Runners Toe

jdscrubs32
jdscrubs32 Posts: 515 Member
edited December 2024 in Fitness and Exercise
To all you runners, have you had this and how long did it stay with you? I have been running since 2010. These days, its normally one 10k a week. A few weeks ago, the nail under my toe beside my big toe on my right foot started to go a funny colour and was sore every time I walked. When I looked it up on the net, which I always tell people not to do as there is so much misinformation on the web, I found out it was runners toe. Its when the blood stops flowing under the nail, coagulates and makes the nail go a blood colour. After a few days, it stopped being sore to walk on but the colour has remained the same. I'm not overly concerned about it as it isn't impacting on my running or normal every day activities. Just wondering how long it has stayed with people.

Replies

  • dammitjanet0161
    dammitjanet0161 Posts: 319 Member
    Until the congealed blood grows out and the new nail grows in! About 6-9 months for a big toe nail to completely renew itself :( As a female - thank god for nail varnish !
  • jdscrubs32
    jdscrubs32 Posts: 515 Member
    dammitjanet0161 wrote: »
    Until the congealed blood grows out and the new nail grows in! About 6-9 months for a big toe nail to completely renew itself :( As a female - thank god for nail varnish !

    6-9 months. Great. Thankfully winter is coming so need for my feet to be bare for the world to see. I'm keeping the nail clipped in a straight line and wearing footwear that has room on the top for the feet as recommended in the genuine articles I read. If there is anything else I need to do, let me know please.
  • valerialeek
    valerialeek Posts: 65 Member
    Had it for four months, lost my big toenail about a month ago
  • jdscrubs32
    jdscrubs32 Posts: 515 Member
    valerialeek wrote: »
    Had it for four months, lost my big toenail about a month ago

    Did a new nail grow back @valerialeek or are you still without a nail? If the latter, how do you find running without a nail?
  • valerialeek
    valerialeek Posts: 65 Member
    First of all, after the initial pain, the process of losing the nail was painless because when the nail finally dropped, the new one was already under it so it hasn't been painful at all.
  • jdscrubs32
    jdscrubs32 Posts: 515 Member
    valerialeek wrote: »
    First of all, after the initial pain, the process of losing the nail was painless because when the nail finally dropped, the new one was already under it so it hasn't been painful at all.

    That is good to hear. I think I can see the new nail growing underneath it.
  • olymp1a
    olymp1a Posts: 1,766 Member
    Yep has happened to me on the big toe, had it for about 7 months until it grew out.
  • peleroja
    peleroja Posts: 3,979 Member
    I seem to get this on a nail like clockwork every six months or so and they seem to take that entire time to get better. Usually right as the last one starts looking normal again, I start having another one look wonky.

    I'm very careful with my shoe fit and I try to keep the nails short and everything, but I've given up at this point and I just live with it. I ski all winter and run all summer and my nails are beyond help, it seems, so I'm all about the closed-toe shoes and dark nail polish.

    I think if there's pain or swelling or redness on the surrounding skin or anything starts to look worse that you should see a doctor, because there can definitely be serious infection issues etc (and don't try to do anything yourself, no poking holes or anything!) but otherwise, I say just leave it alone apart from trimming the nail and normal hygiene stuff and let it heal.
  • jdscrubs32
    jdscrubs32 Posts: 515 Member
    peleroja wrote: »
    I seem to get this on a nail like clockwork every six months or so and they seem to take that entire time to get better. Usually right as the last one starts looking normal again, I start having another one look wonky.

    I'm very careful with my shoe fit and I try to keep the nails short and everything, but I've given up at this point and I just live with it. I ski all winter and run all summer and my nails are beyond help, it seems, so I'm all about the closed-toe shoes and dark nail polish.

    I think if there's pain or swelling or redness on the surrounding skin or anything starts to look worse that you should see a doctor, because there can definitely be serious infection issues etc (and don't try to do anything yourself, no poking holes or anything!) but otherwise, I say just leave it alone apart from trimming the nail and normal hygiene stuff and let it heal.

    Thanks for the tips @peleroja . After reading about drilling a hole into the nail on the interweb, I gave up reading about runners toe and will leave it along. There was some swelling and redness initially but that has long died down now thankfully.
  • jayv85
    jayv85 Posts: 142 Member
    Never had that from running. I did get a lot of blood and toenails falling off when I did the Bataan death match last year, it took almost an entire year for my toenails to be normal again
  • peleroja
    peleroja Posts: 3,979 Member
    jdscrubs32 wrote: »
    peleroja wrote: »
    I seem to get this on a nail like clockwork every six months or so and they seem to take that entire time to get better. Usually right as the last one starts looking normal again, I start having another one look wonky.

    I'm very careful with my shoe fit and I try to keep the nails short and everything, but I've given up at this point and I just live with it. I ski all winter and run all summer and my nails are beyond help, it seems, so I'm all about the closed-toe shoes and dark nail polish.

    I think if there's pain or swelling or redness on the surrounding skin or anything starts to look worse that you should see a doctor, because there can definitely be serious infection issues etc (and don't try to do anything yourself, no poking holes or anything!) but otherwise, I say just leave it alone apart from trimming the nail and normal hygiene stuff and let it heal.

    Thanks for the tips @peleroja . After reading about drilling a hole into the nail on the interweb, I gave up reading about runners toe and will leave it along. There was some swelling and redness initially but that has long died down now thankfully.

    If any of that swelling or redness comes back, then it definitely is cause for concern and sign of an infection, but yep, otherwise IMO it's just something to be patient with.
  • johnnylloyd0618
    johnnylloyd0618 Posts: 303 Member
    "Toe nails are for sissy's" at least that is what my shirt says. Good luck.
  • jdscrubs32
    jdscrubs32 Posts: 515 Member
    johnnylloyd0618 wrote: »
    "Toe nails are for sissy's" at least that is what my shirt says. Good luck.

    Ha thanks @johnnylloyd0618
  • KrystinaMTL
    KrystinaMTL Posts: 1,338 Member
    Same here, a rotation of new nails LOL
    I find keeping them super short helps with the (very light) pain
    :smiley:
    Welcome to the runner's toe club !!
    We're so sexy !
  • MamaFunky
    MamaFunky Posts: 735 Member
    edited September 2016
    yes, had the same thing happen to me last summer. I had bruising under the toenail next to my big toe and then eventually lost my toe nail. Thankfully it grew back. I joked around with my husband and kids that I should go get a pedicure and ask for 10% off since I only had 9 toenails. :smiley:
  • jdscrubs32
    jdscrubs32 Posts: 515 Member
    MamaFunky wrote: »
    yes, had the same thing happen to me last summer. I had bruising under the toenail next to my big toe and then eventually lost my toe nail. Thankfully it grew back. I joked around with my husband and kids that I should go get a pedicure and ask for 10% off since I only had 9 toes. :smiley:

    In between the time you lost the nail and grew another one @MamaFunky , was it sore to run on?
  • jdscrubs32
    jdscrubs32 Posts: 515 Member
    KrystinaMTL wrote: »
    Same here, a rotation of new nails LOL
    I find keeping them super short helps with the (very light) pain
    :smiley:
    Welcome to the runner's toe club !!
    We're so sexy !

    And what a great club it is to be a member of @KrystinaMTL :smile:
  • MamaFunky
    MamaFunky Posts: 735 Member
    jdscrubs32 wrote: »
    MamaFunky wrote: »
    yes, had the same thing happen to me last summer. I had bruising under the toenail next to my big toe and then eventually lost my toe nail. Thankfully it grew back. I joked around with my husband and kids that I should go get a pedicure and ask for 10% off since I only had 9 toes. :smiley:

    In between the time you lost the nail and grew another one @MamaFunky , was it sore to run on?

    I just remember it being sore initially and wearing a bandaid for a while. As it was growing back it wasn't sore at all. Just not very sexy as KrystinaMTL said. :smiley:
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