So, due to the fact that I used to pedal with my toes pointed up, it caused a blood blister to form underneath my big toenail. A month later, that toenail is only attached at the root of the nail. It kinda grossed out my physical therapist this morning, too. So, should I just let it grow out with the potential of it getting ripped out or should I go ahead and cut it as far back to the root as I can get it?
Also, expect pictures from this as well, but posted later.
Thanks.
last one I had, I put a piece of athletic tape over the toe so it wouldn’t rip off…then when I went to replace the tape a week later, the nail came off with it…OUCH! Next time, I am going to cut it as far back as possible!
Make sure you keep the nail too…and collect them in a jar. Chicks love stuffl ike that!
-bcreager
after the shower just rip it out. your skin will be soft. it could bleed a little, but if you have pressure on your nail it will feel better afterwards.
Ouch. I think I will just cut it back to almost where the cuticle is.
That’s way cooler then the tape thing I did…I feel like a wuss now!!!
-bcreager
That is hardcore! You have to be tough as woodpecker lips to pull some stuff off like that. I am impressed.
next time if you tape your nail again, try putting a small square of tape on the underside of the main piece of tape that goes over your nail. Adhesive side against adhesive side, that way the only part that sticks is the tape that is against the skin, not the nail.
during my serious running years i had black toenails all the time. my husband would get a turned stomach if he watched me rip out my toenails. i won’t lie it hurts, but afterwards the pressure is relieved and it feels much better (well, not everytime, but most times). you just got to toughen up and rip it out from the bed. it’s the only way…no babying it. besides you can’t allow an f’ed up toenail to mess up your training or bother you.
In the infamous words of the Guiness guys…BRILLIANT!!! Didn’t even think of that, have to try it next time. Thanks
-bcreager
i just went through this whole process myself. I actually just left it alone. I would tape it whenever I swam or else it would flap around in the water whilst kicking (which did not feel too good). After about a month, I was putting a sock on after I got out of the shower and it just popped right off. No pain, no blood or anything. It will come off when it’s ready. I’ve heard that cutting it back or pulling it out before it’s ready to come off can increase risk of infection.
6 months later, my new nail has grown in 2/3 of the way (and now the other one is half black and blue from training for IM CdA)
… So, should I just let it grow out with the potential of it getting ripped out or should I go ahead and cut it as far back to the root as I can get it?..
YES!
Either one. Or just tape it down until it is looser, then yank it.
I used to have those from trail running too. What worked best for me, was just to keep it cut down so that it was out of the way, and wait for the new nail to grow in. Once the new nail grows underneath the old one, it pushes it out of the way and the old nail comes off by itself, with no risk of infection. You still have to yank it a little bit though. The problem with yanking a fairly fresh one is that the nail bed underneath is really sensitive for quite a while. You might have to tape that, or use a lot of bodyglide or something on it. It takes like 3months for a big toenail to grow back completely. You dont want that nail bed sensitive for that long. It a freaky feeling.