PameliaSue Posted September 10, 2008 Share Posted September 10, 2008 On Sunday I was mopping the floor on my hands and knees. I was backing up and caught JUST my toenail on a seam in our linoleum and ripped off the nail on my big toe. It was only hanging by one side. The nail wiggling hurt so bad that I finally just pulled the whole thing off with needle nose pliers..... I know, I know it's just awful!!! And BIZARRE!! HTHeck did that happen?!?!?!?!?! Anyway my question is.... Has anyone ever had this happen? If so did you have trouble with the nail growing back funny? How long did it take? It isn't infected and I am keeping it clean. My dh is working a job right now where he is getting home at 6:00 PM so going to the doc would be a pain in the butt with 4 kids in tow. I know it isn't infected... I called my Mayo Clinic nurse and got all the advice I could wring out of her. But she wouldn't give me any real info on how long and what it might do when it grows back. She just told me to go to my doc. Well, I can't do that until Friday when my husband is home unless I want to drag all of the kiddos. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JenParrish Posted September 10, 2008 Share Posted September 10, 2008 Ouch. I am so sorry. I know that must have hurt. My daughter was about 15 months old when she ripped her toe nail completely off. It took a really long time for it to grow back, almost a year but it came back without any trouble and looks normal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dani n Monies Mom Posted September 10, 2008 Share Posted September 10, 2008 I did something similar and my toenail ripped off as well. Anyway, it grew back fine, although it did seem to take close to a year. Ava Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jodi-FL Posted September 10, 2008 Share Posted September 10, 2008 it grew back in two pieces. it looks like a normal toe nail from far away, but up close it has a line straight down the middle. it's not painful at all, it's a fun "something you didn't know about me" story. I'm so sorry, though. I remember all the blood associated with it (I was in a department store with my mom and grandmother and insisted on opening the heavy bathroom door by myself--I was 3--and I was wearing open toed sandals). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MyBlueLobsters Posted September 10, 2008 Share Posted September 10, 2008 Ow, Ow, Ow, Ow, Ow I literally got CHILLS when I read your story! OUCH My son hit his big toe really hard and the nail died, then fell off. A new one grew in and you would never know now! Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paintedlady Posted September 10, 2008 Share Posted September 10, 2008 I ripped off one of the smaller ones a few years back, not the big toe. Ouch! Sorry you have to deal with this. :crying: I went to the Dr. and he had me get a tetanus shot. It wasn't infected (it had just happened the night before) but it was more of a procaution b/c I hadn't had one in over 10 years. He washed it, bandaged it, and basically said to be careful with it for a few weeks until the skin healed. He said it was a 50-50 chance that it could grow back normal or be deformed in some way, depending on whether or not the nail bed had gotten damaged. In my case it grew back just fine, but took about 6 or 7 months. hth! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Philothea Posted September 10, 2008 Share Posted September 10, 2008 I've had two toe catastrophes... they usually grow back at about the same rate as your toenails grow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ekarl2 Posted September 10, 2008 Share Posted September 10, 2008 I stubbed my pinkie toe on some trim when I was 6 months pregnant with my son (couldn't see my feet!) It hung on for about a month, but I finally went to a podiatrist and he took it off. I did grow back and it looks fine. The doc said to put neosporin on it (I did for a while and then decided to leave it be). He said there were other coverings I could put on it, but that leaving it alone would be fine too. It's hard to keep bandages on toes, so I decided to leave it alone. I had no problems at all. It took about 3 months to grow back, but it's a smaller, shorter nail than the big toe. Just be glad sandal season is almost over! You'll be fine by next summer's first pedicure!:) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wagnfun Posted September 10, 2008 Share Posted September 10, 2008 I did something similar and my toenail ripped off as well. Anyway, it grew back fine, although it did seem to take close to a year. Ava One LOOONNGG weekend I was in cowboy boots for 48 hrs straight while hiking. I lost two townails. They were pedicurable about 8 months later, but at first they grew in a little soft. No doctor needed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom2jnb Posted September 10, 2008 Share Posted September 10, 2008 My dh dropped the video camera on his big toe about a 19 months ago. He eventually lost his toenail and a new one grew in....I am with everyone else it took about a year. When I was a teenager I opened the side door to our house and I got my big toenail caught under the door and ripped it off. I remember it hurt terribly but it is fine now and I don't remember how long it took. Good luck, Alison Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spy Car Posted September 10, 2008 Share Posted September 10, 2008 If you don't use a strong anti-fungal ointment on an ongoing basis you may develop a toe-nail fungus that will then be really hard to eliminate. I'd have a doctor write you a prescription. Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kaylk in tx Posted September 10, 2008 Share Posted September 10, 2008 twice to the left big toe, once to the right. it hurts like crazy, lots of jumping up and down saying really really bad words. then it just looks really weird for a few months. then it's ok. but i do think that mine rip off easier now that it's been done before! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PameliaSue Posted September 10, 2008 Author Share Posted September 10, 2008 twice to the left big toe, once to the right. it hurts like crazy, lots of jumping up and down saying really really bad words. then it just looks really weird for a few months. then it's ok. but i do think that mine rip off easier now that it's been done before! :ohmy:..... I can't even imagine going through this more than once! It is so painful and I am not the wimpy kind... Had 3 babies at home, had a compound fracture at 18yo, gallbladder attacks before having it removed.... This rates right up there with those!! The constant pain is just amazing! Plus the kids just can't seem to STAY AWAY from it!!!:glare: I need to be more consistent with taking Advil or something for the pain. I have been hoping that it will just toughen up ALREADY!!! So I slept with it uncovered last night for the first time and it was dry this AM but that did not bring the relief I was hoping for. You know how when you cut a finger nail too close or get one ripped to short and it feels like the whole tip of your finger is tender.... Well that is how my whole big toe feels. My ankle and the top of my foot ache from walking funny.:crying: It is extremely unpractical for me to sit and keep it up with 4 dc running around and school to do!!! Plus my dh is working 10 hr shifts plus a 2.5 hr commute right now so he is beat when he gets home and just grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!!!! Okay.... what doesn't kill me will make me stronger, right???? I just needed to vent. And SpyCar thanks for the fungus warning I did look that up. I'm hoping the nailbed is totally undamaged and so there will be no pockets for fungus to take root. Plus I am a SAHM so I hardly wear shoes. Most of the day I am in flipflops, hopefully that will help. *sigh* Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mamaw Posted September 10, 2008 Share Posted September 10, 2008 In the future, should this happen again----Use super glue. I yanked off my thumbnail below the quick--it was gonna be bad, if I yanked it off, so I put superglue all over the nail. It glued the nail back on (and together), and it quit hurting, and just grew off like normal. I was thrilled to learn this trick, and hope it helps someone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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