So, if one of your toe nails fell off...

[VAfamily1998]

And it's summer, and you want to wear sandals/open toe shoes, what would you do?

I tried out a new brand/style of running shoes, but apparently I should just stick with the brand I KNOW works for me. The middle toe of my right foot lost it's toenail. Right now it is completely off and there is just a tiny black nub at the bottom.

I have a pair of high heel sandals that I LOVE and really want to be wearing this summer, but I don't think a healthy toenail will grow back before labor day!

I'd like to get a pedicure, but what will they do with my middle toe?
I did a little google search, and saw some people mentioned they could put an acrylic there? Not sure if that will work with just my little black nub...and not sure I want that either--expense and also will it interfere with running at all?
Should I just pedicure the rest of my toes, and leave the middle toe and it's little black nub alone? Will people be all if they see my toes in sandals/flip flops and can see that middle toe? Am I pretty much stuck with closed toed shoes the rest of the summer?
WWYD?

 

[SaraJayne]

I doubt people would really notice, but if you're self-conscious about it, could you maybe cover it with a cute band aid (hello kitty or something similar?)?

 

[tvguy]

My wife lost her big toe nail and just painted that area with nail polish while the new nail grew in.

 

[RunningGirl]

I lost one a couple of years ago and just painted the skin until it grew back. Then I switched running shoes as I prefer to keep my toenails on my toes!

 

[crashbb]

I lost one a couple of years ago and just painted the skin until it grew back. Then I switched running shoes as I prefer to keep my toenails on my toes!

I do the same.

I've yet to find a pair of running shoes that work for my toes, so I often have weird nails (though they are generally still attached).

 

[YodaGirl]

If you want to wear sandals, wear sandals. No one should be paying that close attention to your toenail, anyway.

 

[PaulaSue]

When I lost my big toe nail (bowling ball dropped on it) it took months and months to grow back andhurt like heck everytime something touched it. I still remember years ago from when I was 10.

 

[JessicaR]

Artificial toenails.

 

[WDWBarb]

I vote for the cute band-aid. But I'm also now in pain just thinking about losing my toenail.

 

[java]

I would go bandaid. I lost half a toenail so I may try that nailpolish trick.

 

[CathrynRose]

I've had acrylic on my toe before. It was just before a Disney trip, and I did the same thing you did, but my big toe.

I actually went to the Nail Salon begging for help. They can sculpt an itty bitty nail, onto your nail nubby, and IMO, this would be the direction I'd go. It worked out great, for me.

 

[mrFDNY]

An Emergency toe nail transplant is the only cure. Remember find a donor with cute toe nails first!!!

 

[Michelle67]

I would probably put a bandaid on it, but ultimately I would be comfortable and not worry about what some weirdo staring at my feet thinks. I always wonder about people who stare at other people's feet and remark on them. Unless I'm sticking my feet directly in your face...why you lookin at my feet???

 

[ncmickeyluvr]

A friend of mine is a runner and she lost the toenail from her big toe last spring. The nail salon put on an artificial nail on and you couldn't even tell the difference.

 

[Sadie22]

If I were you, I would consult my podiatrist regarding the reason that toenail was lost and whether anything could be done to try to ensure that the nail would grow back normally.

 

[Cinderella94]

I have weird pinky toenails and after a while they always just fall off before the new one grows back in....no idea why.

I wear sandals anyway.

 

[Gigi22]

DSis is a marathoner. She can lose her big toenail due to repeatedly hitting her nail against the inside of her shoe when running. Her esthetician sculpts a false nail (I think it is acrylic) onto the nail remaining on her toe to prevent loss of the entire nail.

 

[Mickey Fliers]

My GF had her big toe nails surgically removed (by the Air Force when she had an ingrown nail ) and she either paints the skin or for special occasions has the salon put on fake nails.

I have lost a few to running and I just trim, sculpt and paint!

Isn't it crazy what we put up with to run.

 

[VAfamily1998]

If I were you, I would consult my podiatrist regarding the reason that toenail was lost and whether anything could be done to try to ensure that the nail would grow back normally.

Yeah, I did a little googling and it seems it's pretty common for runners, especially if they are doing a lot of down hill running. A few weeks ago, I did a new route (with the newer shoes) that involved a lot of up and down hills...and by the end of the run it felt like that toe was broken, it hurt so much. But the next day, the pain had decreased signifcantly and the days following there was no pain. I had just gotten a pedicure the day before this run, so I didn't notice until several days later, that my nail under the polish had turned deep purple/black. After a couple weeks, it just fell off on it's own.

It happened about 1.5 years ago too. I started off running with Asics shoes, but then decided to try some New Balance, and after just a couple miles bascially had to limp back home, my toe was hurting so bad. Same toe, but that was in the late fall/winter so I wasn't wearing open toed shoes and didn't care about pedicures.
I returned to wearing Asics shoes and no more problems...then a couple months ago went to a running store which recommended Brooks...and now the same toenail fell off again...

I'm going to stick with Asics from now on.

Thanks for all the responses everyone! I think I'm going to try painting the skin where the nail would be, like several have said! But those fake ones with the French pedicure JessicaR posted sure are cute!

 

[SandrA9810]

I got an infection in the cutical of my fingernail years ago. Eventually it fell off entirely, and then I had to wait for it to grow back in. Never did anything about it, and people always comment on my nails because they're naturally long, but no one seemed to notice or comment. And it's more likely for people to see my hands rather than my feet.


I also have a friend with like 4 removed nails entirely from ingrown nails on his feet. He's self concious if some one pays cose attention, but doesn't give a hoot about wearing sandals.


If you paint your nails a bright color, it's only going to draw more attention. Just go without nail polish and no one will know or care.