6 Questions You Probably Have About Your Missing Toenail

Dealing with the loss of a toenail, especially if this is something that you weren't born with, and happened at some point in your life through an injury or a nail surgery gone wrong, can be really distressing. Feelings of anxiety and embarrassment can come up because of a missing toenail. As a board-certified podiatrist, some people with a missing toenail will even go as far as hiding their feet, not letting their loved ones see their feet, and even wear shoes at the beach. If you have questions about your missing toenail, this is the post for you. To learn more, continue to read below.

6 Questions You Probably Have About Your Missing Toenail

1. How Does A Toenail Become Missing?

   A missing toenail can happen in several different ways. Sometimes, people are born with one or more toenails missing.

   
   

   But for most people, losing a toenail through an injury, like something tearing or ripping out their toenail, or something heavy dropping on their toenail.

   
   

   For other people, toenail surgery gone wrong can also cause the permanent loss of a toenail

   
   

   

   After a nail injury. Nail injuries are one of the ways that the loss of a toenail can happen.

   
   

   Regardless of the reason why you lost your toenail, the cause is the same: the nail root or nail bed is damaged.

   
   

   The nail root is not seen and lies underneath your skin behind the cuticle of your nail. The nail root's job is to make a new nail. The nail root is where your nail grows from. A damaged nail root many times will not create a healthy toenail, or any toenail at all.

   
   

   Your nail bed is the layer of skin just below the toenail. This skin is different from the skin found on your arms or legs, especially since it's specialized for a nail to attach. If the nailbed becomes damaged in any way, it becomes a lot harder for a healthy toenail to grow. Sometimes the toenail will only grow to a certain point and break off, or it will fail to grow at all.

2. Will my toenail grow back attached

   If you have recently dealt with a loss of a toenail, whether your toenail will grow back attached or not, depends on how severe the damage is to your toenail, your nail root, and the nail bed.

If the nail root, or nail bed, is severely damaged, then unfortunately, the toenail will not grow back attached, if at all.

3. Can I Get a Pedicure With a Missing Toenail?

   Yes, as long as your skin is healthy and healed, you can get a pedicure with a missing toenail.

   
   

   It's important, though, to be mindful of the instruments that are used at your nail salon. Salon nail instruments should be cleaned in something called an autoclave, which kills ALL germs on the surface of these instruments, including viruses like Hepatitis C, HPV, AND HIV. Using barbicide or rubbing alcohol simply isn't enough, and does not kill all germs.

   
   

   

   
   

   If you have diabetes, circulation problems, or neuropathy, I don't recommend getting pedicures at a nail salon due to the increased risk of infection in these groups, and an increased risk of amputation as well.

4. How am I Supposed to Treat a Missing Toenail?

   As long as your skin is healed, treating a missing toenail doesn't really require much effort. Be sure to keep your skin moisturized on your toe. If you still have some toenail growing, but the majority of your nail is missing, keeping the remaining nail trimmed and filed can prevent it from causing problems in the future by getting caught on socks or pants.

   
   

   As always, surgical permanent toenail removal is an option for little spikes or pieces of nail that continue to grow from your toe.

5. Can You Put An Acrylic Nail on a Missing Toenail?

   Acrylic is commonly used to cover a missing toenail, but acrylic isnt ideal for this use for several reasons:

   
   

   

   
   

• Acrylic isn't flexible

  Acrylic is a very rigid material. Because of this, when acrylic is placed on your nail, if your nail needs to bend or flex, the acrylic won't. At this point where your nail meets the acrylic, this can be a point of failure, meaning that because acrylic is much stiffer that your natural nail, your nail will give instead, and this can cause further damage to the toenail.

• Acrylic can be a breeding ground for fungus and bacteria

  Acrylic is poreless and isn't breathable. Because of this, as acrylic remains on your nails, and starts to lift at the edges, possibly moisture can become trapped between your natural nail and the acrylic, causing nail fungus, or even bacterial nail infections.

6. How Do I Cover a Missing Toenail?

   There are several ways to cover a missing toenail, but all of them are not healthy, and can actually cause further problems. The healthiest and safest way to cover a missing toenail is through a system called Keryflex.

Keryflex Nail Restoration is something used by doctors and other healthcare professionals to give an aesthetically pleasing and healthy appearance to toenails that are partially missing. To be a candidate for Keryflex, 15% of your toenail at least has to be present for the Keryflex to bond to.

The application process for Keryflex is painless. Keryflex isn't a permanent solution, but for people whose missing nails bother them, Keryflex is the safest way to give them the look of a healthy nail again.

Before and After with Keryfle Nail Restorations

Key Takeaways

Dealing with the loss of a toenail can bring up a lot of questions about why it happened in the first place and your options for treatment. Hopefully, this blog post helped inform and educate you about your options. As always, if you are interested in addressing your missing toenail, find a foot doctor in your area that you trust.

Schedule Your Free Consultation at Direct Podiatry Arizona Today

Are you dealing with a missing toenail and in need of a podiatrist in Phoenix? My name is Dr. Tarr, and I am the owner of Direct Podiatry Arizona in Tempe. To view my available appointment times for a free, 15-minute consultation, click here.