Toe nail damage by trainers & running??

[Bev Rose]

Hi

I have a nail client who wants me to do a NNO on her toes.

No problem you might think....I took one look at her big toe and sent her straight to her GP!!!
Basically, it was mis-shappen, thick & yellow it looked a bit of a mess and i refused her until she's had it checked.
She told me that she used to do lots and lots of running and her toe has been like that for years and that the nail does come off sometimes & then grows back, the same yellow looking, thick nail.

She has been to docs and her first test has come back clear...so we are waiting to see if the 2nd test they do (to see if they can grow anything from it) comes back ok.

Has anyone ever come across this type of thing before??
Does anyone know if its right what she's telling me??

I don't do pedicures, so don't see that many toes.

 

[Bagpuss]

Hiya ...I had a client who had this too...it would start off yellow then get darker and darker until it fell off.....she also did alot of running and (her words) went raving every weekend...i guess its all that stomping on there feet...the impact.

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Black Toenails



A blood blister underneath the nail usually causes a black toenail. The collection of blood under the nail discolours it and in some cases can cause pressure and pain. The toenail may or may not fall off.

Causes: A black toenail occurs when the toe becomes bruised due to repetitive bumping against the end of your shoes or sneakers. This can happen if you do a lot of downhill running or if your shoes are too small or too big. Usually, someone who has a second toe that is longer than the first toe (Morton's foot type) is most susceptible to bruising his or her second toenail.

Treatment: If there is pain due to the increased pressure, you need to drain the blood to remove the pressure. The sooner this is done the better. Normally it is best to have this done by your family doctor or podiatrist. However, to do it on your own, start by swabbing the toenail with alcohol. Next, take a paper clip, or another sharp narrow object, heat it in a flame, and then slowly push it through the toenail. Drain the blood and apply an antiseptic or antibiotic cream and cover with a bandage.

Prevention: The best way to prevent black toenails is to ensure that you have proper fitting shoe gear. The toe box should be wide enough and the shoes long enough so that your toes don't bump against the sides or end of the shoe. There should be approximately 1/2" (1.25 cm) between the longest toe (not necessarily the big toe) and the end of the shoe. Wearing blister-free socks might help prevent friction as well.

Activity Restrictions: Usually symptomatic. If the toe throbs and is painful, it is best to take a few days off and let the toenail heal.

This information is provided by: Allied Foot Specialists.

 

[Urban Geek]

Sounds like fungal nail infection to me which is very common in athletes and people who do lots of sport.

 

[Bev Rose]

Sounds like fungal nail infection to me which is very common in athletes and people who do lots of sport.

Well thats what I thought - hence telling her to visit GP.

I'll ask her to bring the written evidence of the 'all clear' if she gets it..but still won't be happy...

 

[jo-from-moorspa]

I must remember not to read posts like this while eating my lunch (and yes it is a cheese sandwich) lol

 

[Bagpuss]

I must remember not to read posts like this while eating my lunch (and yes it is a cheese sandwich) lol

:green: eewwww thats so wrong....hope the bread wasnt "crusty"....:green:

 

[MistyMoore]

I did a 10K run in May for charity. I've never previously had any problems with my toes but as I was building up my running distance during training, my big toe nails went black. One was worse than the other and did start to lift.
Had I have pushed my training over a further distance I would have lost the nail completely but as I had covered the distance required it didn't get any worse.
I did go to my GP for reassurance (although I knew it was down to running as I have a friend who runs regular and she has lost loads of big toe nails over the years!).
GP assured me it was purely down to running due to the constant friction.
4 months on it has grown out half way, By the time it grows out completely i'll be starting my training for next years run and the process will start again!!

 

[jo-from-moorspa]

Ok I have got over my cheese sandwich now.

I run quite a bit (between 15-25km a week) and never really suffer from this problem at all. I must say that I am very particular about my socks and trainers. I found that going to a specialist running shop (the smaller shop run by runners) at let them choose which shoes are best really helped - the guy had me running up and down the shop to see how my foot hit the ground. I also use the twinskin socks which i think are great.

I hope this helps. Jo

 

[Snugglepuss]

Sounds like fungal nail infection to me which is very common in athletes and people who do lots of sport.

I agree with you Chris - my 2 eldest sons have suffered with athletes foot and both have yucky yellow toe nails - Nik, the one who is now in the navy, did/does a lot of sport and as yet his big toe nail has not come off. However, when I was young and fit (opposed to now - old and round :lol my big toe nail used to go black and then drop off BUT that was only with one pair of trainers, other pairs were fine.

 

[rouge]

As Jo said, it all depends on the fit of the shoes. If you get a pair properly fitted then you shouldn't have a problem with your toenails. My dad does a lot of running, and has done for years, and he's never had a problem because he always buys a very good pair of running shoes from a specialist shop.

 

[Bev Rose]

Thanks fpr ypur imput so far....

The original question was on the lines of ....does wearing trainers and running cause yellowing of the nail & if so is it fungal??

I'm not sure if her nail has ever gone black, I'll ask her next time I see her.

Sounds like I should not do a NNO on her though!

 

[Lil lisa]

I do loads of pedicures and have seen all sorts of horrible sights! Its very common for peoples nails to yellow and thicken particularly with age and factors such as running and wearing badly fitted shoes! Its best to get them to check with their doc though and make sure you see a letter from the doc to rule out any fungal infections. L x

 

[Christine G]

Hi Bev, I used to work with a chap who did lots of marathon running, he literally ran everywhere, 10 miles a night was a regularity just for something to do. Anyway, he had manky big toe nails, not fungal or nasty, just thick, and "yellow" like you describe., they too used to fall off and re grow the same colour, it was only his big toe nails, the others were ok.
The doctor said it was just prolonged impact against the front of his trainers, and was nothing to worry about, apparently if you do so much running over a period of years, this sort of damage is quite common.
I have a vertical split in my nails on my third toes on both feet from running years ago, my partners says it's because I run "like a woman" !
By the way, his nails never went black, hope this is of some help to you.

Christine

 

[sian1979]

my mother in law has a similar problem, she does alot of walking and had a damaged big toe nail and asked if i could do a NNO on it to make it look better. It does not look like a fungal infection, as it is not yellow really, it just looks all lumpy and bumpy- i dont know how else to describe it, she said the nail had come off and thats what its left. I wasnt sure if i should do it so i said no for the time being. How would you prep something like that??? being quite new to the trade i dont know....

these threads are soooo good for newbies like me as you never know what you are going to come across and how to deal with it.
thanks

sian. x

 

[MistyMoore]

Sorry, I dont think I explained myself properly. The black toe nails I ended up with were due to blood underneath the nail (my actual toe nails didn't just turn black!). As my nails are growing out they are thicker and discoloured. There is no fungal infection though, they just dont look very nice so are always covered with a dark enamel. The new nail growing through looks fine, I also have properly fitted running shoes but it still happened. That'll teach me to exercise!

 

[Jeni Giles]

You may also find this in dancers, especially those who dance en pointe- toe shoes- The pressure caused standing literally on the toe causes the big toe and usually the second or third toe nail to do the same thing. Depending on the amount of years spent in toe shoes and number of hours practicing, the toe nail may return to a "normal" state. (I can buff them smooth and be ok with it- I prefer having an over lay so they look nice when polished) For my poor toes they were the worst in the spring- after the nutcracker had come and gone- 15 years later with out toe shoes, my feet still look, well...deformed, but my nails look all right.

I personally wouldn't do an overlay on a runner, pedicures oh yes! NNO, would really make me hesistate, added thickness, shoe fit, distance being run- too many chances for injury.

 

[kizzycat]

I know I am a bit late with this reply but thought I would share this with you.

About 3 years ago I noticed my toe nail going yellow. I have never done any running and I always wear sensible shoes as I have plantar fasciitis. Anyway I thought it was a fungal and so I went to the GP to have it analysed. It was negative but the GP said we should rip it off as if it was fungal it would disappear. Anway about a year later I had my nail back and it was pink for a short time then then yellow returned. At first it looked like a vertical stripe down my nail. It started to spread and come away from the nail bed in the middle. It looks dark now but that is because it has come away from the middle of the nail bed. I went back to see another GP who looked at my fingernails and noticed tiny pit marks and said that what I have on my toenail is not a fungal infection but part of the psoriasis. So I am stuck with a horrible toe nail that I cant have a lovely french manicure on because I am too embarrassed about shoving my "minging" toe into a nail techs face even though I know it is not fungal but psoirasis.

It just looks so horrible I know that the first thing when I go to a salon will be the thought that it is fungal infection becasue that is what I would be thinking. I have also noticed a couple of my smaller toe nails starting with a few yellow marks on too so I hope they are not all going like that.

I try to keep away from deep colours as this seems to make the mark on my nail go darker.

K

 

[Katelisa]

what did u do in the end Bev?

 

[Bebeautiful]

Hi Bav,
my advise to you would be to get a look at the doctors note and decide from then what you want to do, remember contra indications, cross infections etc. I know it can be diffeicult sometimes in this situation. Good luck :hug:

 

[the nail fairy]

Ok I have got over my cheese sandwich now.

I run quite a bit (between 15-25km a week) and never really suffer from this problem at all. I must say that I am very particular about my socks and trainers. I found that going to a specialist running shop (the smaller shop run by runners) at let them choose which shoes are best really helped - the guy had me running up and down the shop to see how my foot hit the ground. I also use the twinskin socks which i think are great.

I hope this helps. Jo

I also run 6 miles, 6 days a week, and I have never had any problems, because I also purchase my running shoes from the Running Room ( Specialists)..
It is very very important to get the correct running shoes, or you can have all sorts of problems..

Sincerely;
Janet