften up the pain.

 

[lxskllr]

Originally posted by: JoeFahey


That the problem with it, it wont rest flat down on the toe again. It is at an upward angle form the way it got jammed upward.


For those of you who had this happen to you, does it limit the amount of physical activity you can do at all to help growth?

Your activity won't be limited. If you do a lot of foot work, it may be a little sensitive, but you won't hinder healing. You could try trimming part of the nail off if it'll help it lay flatter.

 

[JulesMaximus]

It will fall off on its own and it will grow back.

My wife and I were carrying a piece of tile countertop out to the trash (this was one whole slab about 3' x 5') and the thing broke in half while we were carrying it. Of course, when it snapped she dropped it and it fell right on her big toe. Broke the toe and the nail was really ugly looking. Sure enough the nail fell off a couple weeks later but it grew back.

She never lets me forget that either...like it was my fault the thing broke in two. :roll:

 

[esun]

It takes awhile but it will grow back.

1st time I dropped a heavy pallet on my big toe and it bruised. The nail came off I think a few days later (this happened over a decade ago so my memory is fuzzy) and grew back over the next few months. I recently bruised my toenail again and although it didn't fall off this time, it was still black and the new one is still growing in. That happened a few months ago and I think it will probably take at least another month before the black part grows off.

From what I've read, the biggest risk is due to infection, so if something doesn't look/feel right go get it checked out by a doctor.

Oh, and not having a toenail will not inhibit your physical activity in the slightest. Since bruising my toe this time I've been running and biking 4-5 times per week. Last time I was in elementary school so I'm sure I was also physically active despite the lack of a toenail.

 

[anxi80]

had a 15 pound weight fall on my foot and ripped off the toenail next to my pinky toe. it took about 8 months to fully grow back. also it grew back funny and looks like a sharp point when it gets long now.. but better that than no toenail at all.

 

[Kelvrick]

Originally posted by: anxi80
had a 15 pound weight fall on my foot and ripped off the toenail next to my pinky toe. it took about 8 months to fully grow back. also it grew back funny and looks like a sharp point when it gets long now.. but better that than no toenail at all.

Pull it off again. If the trend continues, you'll grow claws like an eagle.
EDIT: Talon

 

[Flipped Gazelle]

I've had a toenail and a fingernail ripped off, both grew back within months. Never went to a Dr. about 'em.

As long as the injured toe is well-protected, their should be no limitations of physical exertions. There might be pain, but that's it.

 

[xavier es]

been there done that twice, just cut the part that sticks up off and wait many months for the new one to grow. the last time this happened to me my gf had me put lotion or aloe vera on it, she said it would grow back faster, i thinnk it did.

 

[imported_Imp]

I've only broken the toe-nails on my little toe and one toe beside the little one.

Tape it and leave it alone is what I did. After a week or two, when it starts falling off by itself, I help it along by cutting everything not attached off. Two years later, they look hideous and mal-aligned, but hey, the more or less grew back.

For the love of god, go to the doctor.

 

[alkemyst]

Originally posted by: JSFLY
Don't do anything yourself, just wait for the doc to take a look @ it.

You'll be fine, nails grow back and u'll be able to hike fine I'm sure.

Not necessarily...some grow backs are pretty painful.

I have lost and regrown about a half dozen nails. Sometimes the nailbed is bitten into by the returning nail. One time my toe was smashed but the nail stayed attached and a new one grew in.

It was really painful when the new started pushing out the old. I finally just torn the old off, wrapped my toe in guaze a few days.

 

[I Saw OJ]

I've have my big toenails ripped off 3 different times, they grow back, its nice not having to trim them for a while.

 

[Bignate603]

I lost the nail off my big toe after a grand canyon hike in November. It's ALMOST out to a reasonable length now. It's still got a bit of a bulge in the middle that will take a few more months to grow out but that's fine with me. Mine was pretty nasty though, it happened on my first day in the canyon when we were walking downhill all day. My foot slid forward in my boot and even though it didn't hurt the constant contact of my big toe with the toe of my boot caused me to start bleeding under the nail. By the time I got home it was completely black. A week or two later the nail lifted off enough I could wash out most of the dried blood so my toe at least looked semi-normal. About a month after the hike the old nail separated off.

 

[beat mania]

^^^ I stubbed my toe the same way, walking downhill on Mt. Fuji.

It took about 9 months to fully regrow.

I left my dead toe nail on - I read that it serves as a guide for the new nail to grow (it'll grow under the old nail) and it'll grow straighter that way. Don't know how true that is but there wasn't anything bad with leaving it on. My new nail didn't have any bulges so there's that. & I just soak my foot in epsom salt solution once in a while.

 

[cpacini]

I ripped my toe nail clean off when I dropped an office chair on it Christmas day. It has already completely grown back (to be honest, i'm not entirely sure which toe it was anymore).

Keep it bandaged up for a couple of weeks until the new nail starts to grow in, and you'll be fine.

 

[Cattlegod]

pics stat

 

[DangerAardvark]

I dropped a small vending machine on my big toe and had to have a hematoma drained. Had a black toenail for a month or two until it fell off. I just wrapped it up in some gauze and wore sandals until it was painless enough to wear shoes again. Took about a year to get anything resembling a normal looking toenail back.