# Big Toe

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-toe/753895>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [May 4, 2016, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-toe/753895 "2016-05-04T15:11:57Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 7\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Jamesjim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/bb73d2/32.png) [@Jamesjim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jamesjim)\
**Post date:** [May 4, 2016, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-toe/753895/1 "2016-05-04T15:11:57Z")

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How, and with what do I treat an exposed toe after the toenail has come off?  
I have been treating the fungus with distilled vinegar and it works, but the toe nail dried up and fell off…leaving exposed skin. I want to prevent possible infection

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**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\
**Post date:** [May 4, 2016, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-toe/753895/2 "2016-05-04T15:19:52Z")

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Reported for forum change.

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**Author:** ![GrandWino](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grandwino/32/67_2.png) [@GrandWino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrandWino)\
**Post date:** [May 4, 2016, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-toe/753895/3 "2016-05-04T15:22:35Z")

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And here I thought this was a thread about a specific SDMB user.

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**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\
**Post date:** [May 4, 2016, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-toe/753895/4 "2016-05-04T15:31:35Z")

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Keeping in mind I’m not a doctor and you should defer to any actual doctors that might show up here…

My experience with losing nails (thumb and big toe) is that the skin underneath toughens up after exposure to something not too different from the rest of the skin on the digit. If you’re having fungus issues continue to treat those, keep the exposed bits covered with a bandage until the scabbing stops and you have something like normal skin there. Nails take months to grow a new one, so be patient.

Be sure any bandages you use are not too constricting.

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**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\
**Post date:** [May 4, 2016, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-toe/753895/5 "2016-05-04T15:35:45Z")

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> [@GrandWino](#):
>
> And here I thought this was a thread about a specific SDMB user.

I’m laughing so hard it hurts!!

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**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\
**Post date:** [May 4, 2016, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-toe/753895/6 "2016-05-04T15:41:54Z")

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It’s one thing to possibly catch malware or a virus from the SDMB. Now there’s a fungus amongus!

Perhaps we need to toe the line here and nail it.

😃

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**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\
**Post date:** [May 4, 2016, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-toe/753895/7 "2016-05-04T16:59:07Z")

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Medical advice is best suited to IMHO.

Colibri