TIHI
No
Footernail
Luckily I ripped my toenail’s arms off, so he can’t pull this shit.
I’ve had those and it sucks. Had to go to a doctor.
While getting it taken taken care of by a doctor is the more prudent option, the cotton trick can temporarily help in the meantime.
You pull a small strip of cotton about 2.5cm long from a cotton ball and stuff it under your nail, as if you were flossing your nail, with the ends of the cotton acting as a sort of cushion and softening the edges of the nail. You would then use a bandaid to keep it in place for the day. (also, you should use some antibiotic ointment before stuffing in the cotton if you have any broken/torn skin)
Again, it’s only a temporary solution, but it really does help with the pain.
They let you cut down along the edge. Cut straight down, as far as you can, then yank out the piece by the root (yes, ouch). Over time, the nail will stop growing along the edge. I can’t tell you how long it takes, I don’t remember. It wasn’t that long, I did it decades ago. It’s a permanent solution.
I had my big toe toenails removed three times. Once on my right foot and twice on my left.
If done properly it works really well and your nail grows straight and won’t get infected ever again, if done improperly then you nail grows later after layer up instead of out but never gets infected again.
To anyone who gets this:
do not let the podiatrist convince you to do the partial removal. Ask your podiatrist if a full nail avulsion could be preferable to a partial avulsion if minimizing chance of reoccurence is the most important factor to you. Ie, removing a tiny strip from one or both sides of the nail. It is HIGHLY likely it will get bad again. Have them do a full phenol cauterization and remove the entire nail. You dont need it, and you’ll be better off without it. However, I’m no doctor.gives medical advice explicitly in opposition to a hypothetical doctor
says they’re not qualified to give medical advice because they’re not a doctor
leaves
Your personal experiences with procedures are valid, fam, you can just say it didn’t do you or a friend any good and you wish you’d done something else instead.
Personally I love it when people who are not my doctor offer me specific, actionable medical advice. Especially so when it entails surgery to permanently remove my body parts
Fair, edited to bring the final choice back to podiatrist.
Also anecodtal: I had the procedure you’re describing and it worked for me. Ignoring your podiatrist is bad advice
I also had that procedure where the doctor only removes the affected part of the toenail. That was over a decade ago and I’ve never had the issue reoccur; and I still have my toenail.
On the flip side, I had partial nail removal on two toes each side, and haven’t had any issues in 20 years. Procedure was quick, mostly painless, and the relief was immediate. I was playing soccer 3 days later.
If you want to ask about a full removal, go for it, but be open to professional advice.
