Losing toenails?

ja9smakinachange

So after a bit of a hiatus I decided to go out and run as long as I could (probably not the brightest idea) did 18k, felt great however my second toes were tender right away. I think the nails were too long, so I trimmed them down. It's been about 2 weeks and I've run a bunch of 10ks since but my toenails are now blackish. Are they going to fall off? How long til they do? Should I be doing anything to them?

DavidMartinez2

I leave them alone until they fall off on their own. The longer you can hang on to them the more time the new ones get to grow before they are called into primary service.

CarsonRuns

And it usually means that your shoes are too small. Most runners buy their shoes a to a full size larger than their Street shoes.

ja9smakinachange

Thanks!

I did go out straight away and get fitted for new shoes, the ones I'd been wearing were fine for short little 5k's and intervals but I think the swelling of long distances was too much for them. Ended up with mens 8, I normally wear a ladies 9. the arches of the mens were perfect and the felt like slippers going on

PollyWolly98

I've lost a few toenails and they take FOREVER to fall off. Like 3+ months and then it takes a month or two for them to regrow. Mine were lost from skiing or from doing mud runs in old sneakers that were too small and not meant for running. Sounds like it was definitely the shoes for you. Glad you got some new ones. Good luck!

plateaued

It's been 8 years. My doc says the running damaged the roots of the nail and it will never fall off. Black, ugly but hanging on by a nail. I have more than once tried to pull it out, but I don't have the courage.

twinmom_112002

I did mine in March last year and it stayed nice and black through the summer (thank goodness for pedicures). Be aware that now that it is damaged you are more at risk for a fungal infection. Yep...had that happen a month after. So now not only was the nail black but it was incredibly thick. At the beginning of summer it finally looked normal (never fell off) and I reinjured it at my 10 miler race on Sunday. The joys!

PinkNinjaLaura

I'm resurrecting this topic -

I've never lost a toenail, or had one turn black, but I have one (middle toe left foot) that is now ridiculously thick, to the point where it's getting uncomfortable. Running shoes are 1/2 size bigger than my everyday ones so they have ample room.

Thoughts? Suggestions? Cures?

twinmom_112002

I did buy some of that really expensive fungus stuff and applied it nightly for like a month. Really though the only thing that helped was letting it grow out and cutting off whatever I could.

Raasy

I cant say that I have officially lost a toe nail, But after my HM back in October I had some pain on my forth toe on my left foot. I did not think anything of it until getting a pedicure 4 weeks later. My toenail was still purple, and it looked like I was going to lose it. However that nail is still hanging on, it is dead on the outside of my toe but is still attached on the inside of the toe. So I just keep trimming it to keep it short. Hopefully it will hang on until fully grown out.

I have another HM on super bowl Sunday so we will see what happens then. I have since gone up a half size in my running shoes so hopefully that will solve the issue

coronalime

Yes your shoes should be fitted properly...BUT..
your feet swell. Depending on the year, where your at and a SLEW of factors your feet swell..so your shoes. sorry to say.. Never fit correctly.
I had a summer of hell 2 yrs ago. I lost a bunch of toenails. I didn't change shoes. or distance or whatever.
Ive run 40 miles and nothing and Ive run a few marthons and lost nails everytime.
You do need to be wearing a shoe that fits at least at rest and that goes for length and WIDTH! And this I mean toe box..You need breathable socks and socks you can move your toes well in.

Its very common. Its not that big of deal unless your losing them for poor circulation

sarahc001

Check out John Vonhof's "fixing your feet." Sometimes just making sure your toenails are trimmed makes a big difference. I've done a few 50ks and 2 50 milers, and never had a black toenail, but my shoes are 1/2 size larger than "normal" and I trim my toenails down before any run over 20 miles.

PinkNinjaLaura

Thanks for all the comments. I'm in Minnesota, so it's cold right now & I don't think my feet are swelling, and the toe box of my shoes are pretty roomy. (I can't wear Brooks because they're too narrow in the toe box for me.) I'm good about keeping my nails trimmed short. The socks I almost always wear are FitSox. When it got colder I switched to slightly thicker ones, and they definitely are tighter fitting than the lighter weight ones I wore in the summer. Could it be as simple as my socks being too tight? It's not coming off, and it's not discolored, it's just super thick. I have some anti-fungal cream I can start putting on there too if it will help.