# My toenail fell out-anything I should do?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-toenail-fell-out-anything-i-should-do/319010>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [August 28, 2005, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-toenail-fell-out-anything-i-should-do/319010 "2005-08-28T20:16:47Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![rpinrd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b3f665/32.png) [@rpinrd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rpinrd)\
**Post date:** [August 29, 2005, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-toenail-fell-out-anything-i-should-do/319010/21 "2005-08-29T19:03:57Z")

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> [@davenportavenger](#):
>
> I don’t know if this procedure actually exists for humans, but cutting out or lasering off the nail bed just like they do in declawing would ensure that the nail wouldn’t grow back. I don’t see why it wouldn’t work, but that’s still pretty drastic for a minor irritation.

I don’t think that “minor irritation” is the correct way to describe this condition. Both of my big toenails look like **Beware of Doug’s** description. Also, the skin around the nail is perpetually slightly inflamed, the nails catch on my socks, and when they get really thick, they push up on the insides of my shoes which hurts. I’m only 34 and I’m not looking forward to another 50 years of this.

My fantasy is to have the nails removed, treat the fungus, and let the nails grow back. However, my podiatrist tells me that even if the fungus were removed, the nail bed is so screwed up that my nails would never grow back in a “normal” shape.

And to relate all this back to the OP, yes keep your toe clean. I got my first fungus following a nail losing episode.

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**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\
**Post date:** [August 29, 2005, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-toenail-fell-out-anything-i-should-do/319010/22 "2005-08-29T19:09:10Z")

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You can put it under your pillow and see if the toenail fairy leaves you anything.

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**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\
**Post date:** [August 29, 2005, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-toenail-fell-out-anything-i-should-do/319010/23 "2005-08-29T19:19:50Z")

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I slammed my finger in a door once. The nail turned black and fell off. It grew back fine, although it’s slightly more arced than my other nails.

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**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\
**Post date:** [August 29, 2005, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-toenail-fell-out-anything-i-should-do/319010/24 "2005-08-29T19:21:47Z")

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> [@GrizzRich](#):
>
> I recently visited my podiatrist for removal of an ingrown toenail and asked about trying another series of Lamasil. Two years ago, I underwent Lamasil tablet treatment and, while my right big toenail cleared up nicely, my left bg toenail did not.

My doctor refused to give me a prescription for Lamisil because of what it would do to my liver. I had had a prescription for Penlac, a brush-on solution, that did nothing. He prescribed me a big bottle of Urea lotion, and it cleared up my yellow toenail in about two months.

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