What is this? (bruised toenails, without ever being bumped?)

[Jessicles]

A client of mine has started developing what looks like bruises on the insides of her big toenails...though she says she has never bumped them or damaged them in anyway, including wearing tight-fitting shoes. I don't do her feet super regularly, so I can't say if they just appeared where they are, or if they've been growing out from the matrix. She said she thought one grew out, but the other just appeared. They are a bit darker in person than in the photo. We are both curious to see if anyone has any ideas about this. Thank you for looking.

 

[Jogels]

Interesting but I would suggest she see a doctor prior to having any services done. Perhaps others have some idea about this.

 

[gelnailartist]

I'm concerned that there may be some sort of infection. Are they sore at all or warm to the touch? I would say she needs to see a doctor. Especially if they get any worse

 

[Lynne Baker]

It looks suspiciously like onychomycosis to me.

 

[cro-mari]

Yeah, my first guess would be fungus too... so send her to the doctors, throw away disposables, disinfect the rest, especially foot bath.
hth

 

[Jessicles]

I had thought it was a fungal infection too, but have never seen it purple...And the only place that appears to have separated from the nail bed is on the left toe a little bit, but it is surrounded by attached nail. She has no pain and like I said, doesn't remember having any pain to cause it either (and it seems to me, if you hit your toes, you would remember a pain that would cause this..) She has an appointment with a dermatologist coming up and I told her to definitely ask him while she was there, I was just curious if anyone else had any experiences with something like this. Thank you all for your replies.

P.S. I am a very thorough sanitizer, but thank you for mentioning it

 

[Bagpuss]

Mmmmm...I think its a big coincidence that the marks (which i do think look like bruising) are in the identical place as each other....both the 2 big toe nails mirror each each other...this makes me think that it could well be a pair of shoes that are pressing down on each nail at the same place...she may well tell you that her shoes are not tight but that doesn't mean she doesn't have a pair that are.

I would also recommend that she keeps her toe nails short.

No harm in going to see a doc anyway but this is my guess.

 

[tigi]

i had the exact same markings on my toenails last year and then they fell off!

they have grown back twice as thick too and have bumps in them. i went to doc when the nails came off and he gve me a cream to put on them.

i think a doc visit is in order in case they can save the nail.

tigi

 

[Katykitten]

Mmmmm...I think its a big coincidence that the marks (which i do think look like bruising) are in the identical place as each other....both the 2 big toe nails mirror each each other...this makes me think that it could well be a pair of shoes that are pressing down on each nail at the same place...she may well tell you that her shoes are not tight but that doesn't mean she doesn't have a pair that are.

I would also recommend that she keeps her toe nails short.

No harm in going to see a doc anyway but this is my guess.

This is what I thought aswell