Runners

Any runners loose any toe nails? Or experience black nails? Gross I know, but it happens. Any home remedies?

Replies

  • mkakids
    mkakids Posts: 1,913 Member
    Your shoes are too tight in the toe box! I don't have any home remedies, but to buy new shoes, sorry!
  • William4MVP
    William4MVP Posts: 166 Member
    It must be your running motion or your shoes imo. I use to run a lot and I never experienced this. I've heard of it happening but never to me since I invested in a good pair of shoes at a running store which is key if you want to run a long time..
  • ThickMcRunFast
    ThickMcRunFast Posts: 22,511 Member
    Shoes. Unless you are an ultra runner doing some serious downhill.
  • scorpio516
    scorpio516 Posts: 955 Member
    Yes. Worst was playing soccer in too small shoes in big school... But even marginally too small will kill my "ring" toe nails.
  • autumnblade75
    autumnblade75 Posts: 1,661 Member
    I am short both the toenails from my big toes right now. I am training for a marathon, and I have been doing much more downhill running than usual. I am glad to have lost them before the race, so that I won't have to worry about losing them on race day.

    In my case, it's a symptom of the nail of my big toe hitting the inside of the shoe. I'd rather lose the nails periodically than run in a larger shoe. I've looked up toenail removal, and I don't quite have the guts to ask a doctor to pry a healthy nail off and dump chemicals on the nail matrix, but I won't be upset if they don't grow back.

    Once you've lost a nail, I think the only remedy is to wait for it to grow back. If there's a blister behind the nail, and the toe feels swollen, I am not above draining it - but I Am Not A Doctor, and I didn't even stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night (it's probably not recommended...) I'm not sure if the nail would recover if you leave it alone, because I haven't got that kind of patience. But I've made my peace with losing the nail, anyway.
  • hyg99
    hyg99 Posts: 354 Member
    I find I'm okay but have issues if nails get too long so I try and keep them trimmed.
  • briggsykim
    briggsykim Posts: 75 Member
    edited January 2016
    It always happened to me too. I never found a solution other to stop running. My toenails are still damaged and it's been 5 years or more since I stopped. It's from your foot jamming forward against the toe box of your shoes. It's bruising is turning them black.
  • lisa_lamb
    lisa_lamb Posts: 29 Member
    It's supposed to help if you lace up the top 2 holes on your trainers and pull them tight and downward. I think it has helped me but hard to tell as my toenails were already knackered!