How Running Can Change Toenail Appearance

Regular runners or those who are training for a race may notice that their big toenail has taken on a different appearance. Let’s spotlight some of the ways that running can change how your toenails look and feel.

1. Subungual Hematoma – A subungual hematoma, also known as a black toenail, occurs when repeated trauma to the foot causes bleeding underneath the nail bed. Frequent runners may notice this nail discoloration, especially if their shoes are too tight or they do a lot of downhill running, which can amplify the force on the forefoot.

2. Thickened Toenails – Your toenails can also take on a more thickened appearance. For some individuals, this change can sometimes resemble a fungal infection, but it’s simply your nails response to chronic microtrauma to the nail bed.

3. Detached or Lifted Toenails – Runners who wear shoes that are too tight may be placing excessive force on the top of the toe and the nail bed. Over time, this chronic stress can cause the nail to partially or fully detach from the toe. This tends to be more common in long-distance runners or following a long race like a marathon.

4. Ingrown Toenail – Again, overly tight shoes can contribute to the formation of an ingrown toenail, especially if you have poor nail trimming habits. If you trim your nails unevenly or cut them too low, the stress you put on them when running can cause the nail to grow back awkwardly and form an ingrown toenail.

The above nail issues can’t be completely prevented, but there are a number of things you can do to greatly reduce your risk of changes to your nail’s appearance. First and foremost, you need to make sure that you are wearing a well-fitting shoe that is designed for your particular running style. Head to a shoe store and be professionally fitted so that excessive stress isn’t being placed on your toe box as you run. Other helpful tips include:

• Trim your nails correctly
• Gradually increase your running duration and speed
• Rotate your workouts so you’re not always running for exercise
• Wash and clean your feet and toes regularly to avoid fungal buildup
• Proactively care for a nail injury if one occurs

And of course, if you want some personalized advice for overcoming a new toenail or foot development, reach out to Dr. Silverman by filling out this contact form.

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Why Are My Toenails Discolored?

Your toenails could take on a number of different shades as a result of trauma or an underlying condition, so instead of going through each color, we’re going to break the discoloration into two more common groups – lighter and darker. But before we dive into this, we just want to remind you that you should always seek out an in-person consultation if you have any concerns about toenail discoloration, and that the following is just general advice.

Light Colors

It’s not uncommon for your toenails to take on a whiter or yellowish appearance, and oftentimes this is the result of a toenail fungus. In many instances, toenail fungus can be treated with over-the-counter topical products, but for more advanced stages, connecting with a foot specialist may be your best move. There’s also the possibility that this discoloration is tied to a smoking habit, and quitting smoking would lead to a normalization of toenail color.

If you’re dealing with some pink or redness just to the side of the nail, you may be noticing the beginning stages of an ingrown toenail as it begins to irritate the nearby skin. You can learn more about how you can treat chronic ingrown toenails on this page.

Finally, if your toenail develops some small white streaks, it could be the result of a condition known as leukonychia. There are a number of different underlying causes that could lead to leukonychia, and it could suggest that there is an issue with a key protein inside your body that should be identified. Reach out to a specialist if you notice white streaking or a complete whitening of one or more toenails.

Dark Colors

The most common cause of dark discoloration underneath a toenail is the result of a subungual hematoma, and while it may sound serious, that’s the medical term for a bruise. If you have suffered trauma to the nail bed, or you simply wore ill-fitting shoes for an extended period of time, don’t be surprised if you have some brown, purple or black discoloration under your nail bed as a result of a subungual hematoma. Protect the area and limit time in tight-fitting shoes, and the issue will likely resolve on its own after a few days or weeks.

Dark yellow, dark green or brownish nails could be a sign of a more severe toenail infection. Typically it would only progress to this stage if a lighter color toenail discoloration went ignored. Severe toenail infections may also present with nail cracking and are best treated by a foot specialist.

Finally, red or black toenails, or toenails with dark colored spots should be reported to your primary care physician or a foot specialist. Those could be indicative of certain types of cancer that should be examined sooner rather than later.

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Preventing Ingrown Toenails From Regrowing

The main reason why ingrown toenails can become a little more common after you lose your toenail is because of how the nail bed functions. The nail exerts some downward pressure on the skin under and around it, and when that pressure is no longer there, this skin can rise up ever so slightly. If it expands and the nail bed starts growing into the skin instead of over the top of it as it regrows, you can go right from a lost toenail to an ingrown toenail, which isn’t a fun situation.

If you want to help prevent ingrown toenails from coming back as your nail bed regrows, keep these tips in mind.

Massage – As your nail begins to grow back, take a couple minutes twice a day to lightly massage the skin ahead of where the nail is growing. This can help mold the skin and prevent it from puffing up, which will allow the nail to grow back over it more easily.

Soak – If you’re concerned that the nail bed might not make it over an area of skin, get in the habit of regularly soaking the foot and then massaging or depressing the area. Nail beds grow quite slowly, but if the skin it’s growing over is softer, the nail will have an easier time staying on top of it instead of growing into it.

Comfortable and Open Shoes – You’ll want to avoid shoes that put excess pressure on your toe bed, because this can shift how the nail bed grows back. We understand that you may want to go with tight closed toe shoes to offer the empty toenail bed some added protection, but breathable tape or a bandage can provide this protection without putting abnormal stress on the toe bed. Try to go barefoot when safe to help the nail bed grow back properly.

Taping – If you’re concerned about a particular patch of skin, you can try to slightly pull it in one direction with adhesive tape. Even just slightly moving the skin can give it enough clearance for the nail to go above it, so consider using regular adhesive tape if you’re worried about a particular patch of skin.

Talk To A Specialist – Finally, if you’re finding it difficult to help the nail bed grow back as you’d like, or you’re concerned about another issue with your toe or foot, reach out to Dr. Silverman or a foot specialist in your area.

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Caring For Your Toenails

Here are five tips for preventing issues like cracked or ingrown toenails.

1. Wear the right shoes – Women are more likely than men to wear shoes that put their feet in an awkward position. Whether it’s a high pair of heels or a narrow pair of flats, when fashion becomes more important than function, your toenails and feet can suffer. Limit your time in shoes that put excess stress on your feet or the front of your foot. Ill-fitting shoes are one of the leading causes of ingrown toenail development.

2. Care for small problems – Taking care of small problems when you notice them can keep them from snowballing into a bigger issue. Protect cracked nails, use topical creams at the first sign of a fungal infection, and follow these tips if you notice the beginning stages of an ingrown toenail. Early intervention leads to less invasive treatments and better outcomes.

3. Careful cutting – If you’re cutting your nails, make sure you trim them properly. Cut the nail straight across and avoid rounding off the edges, and this can lead to the onset of ingrown toenails. Make sure your toenail clippers is disinfected before each use to avoid potentially introducing bacteria to the nail bed.

4. Trusted pedicure source – If you’re going to get a pedicure or another professional foot treatment, make sure you go to a trusted and well-reviewed establishment. Make sure their equipment is sterilized between users and that the place is clean, otherwise toenail problems and fungus can develop.

5. Scrub your feet each day – A final way to keep your toenails healthy and happy is to scrub them each and every day. It can be easy to assume that our feet are getting clean simply because the shampoo and body wash we use makes our way down our bodies as we rinse, but we really need to take time to scrub them and remove dead skin and other particles. Not only will this help keep your toenails clean, but it will help your whole foot health.

If you’ve been dealing with toenail pain or a related toenail issue, reach out to Dr. Silverman’s office to see how we can help

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Treating Toenail Fungus

Toenail fungus is caused by an infection that develops after bacteria makes it’s way through cracks in the nail. It can cause yellowing or thickening of the nail bed, and left untreated it can lead to severe pain, permanent disfigurement and infections in other areas of your body, so you’ll want to actively treat the problem. But how can you best treat problematic toenail fungus? Here are a number of different ways you can try to treat your toenail fungus:

Anti-Fungal Creams – For mild cases, you may be able to find relief through an over-the-counter option like an anti-fungal cream, gel or nail polish. This is often the first step for people who notice nail discoloration.

Prescription Creams – For fungal infections that don’t resolve with OTC options, a more concentrated treatment may be your best bet. You can visit your doctor or a foot specialist and get a prescription for a more potent fungal cream or gel. A doctor can also conduct some tests on the nail bed to determine what type of infection you’re dealing with so they know how to best treat it.

Prescription Medications – There’s also the possibility that your doctor will recommend oral medications to treat your fungal infection. Be sure to let your doctor know about any other medications you are taking so they can ensure your prescription has a high likelihood of being effective.

Nail Removal – For more serious or extended cases of fungal infections, toenail removal is an option. Your foot surgeon can remove part or all of the nail bed, which will eventually grow back. You’ll also likely be given a topical cream or similar treatment to help keep the infection away while your nail bed is returning.

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Toenail Falling Off

How you handle a broken or loose nail depends on the extent of damage. Let’s start with minor or mild tears or cracks and work our way to more extreme trauma. For example, let’s say you stubbed your toe and suffered a cracked nail. If the crack isn’t too deep, start by stopping any bleeding or by soaking your foot in cold water. Once bleeding has stopped, examine the nail and trim back any part that might catch on socks or clothes using a disinfected pair of nail clippers. If the crack is not likely to catch on your clothes, you don’t need to cut it.

If the nail bed is exposed due to damage or cutting back the broken part, apply some anti-bacterial ointment and protect the surface with a bandage until the area has time to harden, which usually takes about a week. Change the bandage daily or if it gets wet. Elevating the toe and taking anti-inflammatory medications can help with swelling, inflammation and pain.

Wear closed toe shoes to keep the toenail protected, unless it is too painful to put into a shoe. Then wear appropriate sandals.

Serious Toenail Damage

If you have severe toenail damage and are uncomfortable caring for the nail yourself, call a doctor or a foot specialist like Dr. Silverman. He can either trim back the nail, or if damage is more severe, he can numb the toe and remove the toenail to help start the healing process. He will remove the damaged nail, disinfect the area and apply a bandage to keep it protected.

In other instances, people will suffer toenail trauma, and while the nail remains fully intact, it will actually be damaged to the point that eventually it will fall off. You’ll notice blood pooling under the nail, but it may not be loose just yet. Don’t pick at the nail, because it’s still offering your nail bed plenty of protection. Keep an eye on it, and odds are it will fall off on its own days or weeks down the road. When this happens, you can either call a specialist or manage it using the above techniques, which includes applying anti-bacterial cream, wrapping it in non-stick bandages, regularly changing your dressing and watching for signs of an infection. Slowly but surely, the nail will grow back on its own.

If, after suffering toenail trauma, pain gets worse or you notice signs of an infection, contact a foot specialist right away. Aside from caring for the nail itself, they can also determine if you’ve suffered more extensive injuries like a toe or joint fracture.

Damaged toenails can often be cared for by the patient so long as pain is mild and they actively clean and care for the toe, but if you need more help or have serious symptoms, contact Dr. Silverman’s office today.

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Causes of Chronic Ingrown Toenails

Chronic ingrown toenails occur for the same reasons that a one-time ingrown toenail develops. If you are dealing with regular ingrown toenail development, odds are you are ignoring one of the following risk factors or causes.

Improper Trimming – When you cut your toenails, you want to make sure that you are cutting them straight across the top. Do not round the edges. If you round the edges or cut them too low, there’s a decent chance that the nail will grow back at such an angle that an ingrown toenail will develop. Carefully cut across the nail until it is fully removed, do not partially cut and them rip the rest, and this can also lead to ill-shaped nails and ingrown toenails.

Bad Footwear – Another common cause of chronic ingrown toenails is regularly wearing bad constrictive footwear. If you have tight shoes or footwear that has a narrow toe box, there’s a chance that this pressure is causing your toenail to grow in the wrong direction. If there is too much constrictive force on the toenail, it can begin to grow into the skin because it has nowhere else to go.

Trauma – While it’s unlikely that you are regularly hurting your toe on a monthly basis and disrupting the growth of the nail, some people who suffer a severe injury to their toe can actually shift the growth plate of the nail. Instead of growing straight up, it could grow slightly up and left or up and right, which can cause regular development of ingrown toenails.

Foot Genetics – Although it is the least common of the above causes, some people have certain foot characteristics that make them more prone to ingrown toenail development. One such characteristic is having unusually curved toenails.

Treating Chronically Ingrown Toenails

Rectifying the problem should help to reduce the onset of chronic ingrown toenails. So by looking at the causes and identifying the likely problem, we can make the necessary changes. Make sure you are cutting your nails with proper techniques, and ditch the narrow toe box shoes, or at least wear them in moderation.

But what should you do if you can’t easily fix the problem because trauma or foot genetics are your root cause of chronic ingrown toenails? In this situation, your best bet is to contact a foot specialist like Dr. Silverman. He can examine the foot, pinpoint the underlying cause and walk your through some treatment options. There’s a chance that conservative options will take care of the problem, but if not, he can perform a minimally invasive procedure to cut the nail and adjust it so that it doesn’t continue to be a problem.

To talk with Dr. Silverman about the best approach for your chronic ingrown toenail, reach out to his office or drop him a line in the comments section below.

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Amanda Roberts is a professional blogger and a podiatry student. She is an enthusiast who loves to write on several niches, particularly in foot health, including plantar fasciitis, toenail fungus, foot massage and reflexology. Read more about her blog posts on foot health at Feet Remedies. You can follow her on Facebook. 

Toenail fungus, or onychomycosis, is a very common condition that begins as a yellow or white patch under the affected toenail. Fungus can attack your nails through the opening between the nail and nail bed or minor cuts in the skin around the nail. This infection may not cause serious problems in healthy people but may hurt, look bad, or damage your nail completely. Nail infections are caused by the same fungi that cause ringworm, athlete’s foot, and jock itch. If you have come in contact with a person who has a fungal infection, it may spread easily to your body.

According to the Mayo Clinic, the signs and symptoms of toenail fungus include thickened, brittle, and crumbly toenail. You may also notice a dark color, caused by dirt or debris gathering up under the infected nail. Toenail fungus may lead to more serious problems if you have a weak immune system or diabetes. If you have one of these conditions, visit your doctor to determine the best way to get rid of the nail infection.

Common Causes of Toenail Fungus

Fungal nail infections are typically caused by a type of fungi called dermatophytes. The word comes from the Greek terms “derma,” meaning skin, and “phytos,” meaning plant. This term is the label used for pathogenic fungi that can thrive on skin, causing skin infections. They can be caught through direct contact, walking barefoot in public areas like swimming pools, locker rooms, gyms, or sharing infected toenail clippers and clothing.

Other organisms that can cause nail fungus include:

• Yeasts: Fungal nail infections caused by yeast affect not only nails but also the tissues around the nail. According to Healthline, yeast is naturally present in the body, but when they over grow due to antibiotics, birth control pills or immune system problems, an infection can develop.

• Non-dermatophyte mods: These microorganisms are the leading cause of nail fungus in individuals who have HIV.

Here are different factors that contribute to the development of toenail fungus and other feet fungal infections.

1. Footwear

One of the leading causes of toenail fungus and fungal skin infections is footwear. Wearing ill-fitting and constrictive shoes increases the chances of getting fungal infections. Tight shoes, especially those causing excessive sweating and jammed toes should be avoided as fungus thrives in warm and moist areas.

It is best to wear comfortable shoes made of breathable fabric to prevent the growth of fungi. Always keep your feet clean and dry to get rid of microorganisms that may be present on your skin. You can also sprinkle antifungal powder inside your shoes. This will also reduce moisture and lower the risk of fungal infection.

2. Athlete’s Foot

People with athlete’s foot have higher chance of getting fungal nail infections. The fungus can easily spread from the skin to toenails. To prevent this, wear shoes or sandals that allow your feet to breathe. You can also apply antifungal powder on your feet and wear sweat-absorbing socks.

3. Walking Barefoot in Public Facilities

Fungi thrive in warm and moist places. They can easily spread from one person to another. One can develop a fungal nail infection by simply walking barefoot in public areas like swimming pools, communal showers, saunas and locker rooms as fungi may contaminate the area.

4. Poor Circulation

Individuals who have poor circulation problems are more likely to get toenail fungus. Those who have diabetes will suffer from poor blood flow to lower extremities, increasing the risk of developing fungal infection. Feet fungal infections are prevalent in older individuals due to their lower resistance to these conditions and reduced blood flow. 

5. Suppressed Immune System

Those with compromised immune system such as individuals who have AIDS are susceptible to viral, bacterial, parasitic and fungal infections. Certain medications can also weaken one’s immune system and increase the chances of getting toenail fungus. These medications include:

• Corticosteroids – Medications for treating conditions like asthma, arthritis, allergic reactions, inflammatory bowel disease and autoimmune diseases.

• TNF inhibitors – Medications used for treating autoimmune diseases such as psoriasis, rheumatoid arthritis and inflammatory bowel disease.

6. Trauma or Injuries

Injuries or trauma is also one of the common causes of toenail fungus. Athletes are more likely to develop an infection as they have a higher risk of trauma and injuries. Any type of wound, even just a minor cut, allows microscopic fungus to enter the skin and nail bed. The fungus will also tend to develop faster if the cut is not cleaned and treated immediately.

Those who wear tight footwear have a higher chance of getting fungal infection as well as plantar fasciitis as they are more likely to suffer from trauma and injuries.

7. Living with Someone Who Has Nail Fungus

Another factor that can increase your risk of getting toenail fungus is if you are living with someone who has such condition. By knowing how the infection spreads, you can take preventive measures to avoid getting a fungal infection.

How To Treat Toenail Fungus

For mild cases of fungal nail infection, you can use simple home remedies to get rid of the fungus.

• Over-the-counter antifungal nail ointments and creams – If there are visible white spots on the surface of your toenail, apply medicated lotion or cream. If you have athlete’s foot, you can use medicated sprays or powder. Keep feet clean and dry to prevent the infection from spreading.

• Vicks VapoRub – Another useful treatment for fungal nail infection is Vicks VapoRub. Simply apply a small amount of this product every day using a cotton swab.

• Keep your nails short – This will help by alleviating pressure on the nails. It will also allow antifungal creams or lotions to reach the areas under the nail.

• Apple Cider Vinegar – It contains acidic properties that can inhibit the infection from spreading while killing both fungi and harmful bacteria.

• Tea Tree Oil – It contains antiseptic and antifungal properties, making it effective in getting rid of toenail fungus. It is also useful for treating other skin infections, such as athlete’s foot and eczema.

• Baking Soda – This readily available staple is also useful for treating nail fungal infections. It can neutralize foot odor and remove excess moisture from your feet. You can also sprinkle some baking soda inside your shoes to reduce excessive sweating.

• Oregano Oil – This oil contains antifungal, antiseptic, antiviral and antibacterial properties, making it effective in treating fungal infections.

If over-the-counter and self-care medications do not work, your doctor may suggest nail removal or laser and light-based therapies.

Sources:

1. http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/nail-fungus/basics/causes/con-20019319
2. http://www.healthline.com/health/fungal-nail-infection#diagnosis5
3. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0072731/
4. https://www.cdc.gov/fungal/infections/immune-system.html

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