So my toenail is only hanging on on one edge. I can literally take one side and flip it almost all the way over. Bruised and died a long time ago, but it held on for a couple months, so I thought I was in the clear; apparently not. I've been band-aiding it down so that it won't catch on anything, but I don't want to stick it in a skate. All my friends tell me to just let it fall off naturally (they also say to tape it all to hell and skate with it). My other options are to have it professionally removed (which means I'm off skates for a couple weeks while it heals, and have to go in for the procedure) and to trim it down as far as I can and wait for it to fall off. That last one is what I am leaning towards. What say you Wrodforge?
If it's hanging by a thread, just tear the sucker off and be done with it. It'll only sting for a couple minutes. Or use a pair of clippers or a sharp knife.
Have you ever done that? You clearly have no concept of just how deep nail beds go. Edit - It's not really by a thread. It's hanging on on the right side.
It's from skating. I am breaking in my new boots. I made the mistake of wearing socks that fateful day.
Yes, I've done it. Not with my big toe, though- big toes are a different ball of wax. I've also lost the nail completely off both my little toes a couple of times in the dojo, in addition to breaking them. Usually I would just tape it to the toe next door and press on. I misread your OP- I didn't realize one whole edge was still attached. Still, with a sharp knife you might be able to work it free without too much pain. I guess it depends on what you're willing to tolerate and how attached it is on the one end. Or you could just go see a doc and he could give you a local and remove it if its bugging you.
I've dropped something on my big toes on more than one occasion and had the nail turn black from the blood underneath and whatnot. The first time or two, I let it run its course and the nails eventually came off on their own. The last time, though, was especially painful, like there was pressure under the nail or something, so I pulled it off with a pair of pliers. It actually didn't hurt much at all.
I have done something similar when running. Sometimes when you do everything right you still wind up losing a toenail. I agree with the basic idea to hang on to it as long as possible. Having it cut off or worse (torn off by accident) is just asking for pain, IMO. No matter what you do, though, you're going to have to put up with some discomfort.
No need to go further, you gotta trim that sucker. I'd bend the nail to a perpendicular position and cut it (with straight-edged clippers) as short as comfortably possible, clean the toe with rubbing alcohol and then loosely bandage. Since toenails only grow outward I'd keep trimming the remaining nail sliver as often as possible. [DISCLAIMER - I AM NOT A DOCTOR, I DON'T EVEN PLAY ONE ON TV, FOLLOW ANY ADVICE AT YOUR OWN RISK!!]
Forgot to add that while the toe may not look great, if the girl's been doing all the stuff to get that kind of toe she's probably got some great legs!
A google image search for "sexy toenail" produces this: and this... But it also produces this: Whjich is just WRONG, and this... Which is even worse. But if you really want vomit inducing (and who doesn't, right?) click here:
The thing to do with blood under the nail, I'm told (haven't had the problem myself) is to make a small hole in the center of the nail (with something sterile, obviously) to release the blood. That relieves the pressure/pain, and sometimes it'll save the nail.
Sometimes that's just the thing to do. Never seen it done on a toenail but drilling a small hole in a fingernail to relieve swelling is a well known remedy.
I would definitely go with the trimming method. Keep it loosely bandaged with some sterile gauze and keep the nail bed clean with some Hibiclens. It is a great antimicrobial soap found at any drug store in the first aid isle. I kicked a deacon's bench one to many times and lost my toenail. It hung on by a sliver of skin for a while then I got tired of it catching on my socks and bleeding while I ran.
