Help with bruised/purple toe nails?

[casjen]

I completed the Princess 1/2. I ran/walked the first 6 and then walked the rest. I have a bruise under one of my big toenails. It is smallish. I also have a full purple toe nail in another toe.

I am currently starting to train to run a 5k (I am no runner but this is a goal for me). Can I keep training with my toe nails like this? I don't want them to fall off.

Do these just grow out on their own or will they fall off no matter what?

 

[MouseDogMom]

You can keep training. Nothing you do at this point will change the outcome. They may fall off; they may simply grow out.

I lost both little toenails after the full last year. It completely freaked me out at first, but I simply painted the toe and kept on running. The toenail grew back in a few months and I couldn't tell the difference.

You may want to talk to your running store and make sure your shoes are the correct size. I was already wearing a half to a full size larger than my regular shoes, but after talking to the Mizuno rep, he suggested that I increase the size another half size. I did that, and I haven't had any problems with toenails since.

Good luck with the 5K training!

Jackie

 

[SamSam]

Had purple toenails on my big toes after training for my first 15k, eventually lost both toenails. I'm not an expert, but I just assumed that this was part of hours and hours of running/walking.

 

[Bookwood]

I've never had a "black toenail" but have gotten "water blisters " under my toe nails since I started running (it's amazing how long one pair of miss sized shoes will affect a person.) Finally the last offending toenail is gone and now that I wear different shoes and a little larger shoe I haven't noticed a problem. I am keeping my fingers crossed for the Flying Pig- my first race (after 6 years) that I think the problem may be solved for.

In my case the nail grew back more rounded (sorta humped in the middle) which I think is why I kept having problems. Now it appears to be "flatter" like the rest of my nail.

 

[bunnyfoo]

I seem to get one of these a year - okay, I've only been running for two years... They were both from not keeping my nails short enough. The nails bruised, turned purple and slowly fell off. The most recent one is taking a really long time to grow back so I'll probably do what Jackie's done and just paint over it when it's warm enough for sandals. I have to say that on the first nail that fell off, the new one grew back in a lot smoother and flatter than the original. I'm still waiting on the second one...

 

[FFigawi]

Not much you can do about it now, so here are some tips for the future.

• Keep your nails trimmed close. This will help lessen the impact if/when your toes hit the front of your shoes.
• Wear moisture-wicking socks. The less mositure there is surrounding your feet, the less they will slide around.
• Get your shoes sized properly. Too big, and there's too much room for your feet to move around. Too small, and they're crammed in too tightly and hitting the front of your shoes more often.

 

[hussfat]

Keep on training.

For many people black toe nails accompany higher mileage but do check, as the others said, that you are wearing the right shoes and socks for you.

I have never had a black toenail but have lost toenails after every marathon. Sometimes months later.

 

[MouseDogMom]

I was feeling really good about doing Goofy without any problems... then this morning as I was drying my toes... the little toenail wiggled. It's only a matter of hours before I'll be without it. So much for doing Goofy without losing a toenail! And apparently it doesn't matter what size my shoes are, or how short my toenails are, or what socks I wear. I'm going to lose the toenail anyway.

Jackie

 

[Lullabee]

Keep training for your 5K (you can do it!) and enjoy your purple toenail bragging rights!

 

[Rupert B Puppenstein]

One thing I didn't see suggested was to go to a Running Specialty Store to check how you run and suggest shoes that would best help you. I have never had a black toenail from running or anything else come to think of it. Wearing the right shoes really does make a huge difference. I had no idea how much, but my feet didn't hurt one bit after the Princess Half so that is enough proof!

 

[sunshine girl]

I've been doing marathons and triathlons for 10 years and have never lost a toenail or even had one go black and blue. I wear cotton socks, usually. I wear running shoes that fit comfortably and are a full size larger than my usual dress shoe size. My toes don't really touch the front of my shoes.

I'm sure everyone's feet are different, but for me I just make sure the shoes are not too tight (and actually fairly loose in the toe box area). I wear New Balance shoes only.

 

[Rupert B Puppenstein]

I've been doing marathons and triathlons for 10 years and have never lost a toenail or even had one go black and blue. I wear cotton socks, usually. I wear running shoes that fit comfortably and are a full size larger than my usual dress shoe size. My toes don't really touch the front of my shoes.

I'm sure everyone's feet are different, but for me I just make sure the shoes are not too tight (and actually fairly loose in the toe box area). I wear New Balance shoes only.

You don't ever get blisters from wearing cotton socks? I have found that running and cotton are not a great combination because of either chafing or other excess moisture based issues regardless of what piece of clothing is cotton...I always stick to the moisture wicking fabrics.

 

[wtpclc]

I have always had blisters under my 2nd toenails after doing the full. When I go more than 13 or 15 miles they start gertting sore, no matter how big my shoes were. This year, I switched to injinjis fro my LLRs, for a comletely different reason. However, for the first time, I will not lose my toesnals after a marathon and I had no blisters! Injinis are socks with individual toes. I'm not a flip flop pererson, don't care for stuff between my toes, but having no blisters there makes them well worht it!

 

[sunshine girl]

You don't ever get blisters from wearing cotton socks? I have found that running and cotton are not a great combination because of either chafing or other excess moisture based issues regardless of what piece of clothing is cotton...I always stick to the moisture wicking fabrics.

I know, I guess I'm strange! I don't pay much attention to my socks. I just never had a problem wearing cotton, so I never messed with it! It's a mystery.

I think the footwear that results in comfortable feet varies for everyone. All I know is that I have new balance running shoes and cushy (not super thin) cotton running socks. My shoes do have a bit of ventilation to them, for what it's worth.