# What should I do about my lifting, discoloured toenails?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-i-do-about-my-lifting-discoloured-toenails/608159
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion
**Created:** [January 2, 2012, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-i-do-about-my-lifting-discoloured-toenails/608159 "2012-01-02T17:38:28Z")
**Posts on this page:** 14
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@EmAnJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EmAnJ)
#### Post date: [January 2, 2012, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-i-do-about-my-lifting-discoloured-toenails/608159/1 "2012-01-02T17:38:28Z")
They’ve been like this for about a year and a half. It started when I was skiing a couple of seasons ago and had some high impact landings, and got worse when I was running last summer. I backed off on the running mid-way through the summer for cycling, so didn’t impact my nails much. Still though, at least half of each big toenail is black/yellow and slightly lifting. I can get underneath them, and it’s obviously scabby, though I’ve never actually seen any blood leak out.
It doesn’t hurt, it’s just ugly (I’m female, so the look of my toenails is a bit important, especially in the summer). I wore dark nail polish this summer, but wish I didn’t have to. I was hoping they’d eventually grow out and get healthy again, but it’s not happening.
[Here’s a picture - it’s not _that_ gross.](http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/308542_10150288277002620_516272619_8060648_541345369_n.jpg)
Any advice? Or just deal with it?
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### Author:  [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)
#### Post date: [January 2, 2012, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-i-do-about-my-lifting-discoloured-toenails/608159/2 "2012-01-02T17:48:03Z")
Been on antibiotics at all? That looks less like trauma and more like a side effect of antibiotics. If so, it should slowly - verrrrry slowly - grow out when you stop the antibiotics.
Did it get better when you stopped exercising?
About the worst thing it could be is melanoma under the nail bed, which of course needs to be diagnosed and treated by a physician.
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### Author:  [@Bloodless\_Turnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bloodless_Turnip)
#### Post date: [January 2, 2012, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-i-do-about-my-lifting-discoloured-toenails/608159/3 "2012-01-02T17:53:17Z")
Does it stink? Serious question.
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### Author:  [@EmAnJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EmAnJ)
#### Post date: [January 2, 2012, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-i-do-about-my-lifting-discoloured-toenails/608159/4 "2012-01-02T17:56:20Z")
No, I haven’t been on antibiotics for over a year. It does not get better when I stop exercises that impact the nail. Melanoma scares me! I will make an appointment right away. I hadn’t ever talked to the doctor about it because I didn’t think it was a huge deal.
It does not smell.
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### Author:  [@Bloodless\_Turnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bloodless_Turnip)
#### Post date: [January 2, 2012, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-i-do-about-my-lifting-discoloured-toenails/608159/5 "2012-01-02T18:00:08Z")
I’ve had dual black big toenails from shoe impact also. They didn’t look like yours, they were just black until they grew out.
Yours looks more like a fungus, but the toe fungus generally has a detectable odor. (or maybe I just have a super sensitive nose)
I’d definitely see a doc.
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### Author:  [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)
#### Post date: [January 2, 2012, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-i-do-about-my-lifting-discoloured-toenails/608159/6 "2012-01-02T18:00:31Z")
> [@EmAnJ](#):
>
> No, I haven’t been on antibiotics for over a year. It does not get better when I stop exercises that impact the nail. Melanoma scares me! I will make an appointment right away. I hadn’t ever talked to the doctor about it because I didn’t think it was a huge deal.
>
> It does not smell.
Don’t be scared. It’s a word thrown out by a not-a-doctor based on one slightly fuzzy picture on the internet. It’s by no means a diagnosis.
…but yeah, get it checked out by an actual doctor who can see, touch and yes, smell your toes. 🙂
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### Author:  [@leahcim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/leahcim)
#### Post date: [January 2, 2012, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-i-do-about-my-lifting-discoloured-toenails/608159/7 "2012-01-02T18:12:12Z")
I’ve had that kind of thing from hiking and skiing periodically over the last few years. Are your toenails still growing?
I had the situation where the toenail you could see was… you know what, I’m going to put this in a spoiler box because it’s kind of gross:
…injured and not growing because the replacement nail was growing underneath, but the old nail wouldn’t fall off so the new nail was getting kind of “bunched up” underneath. It didn’t get better until I hacked away at the old nail, dug out the pieces of old scab underneath (between the old and new nails), and let the new nail get settled. The remains of the old nail fell off after a while (but wouldn’t have without my manipulations) and the new nail grew out and started looking OK again.
And then I promptly injured it again in the same way.
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### Author:  [@EmAnJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EmAnJ)
#### Post date: [January 2, 2012, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-i-do-about-my-lifting-discoloured-toenails/608159/8 "2012-01-02T18:25:22Z")
Thanks guys. Yes, the nail is still growing as normal, it’s just black underneath.
There is enough space that something could get underneath and possibly cause a fungal infection, though I have been careful to keep it clean. I’ll mention it to the doctor when I see her next.
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### Author:  [@kittenblue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kittenblue)
#### Post date: [January 3, 2012, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-i-do-about-my-lifting-discoloured-toenails/608159/9 "2012-01-03T00:17:14Z")
Whatever you do, do not come to my place of work and ask me to look at it, like one of my customers did…
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### Author:  [@Al\_Bundy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Al_Bundy)
#### Post date: [January 3, 2012, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-i-do-about-my-lifting-discoloured-toenails/608159/10 "2012-01-03T00:21:14Z")
This is what happens with athletic injuries or just kicking the bedpost. If you were 80 I would have a different answer. Your dark nails were caused by pressure and injury. They will eventually grow out, fall out or repair themselves to a more normal look. This could take up to two years. In the meantime, don’t expect to do any foot modeling.
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### Author:  [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)
#### Post date: [January 3, 2012, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-i-do-about-my-lifting-discoloured-toenails/608159/11 "2012-01-03T01:20:37Z")
I’d check out the fungus option.
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### Author:  [@madrabbitwoman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madrabbitwoman)
#### Post date: [January 3, 2012, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-i-do-about-my-lifting-discoloured-toenails/608159/12 "2012-01-03T02:01:43Z")
Another vote for Fungus. My toes look like that when I a
have a fungus infection (particularly the whole being able to get underneath the nail bit)
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### Author:  [@SeaDragonTattoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SeaDragonTattoo)
#### Post date: [January 3, 2012, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-i-do-about-my-lifting-discoloured-toenails/608159/13 "2012-01-03T02:30:37Z")
In addition to ruling out a fungal infection, I wonder if your shoes might be a factor? I often assume runners know to buy up at least a half size, but they also have to be sure of the correct size in the first place. The nails look to me like they should be trimmed back a little more, and maybe if you’re thinking trauma you’re right, and a too-short toebox is part of the problem. Forgive me if you already know that a full thumb-width should fit between the end of your toe and the toe of the shoe.
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### Author:  [@VunderBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VunderBob)
#### Post date: [January 3, 2012, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-i-do-about-my-lifting-discoloured-toenails/608159/14 "2012-01-03T02:35:29Z")
It’s fungal; I’ve had it myself. The remedy is a 30 day course of oral Lamasil. The bad part is that it’s expensive, about $600 retail. Insurance will usually cover it.