I've done 2 toe nail avulsions at my podiatrist in the past 12 months. If you get them removed it will take about 6 months for them to return. No swimming for 1-2 weeks post removal. I've lost 8 of my 10 toe nails and finally decided to increase the size of shoes I buy from 11 to 12. That alone has prevented any additional issues.

If you just remove the nail then it would grow back. I think the OP is referring to the next step which is killing the nail matrix. I think they do it with an acid or there may be other methods. But it would be permanent.

I havent had normal toenails in 30 years. LOL
I typically surgically remove them myself with this. Seriously. Swiss Army Classic Knife | REI Co-op
Had my little trusty swiss army knife for just about as long. ;)

I've heard of ultrarunners who've had this done

Note: "Heard of" does NOT necessarily mean it's true, by any means

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"What's your claim?" - Ben Gravy
"Your best work is the work you're excited about" - Rick Rubin

'The Toe Bro' has a TV series showing him permanently removing toe nails by putting some sort of acid in the nail bed, as well as in-growns and other stuff.

Looks pretty grim, but at least painless when he does it, maybe not so after!

https://g.co/kgs/5g671D

I have the same problem. I briefly thought about this a couple times, but my pediatrist talked me out of it. The 95% fix for me is simply to keep those nails trimmed short. If I let them go, then guaranteed toe nail blackness & separation. (I have personally removed nails several times when they get the black blister underneath, thought they do always come back.)

As a couple others noted, there is a procedure in which a pediatrist burns the nail root with acid to permanently stop nail regrowth. I (and my kids) have had this done to the edges of big toe nails multiple times to deal with ingrown toenails. This would hurt like a mofo and I would not consider it without a local anesthetic. Plus, it was not permanent in a couple of our instances, so it is not 100% guaranteed.

Yeh the guy on the TV program injected local anaesthetic, I assumed that was a given! Also some sort of toe tourniquet on it too.

Basically inject, tourniquet, some tool to push and separate the nail from the nail bed, pull it off with pliers, acid in the bed and wrap up with antibiotic ointment. Lovely viewing!

I lost 3 last year for the first time in my life! Both second toe in, one of them twice! I just waited (quite a while) until they were a bit floppy with the new one growing out underneath and pulled them off. Same size and make of Salomon's I've used for years too, so either my feet have changed or Thier last has.

Had one removed on my right foot (slammed it into a futon the night before I moved into a new house), yes they cut back the tissue a bit then use acid on a q-tip to kill the nailbed. No pain other than the initial injection to numb the toe, but the couple of weeks after was a bit painful. Peroxide pour 3-4 times a day for those two weeks to make sure healed correctly. Never grew back and no issues since then though. I'd do it to the OTHER big toe as well if there was a valid reason and covered by insurance.

Mine was a pinky toe, but I didn't have it removed. I asked myself 'Why is it always the pinky toe???'

I broke mine at a water park in Palm Springs. The concrete on the pool deck was that superfine kind that gets extra-slick when wet. A little brat - who probably should have know better - came running toward me to get into the wave pool. As I turned to avoid him, my foot skidded into a joint in the concrete that was about half an inch off flush. By the end of the day, it had turned black & blue and swelled to approx. egg-size. I iced it down with a bag of frozen peas when I got home. I spent the next day hobbling around Disneyland.

The nail has never grown right since

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"What's your claim?" - Ben Gravy
"Your best work is the work you're excited about" - Rick Rubin

Cheers All.

Some great info here and the best way forward for me does seem to be get it removed and killed.

But....will have to wait until the end of the race season - been waiting too long to race again so will put up with it for another 6 months.

Pat.