Partial nail removal operation

Hey guys..

Right so in June this year i had a partial nail removal operation on both big toe nails, after a year of severe painful ingrown toe nails! it took quite a while for the nail to recover.

6 month later and they look absolutely horrendous!! I'm going in holiday next year in July & i really want to paint my big toe nails! As i want to do my own rockstar nails!

I'm going to attach a photo, i hope it doesn't offend anyone! But i really need advice as i have been discharged from the chiropodists!

Has anyone else had this done? How long did it take until they where 'normal'??

Oh dear. Not had it done myself but u reckon its going to tahe a good 6 months minimum for those to grow out properly. A colleagues took a year. Each persons nails grow differently. Some fast some slow.

I hate it when doctors just remove ingrown toe nails, they never tell the patient what will happen afterwards!

It is likely that they will never be 'normal' and you will either have to make the best of what you have or start wearing toe nail overlays. I do these quite often - the second photo is after, but I can't find the pic with the caption! Lol

I see you do gel extensions so it's the same principle. Just be sure to check them regularly for any signs of lifting/water logging because obviously your feet are in shoes all day x

Oh the lady in my pictures had hers removed 6 years ago x

Nails xpress - it already has been 6 month! Haha arent they awful! I'm scared of painting them incase polish runs down the side as i wont be able to get it out!

Chelsea - i'm scared to put gel on as some part of my nail the right toe has skin with no nail on it! It was raw flesh when the nail was growing and has scarred over!!

Nailsxpress - isnt the average for a toenail to grow a year?

If they were mine I would file them down nice and short and straight then use acrylic and a form (I cut the form in half legthways to create a half oval) to straighten up the sidewalls and smooth the top and wouldn't really care about it touching my skin!

Buuuuuut that's just what I would do. If you don't want to put anything on them then you could buff out the most of the ridges and use polish, it shouldn't run into the sidewalls, just be extra careful x

I had my half of my toenail fall off on the summer due to something dropping on it. I sculpted an acrylic nail on and it is still on and I have left it to grow out! I will try and find a pic to show u what I mean xx

Aaah i see! I'll have to find someone who does accrylics as i only do gel!

Its just the fact that they are half lifted off & catch on socks etc & its painful!! I have to have the corners rounded so that it doesnt grow into my skin again!

I dont mind not painting them at the moment as i'm not wearing flip flops! But need them sorting by next summer!!

leannelily said:

Aaah i see! I'll have to find someone who does accrylics as i only do gel!

Its just the fact that they are half lifted off & catch on socks etc & its painful!! I have to have the corners rounded so that it doesnt grow into my skin again!

I dont mind not painting them at the moment as i'm not wearing flip flops! But need them sorting by next summer!!

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To bad i'm in Belgium ;-)
I do acrylics, and i had a similar operation on my left big toe a few months ago.... i prefer hours of labor to the pain i had after my toe operation
Anyway, my nail is now covered with acrylics, looking OK

i'm sorry, but i have no pics of my nail before the acrylics, and to take one now.... wel, it just looks like a 'normal' toe

Greetings from Belgium,
Conny

I had the same operation on both my big toes when I was 13. I had to get one removed completely this year (I'm 25) as it grew funny and I kept catching it and actually tore it from the nail bed. It was removed in February, and I can't get anything to stay on for any more than a day or 2 so I just paint the skin.
However the other one I just file right back as much as I can and sculpt acrylic to make it look 'normal'
Xxx

Ahh what a shame Conny!

Mine didnt actually hurt! Just a few tingles when the anaethestic wore off! But i went on youtube the night before & seen how it was done... Needless to say it was a BIG mistake! As i nearly passed out during the operation!!

By the sounds of it i need to get some accylics on them!

ChicUnique said:

I had the same operation on both my big toes when I was 13. I had to get one removed completely this year (I'm 25) as it grew funny and I kept catching it and actually tore it from the nail bed. It was removed in February, and I can't get anything to stay on for any more than a day or 2 so I just paint the skin.
However the other one I just file right back as much as I can and sculpt acrylic to make it look 'normal'
Xxx

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Thats exactly what mines like!! Its grown weird & i'm scared i'm going to rip mine off! As if u look at the pics the top half of the nail feels very loose! I'm 23 & i think i'll have to just paint my skin! I'm just scared of it going down the sides if i'm not careful!!

However i painted just the tops of my nails around a month ago & the nailvarnish just kind of seeped into my nail!

Keep your nails cut, if they are long you will catch and rip the nail off the bed. It can take 2 years to grow normally if its going to. Buff the rough areas this will also avoid catching and ripping the nail.
I have seen many people with this problem and most of them go on to have no problems and fairly normal looking nails x

I've also had this done on both my big toes when I was about 12, I'm 25 now and they both look horrible now, they both lift from the nail bed and are really thick. I have to make sure they are really short to avoid catching but cannot have them plain as they look awful, but I do put gel overlays on and they look miles better plus they are a lot better with gel, don't think I'd be comfortable with acrylic, just in case I catch them and tears the nail off.

I had a similar operation when I was a teenager, they cut down each side of the nail to remove the ingrowing nail, then stitched the skin to the remaining nail.
Had it on both big toes & both look fine now. No markings on the nail & very small scars on the skin.

You wouldn't know they've been operated on really, my sister had the same operation, nail looks fine but even years later she suffers hypersensitivity & struggles to have the nail filed.

If those were my toes, I'd file the free edge down & let the ridging grow out.
Then watch you don't get them back.

JMD99 said:

Keep your nails cut, if they are long you will catch and rip the nail off the bed. It can take 2 years to grow normally if its going to. Buff the rough areas this will also avoid catching and ripping the nail.
I have seen many people with this problem and most of them go on to have no problems and fairly normal looking nails x

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2 years!! Yikes!! I do keep them as short as possible! Its the sides that catch as they aren't attached to my nail bed at the minute!

I'm definitely going to have to do something about them for when i go abroad next year!

I just wish i was told about how ugly & how long they'll take to look 'normal' again! I got told 6 weeks! ... 6 weeks my ***!

Wonda said:

I had a similar operation when I was a teenager, they cut down each side of the nail to remove the ingrowing nail, then stitched the skin to the remaining nail.
Had it on both big toes & both look fine now. No markings on the nail & very small scars on the skin.

You wouldn't know they've been operated on really, my sister had the same operation, nail looks fine but even years later she suffers hypersensitivity & struggles to have the nail filed.

If those were my toes, I'd file the free edge down & let the ridging grow out.
Then watch you don't get them back.

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Ahh i cant wait until all the ridges grow out! & i know this is going to sound ridiculous as i am a beautician & love giving pedicures to others... But i hate filing my own toes! Haha especially the ones on my big toes! :/

This is the pic I was promising, you can see where the nail stops under the clear acrylic, and looks perfect with nail varnish on the top!

Katy:) said:

This is the pic I was promising, you can see where the nail stops under the clear acrylic, and looks perfect with nail varnish on the top!

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Aaah yes! I see what u mean! That will look fine with polish on Although i couldn't do that with mine