Recovery from permanent toenail removal Photo Gallery by lbliss at pbase.com

Recovery from permanent toenail removal

Some ask WHY?

Well, as an ultramarathon runner, I am constantly losing this toenail after races due to the repetitive trauma of downhill running. It always grows back funky or straight down into the nail bed. I've had to have it temporarily removed 2 other times, and this time I decided I did not want to go through that experience again and again and again. It's a good thing I didn't take pictures of the needles used to numb the toe and the tourniquet around the toe and the blunted instrument the podiatrist uses to bore under the nail. It's not fun. So, now....NEVER AGAIN!!

Until, that is, I do the right big toenail. And then, I WILL take and post some good pictures.....stay tuned. The right one comes off this week!

toenail removal recovery supplies	Day 1: toenail removed and phenol applied to burn the nail bed.	Day 3: already healing but still sore	Day 3: still applying topical antibiotic. Today is the last day of soaking with epsom salt
Day 10. Healing fine.	Still healing at 4 weeks.	almost back to "normal"

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David Finlay MacPhail		28-Dec-2018 02:01
I had my right big toe nail removed about 2 weeks ago and initially had it bandaged by the person giving treatment. On redress they applied iodine onto the toe to fight the infection. after the second dressing I was left with a handful of non stick plasters and told to change them daily and apply iodine. I have done this daily and shower the toe every day before applying the new dressing. There is a bit of stickiness that appears to come from the surface and I don't know what that is. It got a bit more painful after I steeped it in luke warm salt water to try and see if that speeds up the healing. I skipped that today and the pain subsided. I am back to just the plaster and iodine every day. I saw that today what looked like a thin membrane was growing from the base upward but don't want to pull that off incase that is the healing process. My toe is still sensitive and I wear bots to work. I took 3 weeks off so hope the pain goes all together.

Guest		05-Dec-2018 17:25
Hello. I’m new here and thinking of joining the no nail club. My story...before my kids were born I was an avid runner, by no means a marathon runner, but doing 12-16 miles a week. I think my flat feet often caused my big toes to push inward and caused a lot of trauma. About 8 years ago I had a nail injury to left toenail-leaving like a half of nail. Won’t ever grow back full. Then I picked up an infection on the right nail. Both nails look yucky and they are so sore all of the time:( My podiatrist told me to think about permanent nail removal. I have seen several people throughout the years with nails removed and I never thought it to be gross-different, but not gross. But now that this is likely going to be me, I’m having a hard time accepting the fact an to the point it’s caused me major depression and anxiety:( I have three young kids at home, and trust me when I say, I KNOW there are a lot worse things out there. It’s just I feel as though a part of me is going to be taken away. And there’s so much of the unknown. -can I care for my children during post op? -will it heal properly I’m curious also if anyone has done anything after wound has healed? What does the skin look like? Can it be painted? I guess I’m just looking for support from people who understand.

Donna McElvany		15-Oct-2018 23:49
So glad to report that they healed completely up after 8weeks. It’s been about 10 weeks and they feel so much better. So glad it’s over with! They’re just slightly sensitive now and doing better all the time. I’m glad the nails are gone and I’m glad it’s over with. I had the thick nasty nails that hurt if you just bumped them. So I’m very thankful this entire ordeal is over.

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Donna McElvany		22-Aug-2018 16:49
Sure wish I could post pics. It’s almost two weeks. Had a horrible reaction to anything petroleum jelly based. Neosporin. Bacitracin. Dr recommended another ointment. I requested a script for silvadene. So thankful God gave me clarity and wisdom to ask for that. Silvadene works well! Blisters are no longer spreading. They’re completely covering my toes (not the nailbed). Still soaking twice a day. I see the dr in two days. Nailbed feels like a bad bad toothache and heaven forbid touching it!!

Donna McElvany		16-Aug-2018 14:24
Recovery has gone decent. It’ll be a week tomorrow, no one mentioned the allergic reaction to neosporin or the horrible red itchy bumps at the base of the toe beginning at the cuticle. They’re terrible! They itch SO BAD!! I’ve switched to gauze and paper tape and bacitracin instead of neo (dr said to) and using cortisone 10 for the allergic reaction. Keeping the tape and gauze away from the small blisters is hard. Soaks help.

Donna McElvany		11-Aug-2018 01:26
It’s been 6hrs since the procedure and praise God the pain has subsided significantly. Still... never having that done again but glad it’s over and praying recovery goes well!!

Donna McElvany		10-Aug-2018 22:49
To add to that... the pain is at the base of where the nail was. And it burns. And don’t try moving your toes!! Omg just don’t. Toe twitches. Ugh. The pain is mostly a horrible burning sensation that feels like it’s almost to the bone. And it’s constant with waves of increased pain every so often. Chocolate helps everything right??

Donna McElvany		10-Aug-2018 22:47
Ok so I had this done and honestly, shots were the worst thing EVER. The dr did say I experience and feel pain more so than most people. He still didn’t prescribe me any pain killers, even after having to stop during the procedure to numb my right toe even more. Put shots on the underside too because I could still feel a ton of burning during the procedure. I’m a rare one. But still no pain meds. I’m in so much pain right now it’s awful. Gave me instructions on soaking twice a day with Epsom salt and let dry, use neo and cover with bandaid. Omg the pain!!! The pain as I’m txtn this. I’ve taken 500mg naproxen, a muscle relaxer. And doubled dose of CBD oil. Desperately trying to find a friend with pain killers. Just one so I can hopefully sleep tonight!!! And I have kids to take care of.

Donna McElvany		10-Aug-2018 02:18
Getting mine removed tomorrow. Any regrets??

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Carrie		04-May-2017 08:48
I thought i would pop back on here to share my experience of this now that everything has healed. I think my experience has been a bit different in the UK but this is what happened with me. I had both big toenails removed in August 2016 so that they would never grow back again. For me, the injections were absolutely fine, they only hurt for a split second and got to work right away. But the pain later was horrible. I ended up having to stay off work for about 10 days - it was about 2 weeks before I could sit down without elevating my feet for any period of time and it would hurt like mad when i put my feet down to go upstairs etc. Then it was i would say 6 weeks before I could start to wear socks and shoes and even then it had to be just 1 pair of trainers I had that had plenty of room in them. In the UK you just keep going back to see a nurse twice a week to have the wounds cleaned and re-dressed and no water can touch them until they are fully healed to make sure you don't get an infection. for me this was after 8 weeks. So no bath or shower for 8 weeks! this was pretty hard having to keep washing at the sink and holding my head over the bath to wash my hair. Anyway 8 weeks was the magic number for me and all was healed, I could wear any shoes again and stop wearing the dressings. I still felt some odd twinges for a while and the skin has taken a while to toughen up but almost a year later everything is great. I am so glad I had them done, despite the awful pain those first 2 weeks. I would say to anyone going through constant ingrowing toenails to get it done! I'm about to have my first experiences of painting them this summer, so we'll see how that goes!

Jodi		27-Apr-2017 03:35
John, I found something that is helping a lot. I am soaking in warm water with a small amount of white vinegar. I saw this in another forum and decided to try and it seems to be healing much faster now and eliminating some of the pain too. Also, I had problem with dry skin on feet before and it is helping that as well. Take Care, Jodi

Jodi		23-Apr-2017 16:29
John, Thank you for sharing that. I was afraid I was the only one. I will say they had told me long ago to stop the salt baths and to use just warm water and it helped when I did for a little while and when I thought I could handle again I put just a little Epson in and boom back to bad again. I feel the band aids that are tight aggravate it more. I do see where the top half of nail bed is healed its the bottom half now. I wish you luck and please keep us informed of any changes. I'm trying cold water soaks as they seem to help more with the nerve pain.

Guest		21-Apr-2017 13:57
Hi Jodi, I had my left big toe nail removed on 9th February 2017, so nearly 10 weeks ago, and my throbbing nerve pain feels worse now than in the first 4-5 weeks. I was unnecessarily discharged by the folks at St. Leonard's Hospital on the 22nd March, being told that the toe was coming along fine and no more need to be seen. When the pain got worse, and liquid was still seeping out, I decided to go back on the 18th April to see them. The lady that I saw for the first time was shocked as to why the male nurse I saw previously had discharged me, telling me that my toe is not healing as it should . She put a small sheet of iodine on it, and then changed the type of dressing from a simple sterile self-adhesive which I'd been using every day for 9 weeks, to a gauze with lots of sticky tape, and then a sock type material which is put over the gauze (like a sock, funny enough) twisted and then put over again. I have to repeat this procedure every single day after the regular salt water soak. This in itself is so difficult, it's becoming a nightmare, but, added to that, the pain since Tuesday has got a whole lot worse along the whole toe, feeling at times like it's broken. The only time it eases is for the 10 or so minutes that I have it in the luke warm salt water. She wants to see me again on Monday 2nd May to see if this different dressing will make any difference. So far, it's not feeling good at all. I hope you get your new podiatrist soon. Please let me know how you get on. Take care. John.

Jodi		21-Apr-2017 01:47
I had my big toenail completely removed 6 weeks ago. It looks like Day 10 but I'm still in so much Pain. it's a nerve pain like when you have a bad tooth and the nerve is exposed. I'm so ready for it to heal. I keep it clean, I had followed up at ER when I thought was infected after two weeks and went through coarse of antibiotics, then my regular dr got a look at it and told me to use peroxide and give it another 3 weeks but my podiatrist is impossible to see and never followed up. I'm trying for a new podiatrist. I'm just wondering if anyone has this bad nerve pain, throbbing exposed nerve feeling on the whole toe.

Marj		09-Mar-2017 10:58
I had both of my toes done next to my big toes 3 weeks ago & have had NO pain either while it was done or after but have got a odd feeling under my toes & the ball of my feet

Guest		21-Feb-2017 23:15
Keep it wet (bandage with antibiotics). Like they do with a Burns.. It stops a lot of the pain. And stops the scars. It really worked for me.

Tamster		21-Feb-2017 16:29
Hello again I did have my 2 big toe nails completly removed and 1 toe nail next to big toe nail removed its been a week now doing alot better now! The first day was bad when I woke up I could not stand nor get dressed on my own then i got home and got sick felt no pain until that night could not sleep and i was on strong narcotics it was awful but the next day it tampered off..They are doing good now my right big toe i am wearing just a band-aid but my left one i am still wearing a ace bandage and wrapped cause it is healing slower I think it has to do with the toe next to it is the one that the nail was removed also..It is a slow process I am gonna try to drive today since my right foot is doing good now!! its only been a week and 2 days..I really do not know how any one can do this with out being put to sleep seriously I have nerve demage and back demage no way I could ever do it awake... Thanks Billi for the info I did get a spa but i do not use the jets hurt like hell learned the hard way lol I just soak in it with out it on but it does keep the water warm... well thats my update hope it helps others glad i will never ever have to do this again:) but it is better than putting up with ingrown toe nails

Lubee		18-Feb-2017 13:00
Had my toenail removed 12/22/16. Went great. All better now. Question is my whole toe is red. Does not hurt. I have been told it's the chemicals. How long does it stay reddish?

Billi Frankenberger		09-Feb-2017 02:41
Tamster a foot spa isn't somthing i'd think you would need. I just used a wash tub for dishes in the sink. you can pick those up fairly cheap. i'ts just a soak =) The worst is the first day! I think it may depend also if your having it just removed to grow back, or permantely removed. The burning of the root is what makes it so painful the first day or so. It's been a little over a month now since I had mine removed. My right toe is almost completely healed over. The left is lagging quie a bit more behind I still have to cover it when wearing a sock on it because it rubs to much. The Right foot I haven't covered it in almost 3 weeks. =) hope this helps

Tamster		26-Jan-2017 16:16
Now I am really nervous to get my whole toe nails removed I had both of my toes nails removed from each side twice but did not help now having them removed next month plus one other toe so a total of 3 toes nails being totally removed. Now i am being under antithesis due to my back and having nerve damage but my doctor I have is wonderful never had any problems with the other ones i had done and it was not to painful but of course i am on pain medication for my pack so that help alot with the pain( narcotic) where what i been reading most of you been just taking advil and that really does not help to much for pain over the counter advil or tynol I feel really bad for the ones that went threw so much pain and how can you all be awake for this proceedure i cant having nerve damage and my back no way the spray they use i cant handle it feels like your toe is going to break!!! I just hope its not to bad I go Feb 10th to get both my big toe nails removed and 1 left toe nail removed!!! Hope the best for you all!! Oh one question is it best to have a foot spa to soak your feet in? Thanks Tamster

Billi		06-Jan-2017 02:52
WOW so much different info here!!! I had both my Big toenails permanently removed on the 28th of December. The first day was horrible. As soon as i got home I removed the gauze he had placed because it was sticking and pulling. I replaced it with a nonstick pad and re wrapped it. He gave me strict instructions to soak it in warm water with dish soap twice a day for a week, reapply a bandage with triple antibiotic ointment. Followed directions to a T. Went back to the doctor yesterday 1 week after the removal and he said they look great as he expected. Still quite sore! He told me i didn't have to soak them anymore. just change the bandage once a day with ointment. He did say not to go without the bandage because he didn't want it to dry out right now that the phenol used to burn the root will cause drainage for a few weeks and if it closes up at the base then it will get really sore an could get infected. Which surprises me that so many say they have let it air out and scab etc. He wants me to continues this for the next 3 weeks till i go back and see him. After not soaking it yesterday i admit it was a bit more sore today so when i got home from work today I soaked it which relieved it some. I can't wait till i don't have to cover it anymore! Bandages on he toes drive me crazy! I chose to have this done tho because I've dealt with ingrown for many years!!! I had the sides of my right one permanently removed a few years back. It never got another ingrown but ended up getting some sort of toe fungus, which caused it to thicken and got really hard to take care of. So figured i was done dealing with that one. The left one was still getting ingrown and when i went in he wanted to remove both sides of it, knowing how my right one turned out I opted to just have the whole nail removed this time.

Ron		30-Dec-2016 11:57
I had both my big toenails removed on Dec, 13, I was told to soak my feet twice a day in as hot water as I could stand, it has to be to stay somewhat warm up until 20 minutes. The band aid with Triple anti antibiotic ointment, try to put just enough to cover the nails on the band aid, I tried applying the ointment to the nails and it didn't work so good. After you do this I put gauze around the toe to give it a bit more protection and it worked fine. Accept the fact that you have to be off your feet for about 2 weeks with your feel raised as in a recliner, accept the fact that day 1-4 you may have a lot of throbbing pain. I am sure everyone is different. After week one I was told by Dr. I could stop soaking my feet and leave band aids and no more ointment, as long as they are not bleeding. In my case they were not bleeding after week one but I was off my feet 90% of the time and when I was on my feet to walk in the house to get stuff I tried to walk with my big toes off the floor, pointed as high up as I can. As of Dec 30th my toe that was under the nails are scabbing slowly but still scabbing. I made the mistake of going to an eye exam after week 1 in shoes and that shouldn't have been done, it made the area the nails were soft again. 2 weeks after that I have been leaving my toes dry in open air keeping them raised in my recliner as much as possible. The more you are on your feet the more it will hurt and cause a slower healing. The toes will remain sensitive until a full scab is formed. I plan to let the scabs fall off their self and stay off my feet as long as possible. In a way I am lucky to be disabled due to back and neck problems so I have to stay off my feet anyways. So if it helps anyone the longer you can stay off your feet the better it will heal. Now most people can't do that cause they work and most likely don't want to use sick time. I can tell you anything cause that is not my situation. I can however tell you that for me staying off my feet and letting they open air in the house is letting them scab slowly, it is a soft scab for me now at 3 weeks out and still a little sensitive to having any pressure on them like blankets or comforters. At week 3 plus 3 days I am still doing what I described above and is still scabbing and getting less sensitive every day. I would think that by another week I should be a full scabs an way less sensitivity. I am not a Dr. and whomever reads this should consult with their own doctors but I would say if you plan to have this procedure doesn't matter one toe or more if you can plan to be off your feet as much as you can for a month and you will be fine. I know a month is a long time but infected toes is much worse and living with ingrown toenails is much much worse so please don't say, I can't take a month off and live with ingrown toenails cause that pain is 10 times worse than removing the toenails and taking up to a month off. This is just my experience, it will not work for everyone but I hope it helps someone who is thinking or just had this procedure. Good Luck.

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Michelle		30-Oct-2016 17:12
I had both big toe nails removed two weeks ago.. At first they were fine. 4 days later my right one started to pain like I've never felt pain like it before omg cut my toe of plz. I was never told about Epsom salts etc. been to podiatrist 4times this week and emergency Dr 2 times during night with horrible pain. Nothing will stop this pain..... Living in flip flops. I'm a. Chef and can't stand on my feet to do long shifts. So taking time off work. Omg so much pain

Guest		25-Oct-2016 18:14
TWO weeks for me. The surface skin above the nail bed is sore...like a bad sunburn. I went to make sure it was not infected, they said it was not...but it looks awful. There is an off white ooze coming from under the edge ( where the acid was jammed under the cuticle ) I still soak with epsom salts once a day for 10 minutes, then I pour peroxide on it to kill anything. Then apply a dab of antibiotic ointment under a bandaid. Living in flip flops... Why didn't I do this in the Summer?

Guest		17-Oct-2016 22:59
I had my big toenail removed and phenol applied. I had little to no pain afterwards. I kept my leg raised and toe bandaged for 24 hours. After that I kept off my foot, elevated and exposed to air for 4 days. Doctor said it looked that 2 weeks of healing in 4 days. I then went back to work for 4 days with flip flops and a small band aid. This did not work out well at all. The toe looked awful, smelt terrible,was not healing and it hurt. Recovery was going backwards. I used my sick time and stayed home for 11 days.in a row with the toe exposed to air and elevated. It is almost totally heal. A small scab left. I did not want to use my sick time but I am so glad I did. . It is twenty days now and I just returned to work with flip-flops on. I think I might be able to wear shoes, but I am not pushing my luck. I will wait. So, I guess what I am saying is if you can stay off you foot you should. But we aren't always in a position to do so.

Guest		27-Sep-2016 21:52
Hello Last Guest!!! We should raise our "glasses" together! Our procedures were done within an hour apart on the same day and believe it or not, I am in the exact same safety shoes as you! I've heard of the soaking that people talk about but yet it was not part of my healing instructions. Have been wondering whether to start it on my own. Had some minor bleeding today which I've called the doctor's office about but unfortunately, I received no call back today. I was told no time off of work would be necessary but yet now I've had to call off some. Not good.

Guest		23-Sep-2016 14:07
Nice to read all those comments. I am a guy who happened to have suffered from in-grown and my big toe nail is completely removed 4 days ago. The pain is randomly felt from time to time but I have problem cleaning my wound. It hurts a lot. I don't know the saltwater solution that some are using. I have no idea about that and I feel operation will not recover any moment soon. In my line of work, we are required to wear safety shoes. I think I cannot go to work for a month and wear that safety shoes. For those like me that is undergoing recovery, good luck to all of us.

Carrie		13-Sep-2016 14:43
Nancy, this sounds very similar to my story! I had mine done 3 weeks ago and although I was told they take 6-8 weeks to completely heal, I was expecting to be fairly back to normal after a week or so (I'm not sure why I thought this!) but am the same with being ok-ish during the day but throbbing in the evening and night. Getting up first thing in the morning takes me a good few minutes to be able to stand up! I'm having my dressings changed twice a week by a nurse at my GPs and they say everything looks good, so maybe it is going to take the 8 weeks before things are a bit more normal. Can't wait to wear shoes and socks again! :) Good luck everyone going through this, I'm sure it is all going to be worth it to not have to suffer toenail pains again!

Nancy		10-Sep-2016 18:58
I had both my big toe nails removed a month ago and they look more like day 3 picture than day 10 and certainly not like the 4 week picture. I soaked my feet in water and Epsom salt for the first two weeks and applied a prescribed ointment. The only real pain I have had is at night and my toes start to throb. I take Tylenol 3 (or similar) for the pain. This throbbing is painful and has continued intermittently for the past 4 weeks. During the day there is really no pain.. an occasional twinge perhaps. The nail beds are still "leaking" and I have to wrap them in bandages if I am leaving the house. I wore enclosed shoes once or twice without pain but mainly wear open toe sandal and shoes I have been back to the podiatrist and he says they are healing as expected…by him…not me! . I think I was a bit naïve to expect the toes (which were subjected to quite a trauma) to be healed within a month and now I am hoping that they will be healed within the next month.

Guest		28-Jun-2016 19:59
I had mine done 3 weeks ago had anti biotics as infected but saw doctor and she told me to take dressing off now . I was told soak it for 30 mins in saltwater then told shouldn't have done that by docs It's still agony now still drying can not wear a shoe but healing slowly now

Pablo		26-May-2016 08:52
I had both big nails removed - 7 WEEKS ago today. still not healed, still sore, still difficult to wear shoes. they look like the day 10 photo above. I see podiatrist every week who says recovery is okay (no infections) but it is taking SO long!! Any tips to speed this up as i'm getting fed-up but also going Maldives and want to be out of my dressings soon!

Jon Alvarez		11-May-2016 00:30
Just had my big toe nail removed because it was ingrown on both sides...the dr. left me with no solid information on postprocedure care...but these comments are helping a lot....I just took off my initial dressing about an hour ago and this was the first pain I felt...the gauze was stuck to my wound...fml That sucked but everything else was cake...I didnt really feel the injections and the procedure took about 5 minutes or less....zero pain the first night so that's good...I just tried to soak it for the first time and it hurts...gonna try again in a bit but thank you for all your help and testimonys

Connie		06-Apr-2016 14:50
I had one big toenail and the one next to it taken completely off.. My doctor was great with the shots, he put the medicine in as he pushed the needle in so it numbed as he gave me the shots. It did hurt after all the feeling came back. The first and second day you do not want to wear closed toe shoes. I soaked mine in Epson salt once a day for 2 weeks. The soaking didn't hurt as bad as expected. It has been 5 weeks now. Keep reminding myself how bad the ingrown nail hurt and this is not bad. I keep it covered with a band aid and always put polysporin on it to keep away any infection. Leave it completely uncovered when I am at home and at night. After all this feeling I don't know why anyone would want the nail to grow back. I have been doing 5K walking for 3 weeks. It is still a little tender and have to change the band aid after my walks because it is still oozing. From what I have been told, it will take about 2 months before it is completely healed. Mine is healing from the end of the toe down and after 5 weeks it is completely healed over half the way down. Still better then the pain I had before having it done. Other foot is planed for next year.

Cynthia		25-Mar-2016 14:24
For those asking about help with recovery, please ask your doctor. Have a professional check the status of your recovery and get the accurate help that you need. Otherwise, keep your wound dry. If it gets wet, pour some Betadine or Iodine solution on it. Let it dry in the sun and don't put back your dressings anymore. I took mine off after 48 hours and never put it back again. Keep off your feet for at least 10 days. No closed shoes. No prolonged standing. Keep feet elevated to prevent swelling and pain. My wound closed in 11 days, by this time it had a hard scab/coating over it. No infections, no pain. I was placed on 7 days antibiotics and I also drank anti-inflammatory pills which are also pain killers. Hope you all recover soon!

Cynthia		25-Mar-2016 14:14
First of all, thank you to the owner of this site for sharing your experience. It really helped me a lot when I underwent my own toenail removal surgeries. I , too had both big toenails removed because these were ingrown and fungus infected. Your post gave me courage and it has comforted me during my moments of doubt and fear. And for those who are still thinking of getting this surgery and are still suffering from ingrown nails, please don't hesitate anymore and just go get the relief from all that pain. Life is too short to suffer and the pain of ingrown nails is something that I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy. I have read the comments of others about recovery. Mine was fast and infection free. The secret is to pour Betadine or Iodine Solution on your wound from the time you take off your bandage and keep on doing that every time your wound becomes wet from bathing. Also, if you can keep your foot dry and clean all the time, remove the dressing and just keep the Betadine on your wound, let it dry in the sun and it will provide a coating for your wound. I rested my feet and didn't do any work or wear closed shoes. The wound was dry and scabbed on the 11th day. No problems, no infection, no pain. Its crazy to go back to work and wear closed shoes or stand for long hours after your toenail surgery. Rest is key. Also, my doctor had me on antibiotics tablets since day 1 and also anti-inflammatory/pain killers. Good luck to all!

Guest		15-Mar-2016 21:28
I am 7 weeks post op having permanent nail removal on big toe, not healing and infected and constantly throbbing, wish I had never had the procedure done. Podiatrist advised 2 days rest then back to normal footwear and normal activities just keep dry and bandaged, regular dressing changes, which I have had done by my nurse. I think the problem has stemmed from not resting up sufficiently in that Im on my feet all day, in wellie boots looking after animals, the podiatrist was aware of my occupation as I asked prior to surgery if I would be able to look after my animals on my feet all day in my wellies "oh yes not a problem" Doctor has since advised healng it not going to happen until I rest up, my husband works away for 6 weeks at a time, home for 3, this is gonna be a long haul till hes home to care for the animals and I can elevate my foot!!

Marylou H		27-Feb-2016 03:21
I had both large toenails removed and had the acid wash so the nail would not grow back. Problem is i need to neutralize the acid with an iodine rinse and im having an allergy to iodine, rash, and itchy skin. Is there another rinse i can use without the allergy on the ph scale that neutralizes the acid for the next required 8 weeks?

Tracey		26-Feb-2016 22:29
Can someone please help me about 2 weeks ago i had an operation on my toe because i had an infection in it so they removed all the fluid that built up in my foot and took off my toenail not permantly well i thought it was healing i was going 2 the doctors every 3 days like hospital told me 2 have my dressing changed and now my big toe is black its not bruised or anything it just turned black my foot is really swoll and the pain is shooting up my leg i can hardly walk on it i cant put my feet in bed it has 2 be on a flat surface and i am in constant pain with it please help me

PN		19-Feb-2016 02:42
Just had my left toe nail totally removed on the 16th of Feb 2016 (2days ago) so far it looks like it is going to heal quite nicely. The hurt I had from the removal was virtually much less than I expected and apart from the freezing injections, there was no pain. I was told to soak twice a day in Epsom salt and clean the area with peroxide. Then apply a topical healing ointment like polysporin and dress the wound with gauze. I feel very positive about the procedure. I will most likely get the other one done because it is potentially going to be the same with heavy fungus and constant attention. I will look forward to final healing.

Guest		11-Feb-2016 11:53
How long until u could run again after the procedure?

guest		08-Nov-2015 19:56
Right big toe nail removed due to fungus (thick Nail) which was beginning to in-grow. 3 Injections around toe to numb. No pain whatsoever with the first 2, very little with the 3rd. This is day 11 and has been a painless event except one night when I put on a regular size Band-Aid (cheap with sharp plastic sides that irritated the base of the toe.) Took 2 Tylenol that night otherwise no other pain medicine . Seeping stopped yesterday. Only have minor redness and tenderness now. Initially I soaked with diluted Betadine twice a day then applied Neosporin and a band aid twice a day for 5 days. then Swabbed with diluted Betadine thereafter. I was instructed to keep dry only for first day. Air dry as much as possible after 5th day. Very pleased so far. Would recommend highly. I think a very large soft cloth band aid is essential.

Guest		07-Nov-2015 04:23
I had all of my toenails permanently removed under twilight anesthetic Sept 8. I am diabetic but with good circulation. I took the full week off of work and then back to work the following Monday (I have a desk job). The pain has not been horrible, just there. I started wearing my shoes again 3 weeks ago with no problems. All my little toes are now scabbed over, the big toes still have some open area and are still weeping but they are healing. Only took narcotic pain pills the first day or so and then Ibuprofen 800's since then when needed. My biggest problems is the electric shooting pains I still get. Not in just one foot but both at the same time. It is a strange sensation. I am hoping everything will be closed up and healed by the first of the year. I was extremely scared to have this done, but it hasn't been as bad as I thought. My toes still are not pretty at the moment, but they weren't pretty before the surgery either. :)

Horsietoe		25-Sep-2015 23:54
I lost a toenail on my big toe when a horse stepped on it and the torsion literally ripped it off my toe. It was one of the most painful experiences in my life. Almost on par with slipping a disk in my back. I didn't go to the Dr straight away because I was afraid of more pain. After 5 days of epsom salt or batadine/water baths 2-3x per day and slathering with neosporin I did go to the Dr because there was starting to be a sign of infection (pounding, burning, more pain, and slight increase in heat radiating from the toe). Just the swabbing to take a bacterial sample was excruciating, but now I'm on antibiotics and the toe is finally starting to itch (rather than hurt), which I'm taking as a good sign that it's healing. Anyway, I read a ton of comments about the pain and wanted to say to those who have access or live in states where this is legal; smoking pot and/or eating edible marijuana is the only thing that helped to alleviate the pain and get me through the first few nights. I'm not advocating that people should go out and start smoking any chance they get, but I do want to say to those who are in pain and on the fence about trying this natural remedy, it is very worth a shot!

Guest		03-Aug-2015 12:05
I had my big-right-toe nail removed thirteen days ago. This was a permanent removal, hopefully - the surgery didn't use a chemical to burn the bed, but a cauterizing instrument which I'm thinking may be less invasive than the chemical, due to some complaining comments I see that resulted from the chemical burns. I have high pain tolerance, and yet the injection to numb the toe was a b....; but it also wasn't the most painful injection I ever had. That "award" goes to the cortisone injection that I had last year to cure a "trigger finger" - that almost feels like having your finger cut off with a knife. I didn't dare LOOK at the surgery, though I could have...I really felt nothing. The numbing wore off within an hour or so, and it certainly hurt then. For pain relief that night, before bed, I actually took both Aleve, and Walmart's version of Advil (as the active ingredients are different), and that was enough for me to sleep. The next night I just went to the Aleve, and I've since taken it SOME but not all days/nights. Rather surprising to me, though, is that I was actually able to deal with complete defiance of suggested healing protocols, by going directly to work, standing on a concrete floor, and occasionally carrying heavy boxes, for the next six hours. I have had no problems at all doing my normal work, other than mild discomfort. I think I'm very fortunate, because some of you have had some rather horrific pain afterward and for quite a while. I was given no antibiotic cream as a prescription or even a suggestion, nor were Epsom soaks suggested. Just keep the bandage changed every day, and I was told not to get my foot wet for a week. That's sort of a tall order, because the oozing (which continues to this day) actually gets it wet, though I'm having less oozing than a few days ago. There's a gray jelly-like substance that keeps forming, which I assume is the body's way of healing itself? I'm surprised, sometimes, how "smart" the body truly is. What amazed me the most was back in the Nineties when I needed to have most of my teeth pulled, and the toothless parts of the jaw actually had the bone structure recede because it wasn't needed to hold teeth anymore. I find it amazing that the body can distinguish between missing teeth (and eventually absorb the parts of the bone no longer needed to anchor the teeth), and DEAD teeth (which you have after a root canal, but the bone stays intact and continues to anchor the tooth). My doctor said I should expect to heal in a couple weeks, though I had some doubts about that even before my current experiences, or reading comments here the last hour or so. Looks like I'm for a bit of a wait before full healing. But now I have a good idea what to be wary about. I am glad I had this done, though if the procedure had been "considerably worse" than it actually was (AND as some on here have indeed experienced), I would probably regret it. I had a PARTIAL (outside part) removal last year, which of course grew back...WORSE than it had in the past. Seeing what people are saying here, indeed I hope it will not grow back. He couldn't assure that it won't. Originally the ingrown toenail was such that I was always worried about an infection, and it was one of my most major physical complaints. (I'm lucky for that, as I'm almost 68.) When the partial toenail came back, it was ingrown close to a CENTIMETER down. I knew it was time.

Michael		08-Jul-2015 01:02
I had both of my big toes done just a few weeks ago. The procedure was for the most part painless. The healing process thus far has been unremarkable and other than tenderness of the wound itself rather pain free. I use basic wound care techniques, keep it clean and dry, I apply an antibiotic ointment once a day, change the dressing twice a day, and I use a simple band-aide to cover the wound. The good doctor did not give any 'special' after care instructions other than try to wear either loose or open toed shoes if at all possible. Thankfully, I work for a company that allows flip flops so I pretty much stay in flip flops. While they still look a little narly, they are healing nicely. I suspect in another couple of weeks the tenderness will subside and I'll be able to forego the band-aide's, we shall see.

Trina		16-Jun-2015 21:14
I just had my left big toenail removed yesterday. My problem came from an injury, where an old antique glass vase fell from a shelf and smashed my toe! Doc did complete and permanent removal. He used a spray to freeze my toe, then injected it on each side. Waited 15 minutes, came back and did one more injection under my nail at the top of my toe. I was given Amerigel to apply 2 times a day for 2 weeks. On my at home care sheet it says in all caps "Do not air dry"!! Phenol was used to keep the nail from growing back as well. I was given a boot to wear for 2 weeks. I am back at work today with no restrictions at all. I was told I may submerge my foot in water to clean it but for only as long as it takes to clean the area. Then I have to immediately dry the nailbed, apply more ointment and cover with a bandaid. I am wondering why every doctor offers different recovery directions on one simple procedure? Some say you can air dry but my doctor strictly wants it kept moist!!!! I was told to take 800mg of Ibuprofen every 4 hours, but I honestly am in no pain what so ever.

guest		26-May-2015 13:38
I have had my left big toenail removed and I am on day 15 the injections were horrendous then felt tugging albeit no pain kept my foot elevated (and still do as aches otherwise) cannot wear closed footwear no weeping just seems to be scabbing over I kept it as dry as possible leaving the wound to air for a couple of hours every other day and bathing in salt water for no longer than 5 minutes (these are the UK instructions) It appears that there are a number of conflicting advice in the US? I am a keen runner and am really frustrated not being able to run hoping that I will be back to normal in a couple of weeks. No real pain after the procedure trick is to keep it elevated and dry

Hank		03-Apr-2015 23:02
In 1970 I had big toe problems on both feet. Caused by various reasons as wet feet in socks plus stomping on feet a school stunt of that era. Toes got infected growing that fungus. Nails were removed but a temporary relief and growth returned. First operation was a partial removal, I believe one third removed. but infection returned and left bit the had full nail removal, permanently, no regrowth. Over the years my feet now has problems as the tendons in that area are always sore. I am asking what is the roll of the toe nail etc and and who else has feet problems that may be a result of removal of nail etc.

Melanie D		03-Apr-2015 07:39
I had 50% Large left Toenail removed on 26 March 2015 was ingrown both sides, had fungus and was a genetic defect. My Father and Grandmother have suffered their whole lives with these issues. Local Anasthetic placed in toe above nail towards ankle. The injections were a little stingy but bearable. 3 days post op went back for check up. All looking good. Post op care advised was change band aid every other day, dry thoroughly and apply some betadine. 7 days post op now and little to no pain. Still doesn't look pretty but an ugly toenail is not really a massive beauty issue in my books. Contrary to many posts here I have found the procedure practically painless and totally worth it. Not one more holiday or family event will be spoilt by my dodgy ingrown toenail .. Hip Hip Hooray!!!

roger-e		11-Mar-2015 03:34
I had both big toenails removed on Feb 23. I expected to be in a lot of pain afterwards, and apparently the podiatrist expected that too because he gave me a prescription for the higher strength Percocet. But surprisingly, the pain has been so minimal I haven't had to take anything for it. I didn't get any written instructions on aftercare, I was just told to soak my feet twice a day for five minutes using epsom salts, and to reapply silver sulfadiazine ointment and a bandaid. No restrictions in my activities, but of course I was warned not to drop something on my toes. Returned to the doctor on March 3 for a follow up. He removed some debris from the sites. I asked him about the redness around the nail bed. He said it was possibly an infection and he would give me a prescription for an antibiotic. He said if he cultured it to confirm an infection, I'd probably be done with the antibiotic course by the time he got the lab results back. I knew that was an exaggeration. Anyway, I refused the antibiotic. He said it should take about three weeks for the wounds to heal but I'm not sure whether he meant from time the nails were removed or from the follow up visit. So far, there has been little change in how the nail beds look. When I googled aftercare for toenail removal, I found contradictory instructions on various sites. On site says the first redressing wouldn't occur until 7 days after the procedure, and that antiseptic or antibiotic creams or ointments shouldn't be used because they affect the healing process. Another site says to soak the feet four times a day and then reapply antibiotic cream and gauze, and the soaks should continue until the toe appears healed, usually about 5-7 days (!?). I don't understand why the aftercare instructions should differ so much.

prophypro85		03-Mar-2015 22:54
All my life i experienced ingrown nails, fungus and hypertrophy. After shopping for the right podiatrist...took visits to three different podiatrists. My right big toe nail was removed in January 2015. My right foot had just been through three Morton's neuromas which required cortizone shots through the top of my foot. OK this is week 9 and my big toe keeps growing this granulos tissue. Some here have blogged about it without knowing that is what they are dealing with. This granulose prevents the toe from healing properly. I have been told to keep my toe DRY. Aside from the terrible pain of anesthesia and the surgery, healing does take months. I had the nail bed removed but not chemically treated. Not sorry I did this but recovery is much longer than expected. I still need to have left big toe nail removed. My doc refused to do both toes at once and I can certainly understand why. All I can say is for all who have shared their experience with their podiatrist...there are as many varied post op protocols as their are doctors. I just don't exactly understand why. When a patient has a tooth extracted, all dentists I know use the same post op instructions. So why so many different post ops for toe nail removal..?...?...

Guest		13-Feb-2015 08:37
I had just gotten my left toenail removed and I'm in pain I'm taking pills for the pain how long will the pain last? Will it go away cause I can't really walk good.

Guest		11-Feb-2015 05:17
I had my big toe nail removed one week ago today. I went to work the next day wearing a surgical shoe.soaked daily in warm water and Epsom salt 15-20 minutes. Dried and applied antibiotic cream and wrapped in gauze. So to day one week out little tenderness but otherwise bearable.

Guest		04-Feb-2015 19:43
Just got home from having my big toe nails removed, acid was applied as its the 3rd time of having them removed, hoping they don't grow back again this time. They have bandaged the big toes, the rest of my foot right up to my knees. I have been told to leave them on until they call me back in 6 days to take the bandages and dressing off and take out the stitches, is this right? as it seems a long time to keep them wrapped up, I feel they should be dressed within 48 hours the same as the last time, don't want to get an infection, I can t shower with the bandages on. Any advice please.

Guest		01-Feb-2015 10:59
I just had serveral toenails removed and it is awful, the pain is mostly with the 2 big toes.. The dr. didn't warn me and presented it as if it was a minor intervention. For him yes, for me, I can't do anything but stay in bed, it's been 5 days, otherwise it just reopens. So you need serious help if you need to do it. In addition, one of the gauze got stuck to my toe and I had to go back to the dr. for him to pull it out, without the anesthetic working, it was the most painful experience I have ever had. So my advice is to let the toes breathe without anything on it as much as you can. Thank you for the blog, I wish I had read it before.

Ryan		28-Jan-2015 08:40
I have had in grown toenails on both my big toes pretty much my whole adult life have had them removed four or five times prior to the removal 3 weeks ago this is the first time having the acid to kill the nail and that's what I want but I'm still in so much pain and can't wear closed toe shoe's this is the only time I have ever had any problems with them healing all other the other times I was up and moving around normal between 7-10 day as if nothing was ever wrong with them. I just got my second prescription of antibiotics but still haven't been seen by the dooshbag doctor I had to go to the ER the first time I was given the antibiotic most because the nurse was trying to be the doctor. And like someone said on here make sure you have a good doctor and remember they are only practicing medicine and have no owner's manual that they are required to follow like mediaoligist they have a job that as long as they are 50% right they are one of the best. I'm a mechanics and all be go to hell if I was to put my repaired cars out the door with only a 50% successful percent. I would be out a job because I'm required to be 100% right every time no questions asked think it through before you have some half ass doctor do it

rose		16-Jan-2015 16:05
I had my left toenail removed in Nov. and it looks good but still very sore. Can't wear shoes. working at hospital so wearing lovely blue slippers at work as I do alot of walking. Foot, arch, ankle all hurt so someday when I can get back into shoes I'm sure all the hurts will go away. Just keeping head up and trying to keep pain to myself so no one know. Take care out there.

BFP		21-Dec-2014 13:33
I had my left big toenail removed with the phenol treatment so it wouldn't grow back on Friday 12-12-14. I had mine removed due to an infection, yellow, thick nail that was difficult to trim, etc. I suspect it was fungus but didn't have it tested. At any rate, I went back to work after having it done. It throbbed a little after the local wore off but I didn't think it was that big of a deal. I work in a factory, heavy lifting, on my feet, etc. I went home after work and mainly kept it elevated. On Saturday morning, I had a little pain, took some acetaminophen and went shopping with the wife. I kept the dressing on until the next morning, showered and dressed myself since. I used gauze and tape for three days, then switched to just big ban-aids for a couple of days. By 12-18, I didn't use anything. I've been essentially pain free after 24 hours post op, I'd do it again without hesitation.

Guest		20-Dec-2014 08:19
I had both my big toe nails removed 17 days ago, the problem is what shoes to wear, Im going to a Christmas party tonight in flip flops! Any advice on when I should be able to wear shoes again would be great fully received.

Guest		17-Dec-2014 20:41
I had both my big toenails remoed 13 days ago. Still seeping stuff out. going to be long recovery.

Guest		10-Dec-2014 15:59
I'm on day 23 post-toenail removal and I am so, so sorry I did this. The podiatrist said I'd be bandage-free and wearing regular shoes (flats, which is all I ever wear) by day 14. Ha! The only advice I received pre-surgery was no to go swimming for 4 weeks, otherwise no restrictions. The only positive thing I can say, compared with other commenters,is that the injection didn't bother me. I felt a needle print and nothing more. But seriously, my quality of life has gone to hell. If only I had seen this blog before agreeing to having my toe nail removed, because I knew how to control the discomfort from an overly thick nail that bothered me when hiking.

kim		26-Nov-2014 16:08
I Ihad my big toenails removed last Thursday. One toenailbed is red on the sides and had a thin layer of white scab like formation, the other has a much thicker white/clear like formation. Should I be concerned? The doctor told me to scrape any white scab like formation off. It doesn't scrape though. Any advice please.

Tammy		09-Nov-2014 22:13
Oops meant - I had big toe nails removed due to some genetic defect frequent ingrown toenails and pus under nails I couldn't deal with it anymore. Day 10 post procedure not in pain but discomfort. Healing is very slow.

Tammy		09-Nov-2014 22:01
I had big toes removed due to some genetic defect frequent ingrown toenails and pus under nails I couldn't deal with it anymore. Day 10 post procedure not in pain but discomfort. Healing is very slow.

Guest		05-Nov-2014 05:59
I had my right toe nail removed last 24 Oct. went back 27 Oct. after 3 days without soaking to water or anything coz I am scared to get infection besides my doctor did not tell me to it was the worst pain I ever experienced in my life but I can bear anyway then went back again 31 Oct. for another dressing this time no pain. Now I am dressing it myself honestly no pain and it looks okay not infected at all. I only took pain killer the normal one in the first two days. Thanks God I am okay now.

Dcanseco		20-Oct-2014 07:16
You guys did this on purpose? A few years ago i had the sides of my nail burned off, because it was always growing into my toe, the nail was still there, ot grew very very slowly if at all. About a month ago I hit my foot and liftedy semi dead nail off. Today it fell off, i am freaking out, I dont know if its gonna grow back at all. I don't want to not have a nail there, that raises my insecurities to about a billion, its gonna be uncomfortable going to the beach.

James G		18-Oct-2014 23:19
I had both big toes permanent removed 10 days ago. I'm still in a fair amount of pain. I can tell this is going to be a long recovery. I had mine cauterized with phenol but I hear they have electrocution and laser techniques My doctor just did it the old school way with phenol acid. Anyone have theirs done with the new treatment?

gv		17-Oct-2014 23:10
I had partial removals on 3 different toes 8 weeks ago.However the podiatrist found more than 10 thin,sharp,spicule-like hangnails and removed them as well. Has anybidy ever experienced such complicated toenail-hangnail ingrowth ????

Teresa		31-Aug-2014 20:52
I just had mine permanently removed this past Thursday.. it is the 8th time I have had it removed. The 7th time they said that they scraped the roots, but it grew back funky and thick with two separate pieces that grew straight up. This time the scrapped the roots and used some chemical to kill the cells.. right now it looks like something from a saw movie. I'd be happy to post pictures if you'd like lol

Tamara		30-Aug-2014 02:07
Just had more than half of my big toe nail removed. I had this done due to an injury to it about seven years ago and it always grows thick and partly off the nail bed. The pain of it is terrible and like many state on here night time is the worst. I am taking heavy duty pain relief (TRAMADOL/ACETAMINOPHEN) at night but during the day I go to work and get this even wear steel toed boots. Actually the boots once I put them on kind protects the toe. I take a extra strength tylenol while I am at work. Toe nail removal is the worst pain I have experienced and I have good pain tolerance. Hope I never need to this type of surgery ever again. Unbelievably painful!!!

reb		24-Aug-2014 14:57
i just had two nails off and I have had no problem. I think you must make sure you have a good doctor. I soak my feet in vinegar 1/2 cup to a gallon water daily. Then band-aide during day and nothing at night. No pain and appears to be healing nicely. make sure you have a good doctor.

Guest		31-Jul-2014 01:29
A word of advice for anyone considering this procedure. After your initial surgery, if your doc tells you to leave bandages on until your follow up visit, make sure they SOAK your bandages before attempting to remove them. My surgery was done under sedation on Friday the 25th of july. Today was my follow up visit and my gauze had quite a bit of dried blood on it. The doctor went to work on my feet,( I had the first second and third toenails removed with phenol on both feet), without so much as getting them damp. This was by no exaggeration one of the most painful experiences of my life. He literally wedged one side of the scissors in between the bandage and my fresh wounded nail bed to cut the bandage free because they were so stuck. So if they don't offer to soak your feet beforehand, request it!

eric		28-Jul-2014 02:34
I had my right big toenail permanently removed about 9 years ago. The nail was ingrown and infected from injuries during sports. It took about 3 months to fully heal. I recommend having the procedure done on a Friday so you have the weekend to relax. About 4 weeks ago I had the left big toenail removed after dealing with it being ingrown for a few years. The only thing about the procedure that is slightly painful is when they numb the toe. I had the second procedure done on a Wednesday and was back to work the next day in my steel you're boots on my feet most of the day. A few Advil for any minor pain and all was good. If your on the fence about having the procedure done, I couldn't be happier having mine removed.

Guest		18-Jul-2014 21:45
I had my right toenail removed over a year ago and im in pain most nights. They removed full nail and acid so nail wont grow back. I now have half my nail growing back. That is not what is causing me pain its the cuticle part its throbbing. Is there any cream I can rub into this as it is very sore.

Glenda		16-Jul-2014 14:43
Reply to Guest post below... Guest 08-Jul-2013 22:19 Hi I had my toe nails removed 7 months ago and im still getting red throbbing pain just under the nail line my toes swells up and go very red and sore. Any advice why this happens? I do not know why this happens. I had 4 nails (both big toes & ones next to it) removed about two (2) years ago. One of the nails on the left small toe grew back, had the surgery done again, it grew back again. On both big toes, the nail bed is sort of recessed and the ends of both big toes are swollen and constantly stay red and sore. My doctor said on the small nail, it was just "stubborn". On the big toes, she advised me to wear bandaids or toe protectors. (Or to try gluing fake nails on the skin.) I have not tried fake nails as toes are too sore. I'm still looking for a solution to this problem. I wished I had never had my nails removed and just dealt with the ingrown nail infections.

Emily		11-Jul-2014 19:05
Sorry for all the typos. Using tablet with a baby trying to "help".

Emily		11-Jul-2014 19:04
Hello all. It has been helpful reading everyone's experiences. I was wanting a little more infomon whatbto expect from having sin toenails, three on each foot, removed permanently while under sedation. I have struggled with severe toenail fungus for years which has destroyed my toenails. One even got partially ripped off by a refrigerator door about 4 years back. Skip ahead to recent I finally find the nerve to go see a podiatrist which was difficult to say the least considering I have a severe foot phobia and extreme fear of anyone touching my feet. So here I am, doc comes in and tells me I will need surgery at the hospital, but not before he uses a dremmel like tool on my most painful toe and proceeds touse some type of pliers to rip off half of the nail. I litterally sobbed in my car for 30 minutes before leaving. This experience so far has left me feeling terrified. Please someone give some mildly good news that it wont be too bad through recovery. Im still waiting for the call from the office to hear when my actual surgery day will be.

Angela		06-Jul-2014 14:06
I had both of my big toe nails removed in December last year due to pincer nails. This included full removal of the nail beds so they will never grow back - had previously had the nails removed twice before and they grew back just as painfully. They bled for 4 days after the surgery and I had the stitches removed after 10 days. I bathed them and changed the dressings daily. For the first 3-4 weeks they were still very tender and wearing covered shoes was uncomfortable. In total, they have taken nearly 7 months to heal completely. So glad I had this done and would recommend this to anyone with toenail problems.

Dawn		30-Jun-2014 07:19
I had both big toenails removed 4 days ago. The 1st day was without pain, but day 3 &4 have been very painful. The pain is always worse at night. My doctor wrapped the toes & I was told to not r e move the dressings until my next appt. in 12 days. I was told to soak my feet twice a day in warm water with Dreft in the water. Does this sound right?

Monica		29-Jun-2014 16:40
So true Janet. I was also told people resume their regular activities the very next day (what liars!!). Honestly, there is no way I see that happening. Due to my proffession I cannot wear sandles therefore I am forced to miss work for how ever long it takes me to comfortably fit into a shoe. I seriously would of NOT done this procedure. I get strong needle like pain on my wound. Why did I go through this!?!?!?! My day since the procedure is full of Discomfort, Discomfort Pain and constant Discomfort. Anyone know what I can do to ease the pain besides taking more Tylenol 3? and ease the swelling on my big toe?? Anybody???

Janet		29-Jun-2014 04:47
I had my left big toe nail removed completely and permanently. That was 4 days ago. Can you believe the nurse and dr both said that patients that have this done return to work the very next day?! I cannot, there is no possible way I would have been able to do that. I am still walking like I have a broken toes and the bruising and swelling are horrible not to mention the pain and agony I am in. Tylenol or Advil is supposed to handle this they told me, ha I laugh at that. If I move my big toe away from the others too fast it feels like the skin is ripping apart and have to stop for a little breather. Good lord help me if I ever choose to have this done again. I'd rather go through child birth again.

Monica		29-Jun-2014 04:36
I had my left big toe nail removed permanently on Thursday afternon. OMG! it is painful - my toe is very much swollen. I don't see how the swelling will disappear anytime soon. I have followed doc's instruction to keep my foot elavated. Took bandage off on Friday evening and left it uncovered. I wash it twice a day for about 15-20 min. then apply polysporin ointment. I am taking Tylenol 3 but honestly I need something stronger. It keeps dripping and I seriously can't deal with the discomfort. I will NEVER do this again!!

NO Time for this		14-Jun-2014 02:30
I had my big toe removed last week (10 days ago). I am in severe pain, and have been for the past 3 or 4 days. I went to the dr for follow up yesterday morning, and they swabbed the area to see if anything would grow. It's Friday and I haven't heard back from them. Meanwhile, my toe has a weird greenish looking scab along the edge of it. Feel like I should have been given an antibiotic. I am washing in soapy water twice daily and then dressing with Amerigel and non adherant pad with gauze. Has anyone else had greenish looking scab? Nervous of infection.

Kyle		26-May-2014 15:05
Had my two big toes removed on April 22nd. My right toe looks well on its way to being healed but the left toe looks gruesome as hell. Bank holiday today though so I'm going to phone the podiatrist tomorrow and ask about it. Anyone else had a healing time this long? I am missing playing football a lot. Was hoping that I would be playing after 4 or 5 weeks but I'm heading towards 6 weeks and still not healed. I'm still wrapping the bandages but don't know if I should leave them off. They still have yellow gunk on them when I remove them and my DR said to keep putting them on until they're clean when I remove them. Not a clue what to do at this point. Just miss football haha.

GoldieFun		18-May-2014 01:32
I had four toenails permanently removed. After they were completely healed, I found toenailshop.com. I now wear these during summer months or when I go on tropical vacations or cruises. They stay on for several days.

Kazzie		05-May-2014 20:49
Two days ago I had the total nail removed from my big toe with phenol to stop it growing back after years of pain from a corn growing beneath my nail. I had two injections which weren't that bad. Just over Half an hour later all done and bandaged. (Hubby watched the whole op!). Rested with my foot up for the rest of the day and most of the following day. Absolutely no pain at all once numbness wore off and still no pain 2 days later. Going for my first follow up tomorrow where I will be shown how to look after it. Another follow up appointment 4 days after that and as many as I need til its healed. So far so good!

Guest		29-Mar-2014 01:33
I had pincer toe nail was in horrible pain.Had to get the nail permantly It has been the worst pain I have ever gone through!The surgery was so painful it has been 5 weeks now and the pain is alot better.I finally can get a shoe on this week.Advil didnt help the pain.I had no choice but to have it removed but I never want to go through this again.It finally has a scab on it.

kelly		26-Mar-2014 07:28
hi I've had a total of 3 nails removed due to in-growing nails, they will never grow back, that was probably 2 years ago now. mine did take a long time to heal, I think 10 weeks of soaking and covering. they did look infected but the doctor did explain that there would be a lot of liquid and yellow sticky goo coming out of them. BUT it was the best thing I've done as I'm no longer in pain, and you can once fully healed paint the 'skin' to match the other toenails. I am now looking into attaching false nails to the skin ready for hols..it is messy and uncomfortable when they are removed but in my cases it was worth it.. Good luck to anyone having them removed

Nancy		13-Mar-2014 21:15
I had both my large toenails removed the end of Jan. They are slow healing...just soak once a day(twice the first 2 wks.) in plain water and use antibiotic ointment and bandaides. No pain. I wore my regular shoes home and have ever since. No real pain...a little sore at times. Guess I had a good foot Dr. The Lidocaine shots were the worst part.

AO		26-Feb-2014 13:07
Wow! Thanks for posting this almost 10 years ago! Impressive that people are still able to glean help from your documentation from so long ago. I just had both of my large toenails removed yesterday. Hopeful that I can heal quickly and move on! :)

cdflor		19-Feb-2014 12:33
I see some people on here saying they're soaking in SALT water. I sure hope you just skipped a word and meant Epsom salt water. Salt water would be causing you pain (ever heard the phrase about rubbing salt in a wound?). Two completely different things: Epsom salt vs salt. Anyway, I'm at week 5 and had both sides of nail burned out, but the center "landing strip" left in. My ingrown toenails were so deep that it actually was nearly touching inside my foot under the skin. So my heal time is longer than some. Soaking once a day for at least 20 minutes if not longer, still using antibiotic ointment and sometimes using peroxide to remove the gunk that accumulates on top (when it's that deep, you can't let it heal over or it causes something like dry socket and hurts bad; you have to gently remove the part that's trying to heal the top part first and let it heal bottom upward). All instructions from podiatrist himself. The surgery itself didn't hurt. The needle always does but that's the worst part. Afterward, I just felt so relieved from how bad the pain had been of the ingrown toenails that I actually felt better after. Whereas others are stating huge amounts of pain, I only felt less than I had in years. To the person asking about bruising a while after, mine didn't bruise until like the 1.5-2 week mark. Then it was just a red color bruising (went to doc again on it and he told me it was just bruising). When it's a deep bruise it doesn't come up until later, not immediately. It has gotten a bit white from being covered for so long so I left it open at night when I don't have anyone near it and then covered during day for a few days and it has gotten less white. No pain, but still a bit tender. My last experience I healed faster, but 14 and 31 are two completely different ages, haha! Different states in life equal different healing times. Good luck to all!

Ledley		04-Feb-2014 00:58
I'm on week 4 since both toenails with phenol were removed yrs needles were worse than I'd expected didn't feel the removal itself but very confused on aftercare I went 3 days after procedure they changed dressing and told me to change every 2 days dip toes in ordinary salt water for no more than 30 seconds not soak but dip and then redress and when I see it start to scab I should not bath it at all to make sure i don't soften any scab ? I've been given no further appointments for follow up just a case of any problems see a doctor I agree that I didn't know what I was getting in to the heeling is so slow 4 weeks still no shoes

Don H.		01-Feb-2014 19:50
Had left toenail removed 2 months ago, still oozing, quite tender but OK I am 79 years old and have some circulation of blood in my foot. T Dr. told me it would take a long time to heal, he is right. Mostly everything posted her fit exactly what will happen. Some people are more tolerable of pain than others, so I will not comment on that.. I would however think strongly about having it done again. Don H.

Bluehouse		21-Jan-2014 23:16
I too had mine removed in early December and nowhere near recovered in late January. The worst of the pain is over, but it's still an oozing, sensitive, slowly healing depression where the nail used to be. I would have to be in unbearable ingrown agony with the other big toenail to consider going through this again.

Guest		21-Jan-2014 18:24
i had my left big toe nail removed on the 9th dec2013 i`m still in agony, its still weeping and i`m still wearing flipflops, driving me mad, if i was to get another ingrowing nail i will keep it as the pain was more bareable than this definately would`nt recomend.

Randy		20-Jan-2014 21:41
these pictures do not even come close to what my toenail removal looked like on week five both bog toes are scabbed and still weeping from the very paiful Phenol burns, this procedure is not for the person who expects to walk nprmally within 6 to eight weeks. I I could figure out how to paste pics here you would see that it can be much more tramatic to the toe .

Guest		01-Dec-2013 09:09
I had my toe nail permanently removed on the 29th August . It's still healing . It's very uncomfortable and painful at times. Sometimes I wish I'd kept my deformed nail. Wouldn't ever consider getting another removed far to painful afterwards

J.J.		04-Nov-2013 18:00
I am having all of my toenails permanently removed due to psoriasis in 10 days. I am very nervous because of the fact that my immune system is kind of a mess, I just don't know what to expect. The recovery process seems to run the gamet. Any advice would be appreciated. When they take them all off, do they put you under?

Guest		31-Oct-2013 18:23
I agree with Cincy. I had my toe nail removed 2 weeks ago and the pain has been unbearable! I have followed the aftercare instructions to the letter. I must add I was told to just soak it in water once a day, I was advised to use Epsom Salts or any sort of antibiotic cream. My toe is now infected with the infection tracking up my foot. I am now on a course of antibiotics and have to have the dressing changed professionally (to keep an eye on the infection) I have had many major operations throughout my life but I have to admit that nail removal has to be the worst and I would seriously think twice about having this procedure carried out again

adriana		07-Oct-2013 18:27
I had my big toenail removed past thursday and it looks horrible, Im not sure if its suppose to look like that i had an infection before it was removed, and the doctor told me not to cover it, but i dont know if i should cover it up. Someone please help i dont want to go back to the doctor i am really worried.

Boo		05-Oct-2013 17:57
Hey, all. I had my big toenail removed 9 days ago for a biopsy nd my toe healed very fast. By day 8 my toe looked like the 4-month mark shown here (except for the scab from the punch biopsy) and I didn't even feel it! However, today when I changed my bandage, there was a sore spot on the side of where my nail was. It is a bit brown. It isn't swollen or red or oozing at all but I am a bit worried because it had been feeling so good. I wrap it in gauze with ointment, then use rolled gauze to cover it completely and tape it to my foot. I do this 1-2 times a day after warm soap/water washes and warm water/salt soaks. I didn't use salt soaks for 2 days and that's when it began to get uncomfortable again. However I did go to school on day 7 (with a big cotton sock and a surgical shoe over the wrappings). Maybe it's just bruised a bit and it took a day to set in? I have a follow-up appointment in 4 days, but I am hoping this is just a normal part of the healing process. I don't want an infection! I have been so careful.

poojababyy		04-Oct-2013 03:41
I just had this procedure done yesterday. I went with the partial removal since my doctor said I'm young and to give the nail another chance to grow back. The injections weren't bad, since he used a cooling type spray while sticking me which numbed up really fast. So today I soaked my toe twice, morning and night, cleaned it well and out the silver sulfadiazine cream on it. My instructions say I'm to do this twice till my post-op appointment next Wednesday. The area is super sensitive, so I'm scared to wear closed covered shoes or even go out, just in case someone were to accidentally step on my toe :/ Does anyone know around what day the skin would start growing over the wound?

valerie Cart		08-Sep-2013 15:10
I had my big toenail took off on Wednesday, the injectons killed, my toe does not hurt its where I was injected, hurts the most. Its now Sunday, soaked the dressing off, and a big blob of looks like jelly fish, came off in the water, dont know what it is,but I ve left it to get some air to it, and the jelly stuff seems to be forming on my toe, hoping its some sort of protection your body does, see how the next few days gocan walk on it better with no dressing, when soaking the dressing off, dont pull it off, peel it in sections till all gets wet then gentlely ease off.

PJ		27-Aug-2013 02:49
If you have my doctor, it wouldn't hurt at all. He deadened my toe topically and then I did not feel the injections. He did not use a tourniquet at all. My foot doc is great.

ali		22-Aug-2013 16:46
my poor daughter has had the sides of her nails removed and this went wrong and today needed the whole nail removing! she goes to Greece on holiday in a week, will she be ok to go with it im worried sick about it? please advise us thanks ali

momof4boys		15-Aug-2013 07:20
I had my big toenail damaged from furniture falling off dolly unto my toe. Ever since the toenail semi fell off I have been gluing a fake nail on it. The other day my son backed unto that same toenail, ripping my real nail halfway off or better. I cleaned my nail and had husband push the nail back down (very painful). Was hoping that would be the end of it but realized the pain was getting worse so I went to my Doctor Tuesday morning to inspect it. He said the fake toenail looked real ;) anyways after inspection we decided to remove my toenail (not permanently). He said it would be another accident waiting to happen, getting the fake nail caught again, ect. After further inspection during removal he said it was no wonder it was causing me so much pain and it was worse than he thought, I guess with the fake nail being glued to my toenail it did pretty bad damage. If I correctly recall his follow up instructions were no water for a week??? Did I misunderstand him?? I'm pretty sure he said no shower for 24 hrs and to keep it out of water for a week?! He gave me loratab for pain and he did say to expect it to be painful and not to be on feet for a day or so and keep it elevated and change dressing and use antibiotic ointment. I am confused cuz everyone else has posted follow up with soaking twice daily?? I need to call him in the morning and to make sure I understood instructions. I am so worried about making it through work this week as I have to be on my feet but all this happened after my week vacation.... But I'm behind with clients already be gone Tuesday and Wednesday. And I agree with those that said the numbing part was more painful than the removal, it seemed as tho he was cutting the toenail out then but he was just numbing it and he used the spray and the numbness did wear off in an hour!! The pain was terrible!! I let 8 hrs lapse only once since then cuz I feel it wearing off when it gets close to 7-8hrs. Thank you for any opinions and suggestions!

Guest		11-Aug-2013 08:47
Ann After the removal of 14 great toe nails with local anaesthetic, (as if the nail bed is not removed the nails just keep growing its own sweet way) "Inwards" as too much of the nail bed is wider than the nail itself. Pride stopped me from having the nail bed removed. Pain won this time and I had had general anaesthetic to have the resection done. That was about four days ago. My surgeon advised me to keep the dressing on and elevate the foot for the first three days which I have done. I removed the dressing yesterday and will still keep the foot dry, changing to a loose gauze dressing. The new dressing showed that the wound did weep. About to redress and shower with a plastic bag over the foot. There is no pain and I just avoid being around people and shopping trollies at the moment. Shop late if I need to. I see my surgeon on Tuesday and will be back at work on Wednesday with an open shoe. I look forward to having an happy, healthy foot for the rest of my life. Will deal withe the right great toe if the occasion arises. Patience is of the essence.

Cincy49		10-Aug-2013 10:11
ToeNail Removal; I am a 63 yr old male with slight high sugar. The nurse talked me into getting my big toenails removed to prevent possible future problems. For me, this was a BIG MISTAKE. I am use to pain, with 11 knee operations, shoulders, hands and once beaten to an inch of my life, but this procedure has been a nightmare. It's been a month and I swear my heart is in my big toe as the throbing is so bad. I have followed instructions to the letter. Keep clean, soaking as instructed, antibiodic-cream, yet they will not heal. I am very sorry I did this...aaif you are concidering this, I would only do as a last resort!

Barbara		11-Jul-2013 09:57
I just had a partial removal on the inside of my right big toe about a week ago. He used acid so that the root wouldn't grow back, and it seemed to be doing ok. It's not red or swollen, and I've been soaking it in Epsom salt. Not really in any pain, but it does feel like there is a little pressure that is uncomfortable sometimes. I noticed the other day after changing my bandage, that along the side where the procedure was done, my nail looked kind of grayish. I called the doctor and he said there was just too much moisture on it and to make sure to let it dry out for long periods of time. I have been doing this, and today it looked like it spread a little and that it was a bit darker. I am concerned and wondering if anyone else has ever experienced this? I have a follow up on Tuesday, but I can't seem to stop worrying. Thank you.

Guest		08-Jul-2013 22:19
Hi I had my toe nails removed 7 months ago and im still getting red throbbing pain just under the nail line my toes swells up and go very red and sore. Any advice why this happens?

elaineg		03-Jul-2013 23:35
Hi. I had partial avulsion with phenol on both big toes three weeks ago now. God those injections hurt! At my one week check up, I mentioned I had some pain in my right toe and podiatrist proceeded to file down the side of my toe (wee bitty uncomfortable) but that seemed to do the trick. Last night the left toe started throbbing and tonight I've had to take painkillers as it's really tender at the base of the toe and throbbing even when lying completely still. Only aftercare instructions I got were keep it dry for 48 hours then shower and renew the bandage every day. No soaking in salts, no creams, nothing. Any suggestions? Should I got back to them or wait another couple of days to see if the throbbing settles down?

Scar		28-Jun-2013 01:26
I had both sides of my bigtoe nails removed and burned with acid 5 years ago and it groes narrow and i dont like it. Is there a way to get my nails grow back the way they were, I mean, wider? I still have hope. I would really appreciate some help.

Guest		16-Jun-2013 02:56
Had permanent removal of big toe nail two weeks ago. It went so well. Removal was painless and aftercare went really well. Still can't wear heels but have restarted my walking routine every morning. The important thing to do is find a good doctor and follow your aftercare routine. Mine was soak once in the morning and once at night in salt water for 15 minutes. Then use peroxide and benadine. Cover it with a loose bandaid. On the 10th night clean as usual but don't put on bandaid. Wear a soft clean cotton sock - get a bigger size than usual. Do this until your follow up appt. don't be afraid if this procedure. But again find a good. Dr. It will make all the difference.

ML		08-Jun-2013 18:13
Hi all, I had my big toe nail removed 3 days ago. The day after I was in the most excruciating pain of my life, but the pain pills since then have helped. I am also taking antibiotics to help fight infection. Other than that I am unsure of how to take care of it. I've been soaking once a day with Epsom salt and keeping it wrapped with gauze but I wonder if I should maybe leave it unwrapped when I'm just sitting around to let it air out a bit? I am supposed to be starting an internship at a hospital in which I'll be doing a lot of walking in closed toed sneakers, about how long should expect to be healed enough for this?

AC		01-Jun-2013 15:16
I had my left big toe done about 4 weeks ago. I can walk and move just fine but it is still a bit weepy and red, I'm now more or less leaving it open to allow it to dry. I assume it will be another 4 weeks until it is healed to the point where I can ignore it. I have noticed that now anytime anything drops or falls it is drawn directly to my toe ... even if it has to fall at an angle or defy gravity to do it.

Natalie		28-May-2013 10:45
Hi everyone. I have had my left big toe ingrown removed three times! The first time I went to one doctor, he gave me three needles in my toe and I still felt EVERYTHING CUT HE DID. Not quite sure why but It was not numbed enough. I felt like I was in a Saw movie and I felt him cut all the way down my toenail to the bed. I swore my head off lol. The ingrown returned. Second time I went to another doctor (so scared after the first experience) and he gave me the same amount of needles and I didn't feel a thing (after the needles). Much better experience but the ingrown still grew back.:( I went to yet another doctor, he gave me about five needles in my toe and I didn't feel a thing. I didn't watch while he did it but he gave me the little sucker in a little container at the end to show me what was causing me so much pain. That one was very successful and its been two years and nothing has returned. :) I strongly advise to get it done. I no longer have to just wear thongs but now can comfortably wear tight high heels. :)

Guest		17-May-2013 13:45
I'm on 1 week of removal and mine hurt like no other and nothing is working what do you suggest?

Guest		30-Apr-2013 12:17
Had both big toenails removed 3 weeks ago. Healing almost complete. Little or no discomfort (only when some @rse steps on my feet!). Bathing in hot salt water daily although once the weeping has finished that will end (my guess about a week from now). I had fenol on the nail bed - so no more nails to ingrow! Yipee - Fantastic job UK NHS! :)

Guest		28-Apr-2013 11:15
in 2008 my left big toe nail was ripped out completely with someone standing on my foot. I went to the hospital who dressed it and i had it dressed 2/3 times a week. Had no pain whatsoever altho when the nail grew, it is now an ingrowing toenail. Then 4 months ago i dropped something on my right toe nail which turned black and it is just starting to lift from the nail bed.It is painful on and off and trying to build the courage up to have it removed or do i just leave it for a new nail to grow underneath to push the nail off like my doctor suggested. Any advice please?

Robert		22-Apr-2013 20:20
Got big toenail removed today. I had read so many negative reviews about how painful the injections are and i was very nervous, however i need not have worried. Whilst the injections were somewhat uncomfortable the pain was only moderate. I was told that it takes approx 8 weeks to totally heal so i have some time to go. I urge anyone in doubt about this procedure to not watch any you tube videos of it and just go ahead and get it done.

Angie		03-Mar-2013 01:25
I had my toenail removed due to trauma a year ago. Initially it was one of the worst experiences I'd ever had. The pain was unreal, but in time it got better. It took a full year for my toenail to grow back, but I can honestly say to everyone out there... IT DOES GET BETTER!!!

Phocohontis		28-Feb-2013 02:36
Laurel, you should not have had that wreck of an experience with your nail total removal. Both of mine were done in 2012 five months apart. I never lost the ability to put weight bearing on my feet. Not wise to wear closed in footwear for awhile. Bathed in Epsom salt first 3 wks x2 daily. Fuciden cream around outer edges. Massaged end of toe nail bed towards ft end to stimulate excretion of draining. Kept dressed with non stick dressings until 4 wk of draining stopped. Then kept open to air with polysporin spray. Approx 8 wks in total, I was healed totally. Saw my podiatrist every wk for 4 wks and every other after that until end of 8 wks. There should be no purple color or bumps usually. Hang in there Laurel but get the medical attention as long as you need to. As far as vanity and fake nails. Not for me. Maybe just paint the healed nail bed in summer once in awhile. You will be surprised how most people won't even notice.

Laurel		12-Feb-2013 02:15
Hi! It's me again...I went to a different podiatrist and this one told me to let it air dry as much as possible and to use betadine twice a day. He gave me Keflex 500 milligrams to use 4 times a day. This was 2 weeks ago since I have seen him..I must say that the scab looks better, however I STILL have this terrible pressure on my toe that feels like it is going to explode. I called a week ago and they told me since I was basically starting my healing process over again to not worry about it. I do also notice it looks like a wedge or bump on the skin that has healed so far. I was told it would work it's way out whatever it is. I still have swelling and redness and my toe is warm and I don't get why when I am on so much antibiotics and the betadine I put on is an antiseptic. I go back this Friday and I am hoping to get more answers. Originally had the surgery on January 9th I do not get why I am still having so many issues? I would love to hear from somebody out there who can put my mind at ease. Please and thank you! =)

Laurel		25-Jan-2013 22:53
I sure hope someone can see this and help me! On January 9th, I got a my big toenail permanently removed with phenol acid on it. The podiatrist gave me NO after care instructions!!!! He told me "Dial is my best friend" and there is a purple pad on my toe called Hydrafera Blue. After calling there TWICE to get instructions for aftercare, I was told to clean twice a day and re wet the purple pad and apply. Then it dried my toe out and they told me to put on saran wrap over it, so I did that for awhile but toe was white from the moisture. He told me NOT to use epsom salt, to ignore everything I read on the internet, yet I can never get return phone calls from his office. Needless to say I have an appt elsewhere on Wednesday! -So, My questions to you all....This is 16 days later, I have had the WORST pressure in my toe to where I can barely stand up for more than 10 minutes. He said I was wrapping too tight but it does that without wrapping on it. It isn't infected, I am on antibiotics... -Next question, my toe is almost a bruised or purple look to it. It wasn't that way at first, but now it is. I would think if it were going to bruise it would have done so right after. It has been bruised looking for about a week or a little longer. It is still a little tender on the nail bed which I can accept and expect that, but the other two things I have no clue about. I have missed to weekends of work due to the pressure and not being able to stand on it. Please tell me someone else has experienced this? I REFUSE to get this done again. It was the most terrible experience of my life in so many ways. Very unprofessional office, and to be told I would only have 3-4 days of extreme pain??? My best days I had were the 3-4 days AFTER I had it done, I could tolerate that. I still cant wear a shoe besides a boot. I am a mess, please help!!! Thank you!! =)

Faye		21-Dec-2012 05:20
I'm so thankful I read Liams comments .you were so helpful to me. I'm diabectic and had my toenail removed a month ago. I was allergic to the neosporin and latex bang that the podiatrist used also. I will stop using peroxide after reading about how it doesn't help at all. I will jow soak twice daily with Epsom salt only. I'm also relieved to know that my toe is more than likely bruised from the injections to deaden the toe I received .I wasn't told by the Dr that it could take so long to see some healing. I still have a lot of pain and soreness with the infection ,but see that pretty normal. The bandage stuck and I tire skin removing it because I knew it had to come off after two days. Thanks for all the comments and help to calm my fears,Bleesings everyone.

jeanette miller		07-Dec-2012 01:28
Hello everyone, iv been reading all of your posts on this subject and have found some very good advice.. I am 5 days post great toenail removal.. needed due to trauma. the numbing shots into the toe were very painful for me. After it wore off i have experienced mod to high pain. I was told that i would not have more than minor discomfort and was not given any pain meds. If this is true for others i am happy for them and applaud them. My after care instructions were a choice of amerigel and a cloth bandaide or soaking 2 X a day in epsom salts and a cloth bandaide. The toe looks awful at this time,and i have a long way to go before i see a healthy healed toe i understand from your posts. I will return to work in 5 days so wish me luck!!

linda		07-May-2012 21:37
had a few toenails removed last july 2011. my toes are still very crusty. are they suppose to be that way?

Sherry		07-May-2012 18:57
I wanted to thank everyone for all the information posted here. I had the second toe on my left foot permanently removed on April 17. The initial injection hurt like heck, but after that I had absolutely no pain. I just got back from my two week checkup and she said I did my aftercare excellent. It is pink and looking good. I still have a long way to go as now that it is healing it is getting touchy. I initially soaked my foot twice a day for the first 10 days, then went to once a day, also applying Neosporin and changing my bandage. I read the best post on here and that is what I followed. That person (see Dee 29-Jul-2009 16:39) said to just be patient and that is what I did. I never had any pain, of course it wasn’t infected before I had it taken off. My problem was that it was growing sideways cutting into one side and the curling like a newspaper on the other….very painful and annoying. I didn’t know what to do and without this website I don’t think I would have made it so well. My whole experience has been more annoying than anything else. Now I’m looking forward to getting back into my sandals. Thanks again….Sherry, KS.

Sandra		07-May-2012 14:00
i lost my toe nail from my foot being stood on sat28th april my nail had been lifted up straight, the next morning the doctor just frooze my toe and removed it the nail completly. How long will it take to grow back.The doctor washed the wound with sailine water and then put oidine on to tne toe and changed the dressing every 3 days, I am home from holiday now and im wondering what will i dowith it. Do i still just bathe it with sailine water and dress it or do i start leaving it free,all advice gratefully received??

Guest		05-May-2012 04:06
Message sent previously on Fe. 21, that was operation day. It took 8 weeks before I could say that I felt no more pain or no more drainage. There is still a bit of hard crust on a small portion of the nail bed. It is eventually decreasing in size. The printout that was given to me for post-op care said approx 5 weeks for healing. It is just that, approximate. I am going to have the other great toe done on July 17th. Will update again after that procedure. Happy and safe summer to all of you.

Sherry		01-May-2012 21:14
I wanted to thank everyone for all the information posted here. I had the second toe on my left foot permanently removed on April 17. The initial injection hurt like heck, but after that I had absolutely no pain. I just got back from my two week checkup and she said I did my aftercare excellent. It is pink and looking good. I still have a long way to go as now that it is healing it is getting touchy. I initially soaked my foot twice a day for the first 10 days, then went to once a day, also applying Neosporin and changing my bandage. I read the best post on here and that is what I followed. That person (see Dee 29-Jul-2009 16:39) said to just be patient and that is what I did. I never had any pain, of course it wasn’t infected before I had it taken off. My problem was that it was growing sideways cutting into one side and the curling like a newspaper on the other….very painful and annoying. I didn’t know what to do and without this website I don’t think I would have made it so well. My whole experience has been more annoying than anything else. Now I’m looking forward to getting back into my sandals. Thanks again….Sherry, KS.

Sherry		01-May-2012 17:22
I wanted to thank everyone for all the information posted here. I had the second toe on my left foot permanently removed on April 17. The initial injection hurt like heck, but after that I had absolutely no pain. I just got back from my two week checkup and she said I did my aftercare excellent. It is pink and looking good. I still have a long way to go as now that it is healing it is getting touchy. I initially soaked my foot twice a day for the first 10 days, then went to once a day, also applying Neosporin and changing my bandage. I read the best post on here and that is what I followed. That person (see Dee 29-Jul-2009 16:39) said to just be patient and that is what I did. I never had any pain, of course it wasn’t infected before I had it taken off. My problem was that it was growing sideways cutting into one side and the curling like a newspaper on the other….very painful and annoying. I didn’t know what to do and without this website I don’t think I would have made it so well. My whole experience has been more annoying than anything else. Now I’m looking forward to getting back into my sandals. Thanks again….Sherry, KS.

Marilyn		26-Apr-2012 22:02
I just had total toenail removal and cauterization to burn sides so that toenail wouldn't grow back with ingrown toenail. This was performed a couple days ago on April 24, 2012. Not to frighten you but this was a horrible procedure. It took at least 9 injections to deaden my toe so I would feel it. In spite of this, I still felt it a little bit. My toe was pretty numbed up when I left the clinic but by the time I got home an hour later, the pain started to set in. I was taking pain medications but it DID NOT cut the pain which grew worse as the day wore on. That night, I was in pure agony with terrible unrelenting throbbing pain and sharp knife sticking sensations that would not let up. I lay awake all night cyring knowing that nothing could be done at this point. The next day, I called the dr. office and he ordered some prescription burn creme which seemed to help. My doctor told me to leave the bandage on for only one day, then take it off permanently so the air could hit it. Honestly, it started draining pretty badly last night so after putting the burn creme on it, I applied a bandage. I took it off a couple hours ago. My toe is still very painful and I cannot walk on right foot. I am sitting in recliner but still have a chronic type of pain set in. At least the terrible throbbing has left. My toe is swollen twice its size and looks horribly gross. It is mostly charred black from the burning and has lots of liquid and loose flesh on top. It's also very red and warm to the touch. If it isn't better tomorrow, I will call my physician as I think it's getting an infection. All things said, the first 36 hrs. were the very worst for me. Now comes the healing. It sounds like this could take a LONG time according to the things I have read.

Guest		16-Apr-2012 22:35
Original comment made re total permanent removal of left great toenail on February 21,2012. With 2 rounds of antibiotics and weekly follow ups to Dr I can say that as of April 15 I am pain and dressing free. Just a small part of the hard scabbing remains. Due to Dr vacation and personal vacation July 15 will see removal of the right great toenail. I am looking forward to no more chronic ingrown nails. I will also remember to use the prefreezing Emla creme that helps significantly . Oh happy days! Short term pain for long tem gain. Good luck to all of you out there.

Casey		15-Apr-2012 16:43
I had left big toenail removed and phenol'd about 12 days ago, with instructions to soak & wash twice a day and apply antibiotic ointment & bandage it up. Some days it doesn't hurt much at all unless I put pressure on it, but other days it's been pretty sore. I didn't ask enough questions about how long this takes to heal, glad I found this site for all the info! It's very tender to pressure right on the nail bed, but the place it gets really sore at times is below the base of the nail bed, which seems odd to me. Is that unusual? It don't think it's infected, it's not that painful, not hot, only a little red in that area. I see the doc tomorrow so I'll find out more from him, but I'm really glad to find out so much from all the people who have posted comments here.

Answer-hunter		02-Apr-2012 20:01
I had my big toenail removed on 30th March without the aid of chemicals, meaning there is a 90% chance of it regrowing, I should also mentionn that the surgery included removal of granulation tissue I went back today to get the dressing changed and thinned down (not as much dressing applied this time) and this approach of reducing the amount of dressing will be taken every 2-3 days apparently -- anyway, I was told that I'd be able to wear socks and should really look at wearing my flip flops when walking around I tried walking around and for the first 2 steps, I was okay, but this was followed by serious discomfort and couldn't carry on walking around on it and so hopped back into bed to rest it I was just wondering, after the removal - how long does it take to walk around in it without any serious discomfort? Thanks in advance

Guest		02-Apr-2012 18:37
Forgot to mention - before any toenail removal ingrown or permanent you should be applying a prefreezing creme called Emla. Non-prescription but sometimes behind the drug counter. Applied 1 hour before operation - really helps with the pain of the needles used for freezing.

Guest		02-Apr-2012 18:29
Feb 21, 2012 had left big toenail removed with chemical burn. Today is April 3rd. Still soaking in salt and wearing dressings almost 24/7. Healing somewhat from the top of the toe down. In the am because it has hardened overnite soaking is needed to open up to drain again. Have weekly appts. With podiatrist. Still recommends dressings and using fucidin ointment at the base of the toe. I can usually stand my shoe on for the 8 hrs of nursing work I do. Just waiting for this to be over before I make up my mind with the right foot. Chronic ingrown nails I don't want anymore. I was on one round of antibiotics in the beginning. Will update this on the day I think that I see complete healing.

Answer-hunter		02-Apr-2012 17:13
I had my big toenail removed on 30th March without the aid of chemicals, meaning there is a 90% chance of it regrowing, I should also mentionn that the surgery included removal of granulation tissue I went back today to get the dressing changed and thinned down (not as much dressing applied this time) and this approach of reducing the amount of dressing will be taken every 2-3 days apparently -- anyway, I was told that I'd be able to wear socks and should really look at wearing my flip flops when walking around I tried walking around and for the first 2 steps, I was okay, but this was followed by serious discomfort and couldn't carry on walking around on it and so hopped back into bed to rest it I was just wondering, after the removal - how long does it take to walk around in it without any serious discomfort? Thanks in advance

Dawn		31-Mar-2012 09:53
Hi I had both my big toe nails removed 3 weeks ago. I'm still getting a lot of pain and oozing. All around the nail bed is red and swollen, it feels like it's burning now. I have been following orders with soaking and clean dressings every day. But recently I have noticed, when I take the dressings off there's a slight smell and there has never been a clear discharge. I'm getting a little worried now, is this normal for 3 weeks after the op. He did apply phenol to burn the nail bed away, please can you give me some advice. Thanks Dawn.

Guest		22-Mar-2012 16:37
i had my both toenail ,removed on wednesday and the injections hurt so much and so far i am doing good very little pain make sure your podiatrist knows what he or she is doing and you cant go wrong

barbara a johnson		12-Mar-2012 18:57
big toe nail removed on january 8,2012,so very painful at night and only a hint of the nail coming back,is this normal

sandsunandsea		28-Feb-2012 01:37
I had both of my big toenails removed 6 days ago (Tuesday)...and as I post this my toes feel like they are ON FIRE!! My removal was due to both being ingrown. Day 1 went just fine - other than the excruciating pain of the anesthesia injections, it didn't hurt at all, not even when the anesthesia wore off. Day two kept it wrapped, no other care needed. Worst thing about days 1 and 2 was no showering. Ick! Day 3, still feeling good, went back for a bandage change - all looked okay, so decided to try shoes since I was going out. Soaked with Domeboro soaks given to me by my podiatrist. No issues. YEAH! Saturday I walked about 1/2 mile in shoes and when I got home, my toes were killing me! Took some light pan medication and was able to drift off to sleep once it kicked in. On Sunday they were still tender, so I wore slippers all day. By the time I got home, again, they were super painful. More soaks seemed to sooth, but at night it was throbbing so badly I couldn't sleep. Today, day 6, has been the absolute worse. Nothing is easing the pajn, the Epsom salts actually stung a lot. Applying Neosporin intermittently. Clear drainage, seemingly no infection, but OH. MY. GOD. The pain...I've never felt anything like it. Even slippers make me cringe. I can' t even imagine the thought of shoes. Work was hell...I went back to the podiatrist today, he said everything looks okay and what I am experiencing is normal. He did prescribe me a narcotic, and I am holding out hope that it will allow me to sleep tonight. I have to sleep with the band-aids on, any touching of the covers hurts so much. I feel like no matter what I do, I cannot get any relief from the stabbing, throbbing, fiery, intense pain. I should mention that I have had several surgeries, am not generally wimpy. I need relief, and fast.

nelson avila		25-Feb-2012 04:09
why so much oozing comming out after my toenail removal?

Dawn		24-Feb-2012 23:51
Just a little update. I think it has been about 10 weeks now. I was doing ok with my toe and then I went to Vegas for my birthday. I spent two nights in really high heeled shoes (open toes) And my toe was absolutely throbbing the whole time. I hadn't noticed it too much after that but then a couple days ago I started noticing more pain in my toenail and now it is throbbing and swollen. Now I admit that before my trip (Jan 28th) that I had a pedicure and they painted my toe to make it look like a nail. The other day I tried taking the polish off with remover very gently, but that seems to be about the time it started hurting. It's killing me now!

Peggy		16-Feb-2012 20:32
I had all 10 toenails removed last Sept and Oct. My right foot healed up in 7 weeks with no pain at all. I thought all these posts were exceptions to the rule. Then I had the other foot done. About 7 weeks in the scabs starting really hurting and bleeding. I had huge granulomas (red bumps that bled daily and hurt if touched with even a kleenex to dry them) on 4 of the 5 toes. My pod used silver nitrate on all of them ... pain was unbelievable. Did not work. I just went for surgery on the 3rd and cut the granulomas off and burnt them. I've never experienced a more painful recovery. I had the dressing removed yesterday and it was sticking to every toe like super glue. He peeled it off and they are now open sores again but the granulomas seem to be gone. He could not guarantee that they will not grow back. PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE carefully consider having your toenails removed. I could have lived with my ingrown nails, and I should have! Since the right foot did so well, I assumed the left would be the same. The painful days and nights and constant worry while I am the sole caregiver for my 88 yr old mother. Oh, how I wish I would not have done this!

barbara a johnson		20-Jan-2012 00:57
its been 10 days since my big toenail was removed, having sharp burning pains,is this part of normal healing because it hurt more than before the nail was removed

Matthew		02-Jan-2012 23:33
Hi! I had my toenail surgery back in 2006. Since then, just below the base of bottom left of the nail is a large sensitive lump. This lump hurts it touched and is about one inch in length. One doctor told me it was normal after surgery and there was nothing I could do. Another told me it was an infection and had me put cream on it. This did nothing as there is no way for any poison, if there is poison in it, to be released. Anyone have a similar problem?

Liam		02-Jan-2012 18:21
Hi Matthew, A large lump of any sort is not normal whatsoever. If it was an abscess your foot doctor should have removed it 6 years ago. Does it drain anything or have pus coming out of it? It could be just an enclosed abscess that needs to be manually removed or frozen off with some chemical. As long as it isn't a red, moist lump than it can be removed effortlessly with an experienced specialist.

Matthew		02-Jan-2012 18:10
Hi! I had my toenail surgery back in 2006. Since then, just below the base of bottom left of the nail is a large sensitive lump. This lump hurts it touched and is about one inch in length. One doctor told me it was normal after surgery and there was nothing I could do. Another told me it was an infection and had me put cream on it. This did nothing as there is no way for any poison, if there is poison in it, to be released. Anyone have a similar problem?

Liam		01-Jan-2012 21:25
Ouch!!! That must've hurt like hell - dropping a piece of iron on your toe! That's like my worst fear. Let me give you the best tip of all - use non stick gauze pads instead of regular cotton gauze ones. Those stick to your skin and cause you to rip and peel and start the healing process all over again. Seriously non-stick gauze pads saved me life. Just tape them with some surgical tape. Stock up on those You can start soaking your foot in a clean, basin or bowl that has warm water and a cup or so of epsom salt. This helps to calm down inflammation and helps to get fluids/drainage flowing. Do this ONLY for 5 minutes morning and night. No more than that. Also, after soaking, make sure to allow your toe to air dry for at least 20 minutes before applying the non stick gauze pad. Since you are on antibiotics, you may not need a topical one but using something like Neosporin is great at preventing infection. A light dab of it with a q-tip before applying the non stick gauze pad is great. Again it's not super necessary since you are already on an oral antibiotic which will acts like a prophylactic in that infection cannot form in a anti-bacterial setting. You do not have to do anything with phenol! That is part of a different procedure for PERMANENT removal of the toenail. The podiatrist removes the toenail and burns the matrix with phenol to prevent the nail from ever coming back. You do not need to do anything with phenol yourself!! That would be insanity. Keep off your feet and allow your toe to heal is the best thing you can do. Keep it elevated with a pillow underneath your foot/ankle. Hope all heals well - it takes time. Don't worry about losing your job, you wont! Call in and tell them your situation. They should understand you need a few days off. Depending on your line of work, you may need a week or so off.

geoharmonics		01-Jan-2012 09:54
HELP, I dropped a heavy piece of iron on my big toe three days ago. That night the pain was so bad so I went to the emergency room. They decided to remove my toenail, and gave me antibiotics and painkillers. They were wrapping it wih gauze and when I went to change it, the gauze was embedded and completely ripped the skin open again. So I am fixing this myself now. Your technique looks like a very good solution, but there is not a lot of detail as to how often you do what. Is there another article I am missing or can you tell me exactly what to do with the phenol and epsom salts. Do I need to wash it with hydrogen peroxide? Please answer asap, I need to do this correctly or I will lose my job!!!

Liam		30-Dec-2011 09:36
@Dawn: Hi Dawn! Nice to get an update. A lot of podiatrists seem to like to scrape things. I understand the need for it sometimes when the area isn't letting out important fluids, but if it's hurting a patient - why do it? I'm just glad to know things don't hurt that badly for you anymore. Good, GOOD sign. Good luck with your other ingrown toenail. Get it treated with someone you can trust (i.e. another podiatrist). @Tanzy: Sorry to hear about your slow recovery Tanzy! =( You have no idea how many of us went through this. Is your toe still weeping and oozing? What were the instructions your doctor gave you? They usually change throughout the course of the treatment period. By this time, if infection is gone, simple soaking (if draining is still happening) and keeping it clean is all that is needed. Air drying is vital especially at night. Most likely you do not have a bone infection. This is rare. Do you still have an infection? I hope not. If it was an avulsion, a piece of nail may still be in there. If not, then it's just a matter of finding which antibiotic treatment is best for you. Truly look into a topical wash like Phisohex or even something like Hibiclens. Of course discuss this with a doc, and do this only if you still have an infection. Pain is very normal. So is stiffness. If you haven't been walking normal since September, that will affect everything - including inducing more pain. I found the more I babied my foot, the more I had those electric shock/aching pains. I'm not saying to go run around, but it's definitely the cause of not walking as normal (which is understandable since you've been dealing with the healing + infection). Slowly everyday, walk straight a bit. If you have to hold on to something - do so. It will help. God speed on your recovery!!

Tanzy		30-Dec-2011 04:55
I had my toenails on both big toes removed (with the Phenol) in September. This is December and it is still healing. I have had to take two rounds of antibiotics due to infection only in one of the toes. I mean,,,the pain was so horrible I would have to just pace the floor to keep from chopping my toe off. I seriously thought I would lose my big toe completely. I still cannot wear any good shoes just yet. The HUGE problem that I have developed is....I cannot hardly walk when I stand up from sleeping or sitting. Its like my feet are fixing to break in half because I have had to walk funny because of my toes and it has severly jacked up my walking. I think this infection of my toe went into my bones of my feet. Is this possible??? Hell I don't know but I know this...if you mess with your feet you can really mess yourself up. I would have rather dealt with the pain from the ingrown nails than to experience all of this.

Dawn		29-Dec-2011 05:32
Hi Liam, Just an update. Went back to the pod yesterday for a 2 week checkup. He is evil I tell you. I told him how much my toe hurt after the procedure and he acted like I had two heads. He then proceeded to scrape it to remove the fungus and I nearly kicked him it hurt so much. Anyways, I won't be going back to him for my other ingrown toenail. He gave me Formula 3 to put on my toe twice a day, which I suspect was just to get my $30 but I digress. It doesn't bother me much now at least!

Liam		24-Dec-2011 01:21
So great to hear Rita! I'm glad you're on the road to full recovery. Happy holidays. :)

rita		23-Dec-2011 06:25
Hi Liam! Thank you so much for your support I took the proper advice for aftercare and its soooo much better, no pain, no swelling, no pus, just a healing toe looking normal again at last:) except for some tiny bruising from the needles everything seems fine :) can you eblieve the previous doctor left a large portion of my toenail.. His fault I was so upset and in discomfort for 2 months.. I bet if it was done right the frst time I wouldn't of needed those stupid antibiotics.. but I'm jyst very thankful that everything is better now:) and I wish everyone goodluck, remember to chose ur doctors wisely! Thanks again Liam u really provided lots of hope and support to me through this whole ordeal. Happy holidays and have a great new year, you are a great person!

Liam		20-Dec-2011 23:10
Hi Hallie, Nice to hear somebody who is having a good experience. The procedure is a very delicate one in that it can either go wrong or go right. Both ways, the constant is the long recovery. Podiatrists who say 2-4 weeks are lying. Plain and simple. It takes anywhere from 2-6 months to fully heal (and I mean fresh, normal skin not that scab!). Good luck and hoping your recovery continues to be good.

hallie		20-Dec-2011 19:46
i just wanted to say after numerous ingrown toenails and pain i had mine totally removed to not grow back my doc said it would not hurt just beside the sting of needles and he did not hurt right after he did i went walking everywhere went to a xams party dances and its now been five days and it still doesnt hurt the only problem i would say that i think i had is that he didnt give alot of follow up care info on to take care of it but he did say use peroxide , and saok w/epsom salt but overall i had a good experience and would recommend it the only problem i have is it does take a long process to heal from what i see

Liam		18-Dec-2011 16:08
How are things going Rita and Dawn? Wondering if you are well? :)

Liam		16-Dec-2011 05:32
Wow, I am so astonished that this podiatrist didn't even instruct you to soak or give you some type of ointment to use, Nuts! Yeah, band-aids are awful for these kinds of things and will surely lead to infection. Stick to non-stick gauze pads. Soaking is great for allowing drainage to flow. An ointment is nice as well as this ensures a moist wound healing which speeds things up. Neosporin is fine - most docs give silvadine (for burns) or amerigel (debiding agent). Both are good. Best of luck in your recovery! :)

Dawn		16-Dec-2011 00:55
Thank you so much for the tips! I have been doing so many things wrong! I have been using the HP and Bandaids and not soaking! I will definitely make those changes and plan on letting that podiatrist know what I think! Not to mention telling me it wouldn't hurt at all! Oh and they removed my whole nail due to injury, but only killed the corner with the phenol because I have had many ingrown issues in the past.

Liam		15-Dec-2011 17:34
Hi Dawn, I'm surprised your podiatrist didn't give you any concrete after care instructions or ANYTHING for that matter. Did she remove your nail permanently (putting some type of chemical like phenol in there) or just removed it without any chemical to kill the root? Either way, soaking your foot in a clean, sterilized basin/bowl of warm water + epsom salt is excellent and stimulating removal of drainage and speeding up healing. Do the soak for 5 minutes MAX (no more!) twice a day morning and night. Don't use band-aids, use non stick gauze pads and tape them at the base with surgical tape. Band aids make the area sweaty which can lead to an infection. Do not use HP. It will kill everything (good and bad) and is tough on healing tissue. You should be using some type of ointment for the first few days to offset infection, however it sometimes isn't needed. Even something like Neosporin can work well applied sparingly and then bandaged. After soaking, make sure you keep your toe air dry for AT LEAST 20 minutes. The skin takes 20-30 minutes to fully dry. You don't want to cover up a water saturated toe. Good luck Dawn! Keep us all updated.

Dawn		14-Dec-2011 04:16
I have a question. I went to the podiatrist for pain in my left big toe and a weird lump that was growing right below the base of my toenail. The nail itself did not hurt at all but if you press it right under the nail, it hurt badly. Anyhow, the podiatrist said some sort of trauma caused my toenail to loosen and a second one was trying to grow underneath and I had to have it removed right then and there (let me tell you I was not prepared for this...I have a lot to do this time of year!) So this happened yesterday afternoon and my doc told me it wouldn't hurt at all. Silly me believing that. It hurt so bad last night I had to take a tylenol 4 I had leftover from my back surgery. Well today it hurt less, but now that it's nighttime again, it's aching like crazy. I have on a bandaid and oversized sock and no covers touching, but it hurts really bad. I should mention that I really didn't get any after care instructions, except some gel to apply. I put some peroxide on it when I took the bandage off and that didn't hurt, but it turned white and was obviously full of bacteria. So after my book, these are my questions: Should I use epsom soak? They didn't tell me to. Should I use peroxide? Why is it hurting so much more at night? Any tips for quicker healing? P.S. I also evidently had a bad fungal infection in this toe that cropped up in the last month, so I am on 12 weeks of Lamisil which is making my gastritis much worse.

Liam		13-Dec-2011 20:30
This is great news! What a difference in tone from your previous posts. I CANNOT believe your previous doctor left a piece of nail in there?! Terrible! Also the fact that it hasn't been incredibly painful after freezing is a good sign. Without that huge shard of nail inside your skin, your tissue can finally get on the road to healing! Ok, ok i'll be honest - 8 times is a lot of times for ingrown toenails, lol. I thought 2 times was enough! =P You're not bothering me at all. I come on here often to answer ppl's questions because I've been there and done it. It's painful and don't want anyone else to feel hopeless because there is always a way out. Good luck with full healing!!

rita		13-Dec-2011 18:55
I forgot to ask about the phisofex, but I did end up having a comfortable procedure done today. Unlike last time. This doctor ended up finding that the last doctor to take my toenail out had left a large chunk of ingrown toenail in. He only took a piece from the top. Today the doctor cut a littl more out all the way to the nail bed, he showed me what he pulled out from the corner that was supposively all removed (huge chunk of ingrown toenail going into my skin) and its been about 2 hours, the freeezing is almost gone and I feel little to no pain!! I really hpe this can lead to success:) I go back in tomorrow for re bandaging and to have it checked up on (never was told to do that last time). I'm not really sure, Its a clinic for injuries and sickness I believe, I go to the back were they have rooms specifically for these kinds of things, I've been there 8 times for ingrown toenail and usually goes well. I will update you tomorrow! Lol don't worry I won't bug you all the time like this. I just want other people who may read this to know there's hope :p

Liam		13-Dec-2011 16:34
Oh no problem Rita. :) It amazes me how common our stories are though. We're all like united in this trouble of pesky ingrown toenails and the surgeries that come with it. Ha. I'm glad to know this new doctor has a plan to attack this. You're right in saying that if it was infection it would've just gotten worse or been somewhat affected by the antibiotics. Do ask him about Phisohex (hexachlorophene). Great stuff. Was your first doctor even a podiatrist or just a GP? GP's are clueless when it comes to this. Perhaps there is still some nail left behind or not enough nail out that is why it is still causing inflammation. It makes sense. I look forward to your update. :)

rita		13-Dec-2011 05:43
The first time when I got partial out of my nail, it is not permanent but I always had a problem with ingrown toenails this being my 8th time, yes 8th time lol it was different the nail didn't look like it usually does and I was in the worst painthat night. Anyway, he thinks what the other doctor did was removed it wrong, he wants to take off more to see if that will stop all te inflamation. I don't know what wuill happen with the side of my toe that's really sore, bubbled and leaking some pus.. But the doctor seems to be sure that if he was to lanse it it wouldn't make a difference?... He said its just inflamed tissue.. I mean if It was really an infection in ther I would imagine it would of gotten worse over these 2months? Or would of at least been affected by these strong antibiotics. Ok I will mention to him about the antibacterial wash tmrw morning when I go. You don't understand how greatful I am, I really appreciate this, considering how helpless I feel.. So thanks for taking time out of ur day to answer me :)

Liam		13-Dec-2011 00:32
Don't feel discouraged Rita! I know it's hard not to, but your toe will heal and think about that - the finish line so to speak. Because it will eventually heal. So your doctor wants to remove more nail? Are these all permanent things? Like your initial procedure was it with phenol to kill the nail bed? If the tissue next to the missing nail is irritated, then he must have done a very rough job. The tissue next to the nail shouldn't really be messed with unless it was infected prior to surgery. I'm not sure if removing more nail will help. If he feels it will reduce irritation...perhaps but I am a bit confused. Perhaps your tissue is simply infected which is why it's so swollen and painful. Your family doctor or walk in doctor gave you antibiotics to treat the infection, however it has clearly not helped. When I first did this procedure (I did it 2 times in my life) I got a terrible infection. A product called PhisoHex wash got rid of the infection. If soaking helps, continue doing it. Sorry about saying not to soak, only stop soaking once infection ceases and a scab forms. You do not want a scab to form while you are infected as this will seal the infection in. It won't because you are soaking it. I am just wondering why he wants to remove more nail Did he give you an explanation of how this will help in any way? Let me know. Praying for you!!

rita		12-Dec-2011 23:58
Well I went to the toe doctor, he said its irritated and he is going to take out half of the toenail instead tmrw, to see if that stops the irritation, and tht I didn't even need these antibiotics :( that have been making me really sick and tired... I aksed him if its a pus sac he said no it seems like its just inflamed tissue, and blood.. This is to stressful when will my toe heal.. Jeez

rita		12-Dec-2011 16:01
Ok I will try and get in to see my doctor later on today. Considering I'm done the antibiotics tomorrow. Still no progress on the toe, I only used the fucidin for about a week, I actually got my toe done october 21st. Almost 2 months ago :( I didn't soaked it for 2 days and it got worse, last nite I soaked it and it came down a little and pus came out but its still bad.. Sigh. Hopefully I won't have to go on more antibiotics again.. Thank u so much for all this help I really appreciate it!! Ill comment back with how the visit went/whats going to happen next. I've had this sore/infected toe for so long its hard to picture it normal again! :p

Liam		12-Dec-2011 15:22
Also your right, he may be able to lance that pus sac. It needs to be removed. Usually antibacterial cleansers that are good can get rid of it but in your case you may need physically removed to allow for proper healing.

Liam		12-Dec-2011 15:19
I'm sorry to hear that you've been sick on top of dealing with the healing of your toes. Antibiotics are tough stuff. :( God, I pray that relief comes your way soon. It will. I know what you are going through - been there with the sickness, antibiotics, fear ...all of it the first time around I did this years ago. Perhaps go to your foot doc just to see what he thinks. Since he performed the surgery, most likely he's had other patients with similar outcomes. Do not use fuicidin again. Since it wasn't doing anything good for you, don't go back to it. How many days did you use it btw? I strongly think a good antibacterial wash would be good like Phisohex or something with chlorhexidine (sp?). Also how many days has it been since you had the procedure? If it's been more than 4 weeks STOP soaking and just keep it clean and dry and bandaged in the day and OPEN at night when sleeping. God speed Rita!

rita (breastfeeding mom)		12-Dec-2011 03:42
Sorry it had taken me so long to reply, I've been sick in bed from these antibiotics. I went to the doctor at a different clinic and he gave me biaxin, I've been taking it for 3 days so far and the toe loooks the exact same still swollen, astill red/pus/painful! Good to kno the pus sac is most likely causing the pain.anyway this biaxin is prescribed for 5 days, considering I only have 2 days left and thers no progress I'm once again worried. Ths antibiotic feels really strong I have to take with food and it upsets my stomach and makes me rly tired. Now that I've got my appetite back I feel better. I stopped putting the fucidin on the past 2 days mabe I should start again. Do u suggest I go back to my toe doctor and get him to look at it, I was thinking he could perhaps lance the pus sac bubble on my toe tmrw considering I'm alrdy on the antibiotics.... Wat do u think?

Liam		07-Dec-2011 18:29
Also which wound dressing ointment did the doctor give you? I was given Amerigel which is excellent at preventing infection and is a chemical debris enhancing gel. It actually removes debris so many people don't even have to soak. I still soaked. I never got an infection I think largely due to this.

Liam		07-Dec-2011 18:19
The foot doctor which performed this partial on you, was he the same one from before? Keeping it covered is important if there is no scab formed yet, but it is equally important to get some air at it too. Especially after soaking. Soaks should only for 5 minutes to stimulate pus/drainage. Soak in epsom salt water twice a day (5 mins MAX each time in a clean bowl/basin). Pay dry and blot off any excess pus/drainage. The wound will still look wet, that is okay. Let it air dry for 20 minutes before applying the fuicidin. With topical antibiotics less is more. Only a small amount with a q-tip is needed. Don't glop it on. This will counter any drainage/pus to come out as it will seal in the infection. I'm not too informed if oral antibiotics are safe for breast feeding mothers. In any case, a doctor saying that it would take a week to get to the toes is false. Unless you have diabetes or some circulatory problem, the antibiotics should kick in within the first few days and do their job eliminating the growth of staph bacteria. I would say 1 week to 2 weeks is needed but that should take care of the infection now that no nail is cutting you. If no doctor is willing to do it, request an antibacterial wash - something with chlorhexidine or even a product like PhisoHex (removes staph bacteria very well!). The pain is indeed from the pus sac. I am sure there is no nail left (if he was a good doctor). Infections of any kind are very painful. Especially on the toe. They hurt way more than the nail itself cutting into you. Has fuicidin done anything for you in the past couple of days? Making it worse, making it better, nothing happening? etc. It's just...from my personal experience, fuicidin and other topical ointments work more as prevention as opposed to treatment of bacteria. That should come from the inside out. Oral antibiotics are the best or even Rx bacterial washes. Hoping things get better from here for you!!

rita		07-Dec-2011 03:17
Thank u very much. The bubbling is from all the swollen pus and inflamation I think, I've had partial toenail out before and it healed nicely, they didn't want to give me antibiotics because I'm breastfeeding, but the one doctor said to keep it bandaged so it can drain, and the other doctor said keep it dry but since the pus won't drain with a scab I keep bandage on it with fucidin wen I sleep it burns and stings and I stopped with it because I can't handle the stinging it keeps me from sleeping! I askedd about oral antibiotics and they said it would take a week to even get to the toe so I'm talking longterm use of antibiotics. Its a swollen bubble next to my toenail with swollen bubbling all along the side and top, as with a swollen bubbly line going down my toe :( its so stressful for me.. I'm lucky to get a little tiny bit of pus from my toe after soaking it. I don't kno if the pain is from the pus sac under my skin (if ther is onew I'm assuming because of the pus leaking/bubble of skin) or if the doctor didn't remvoe my toenail rite and its still irritating my toe? Becuz my toenail looks like it wasn't entirely taken from the side, like it use to wen I got it done before.. Everytime I stand/blanket touches it/anything touches it feels like I have a sharp piece of glass under my skin :( sorry for the book

Liam		07-Dec-2011 02:22
The 'bump' on your toe is puzzling to me - it can be granuloma or some proud flesh. Both which can be removed by a skillful doctor. I'm shocked none of them are helping at all!! Using fuicidin cream is pointless. Topical antibiotics don't do much for these types of things - you need an oral antibiotic which targets staph. Please go to a GP/family doctor and explain your situation and REQUEST them to give you an oral antibiotic as the topical isn't working (and often times, makes things worse because infections shouldn't be in a moist environment). So let me get this straight, it's been roughly 6 1/2 weeks and your toe hasn't scabbed up yet? Your infection MUST be dealt with STAT. Don't worry yourself sick though, with a good oral antibiotic it will help you get to the healing part. The fuicidin can only do so much, an oral antibiotic and maybe an antibacterial wash like Phisohex can help. You're in my thoughts and prayers Rita. Be strong and fight it out till the end. Antibiotics WILL help. The fuicidin (from experience) actually makes things worse.

rita (breastfeeding mom)		06-Dec-2011 23:27
Breastfeeding mom here again!!!!!!!!! So I got partial of my toenail out on october 21st. The doctor said it wasn't infected at the time until he poked a needle in it and pus came out, I was in the worst pain I ever been in after the numbing went away, he did not give me antibiotics, said use iodine. It is now december 6th and my toe is still painful and infected I've been to doctors 3 times recently and now I have fucidin cream for it, and still soaking my toe in epsom salt. Pus is still leaking out and its rly red and swollen!!!!! The bubble on the side of my toe actually made a hole itself and leaked pus and blood, now I am in the worst pain and cannot even walk. The doctors are not helping me? I've had an infection for 2 months now. HELPFUL ADVICE WOULD BE RECOMMENDED!!!!!!!!!! :(

Liam		06-Dec-2011 04:15
It is a scary thing to discover that the specialist who did surgery on you has a restricted license. Good on you for reporting him. I hope he gets license revoked so he cannot practice anymore. How many more people will he unnecessarily do this on? Ugh. You hit the nail on the head about the foot doctors bearing responsibility. My doctor did not mention any potential side effect, and said this procedure is 'a walk in the park'. Basically I would be walking to work the next day in my sneakers. Seriously. To think I believed him makes me angry with myself (as I am sure you know what I mean) but like you said, I would have walked outta that room if I had any insight of what truly was going to happen. Hang in there Rex! To know that it's winter now and you are a 5 months pregnant breaks my heart, because I know how painful dealing with this can be. =( I'm glad to know you are on oral antibiotics. They will help. In the meantime, keep your feet as clean as possible and whenever you can, try to rest them. This will help in the healing process. You will heal!! My thoughts are with you.

Rex		06-Dec-2011 01:51
Oh, and to answer your question...he didn't think I needed it removed permanently so mine is supposed to grow back. He just used novocain and cut the nail out. As far as I know he didn't use any other chemicals.

Rex		06-Dec-2011 01:48
Liam, Thank you for your post. I have an appointment with my regular (and legit) doctor tomorrow. I am on oral antibiotics which the urgent care doc gave me the next day. I filed a complaint with our local podiatry board today...but now it sounds like this is such common practice for them to lie! That makes me sad! The quack who did this to me apparently does 2 to 3 of these operations DAILY. I had to file the complaint right away to see if he could be stopped. His license is restricted so I guess this is the only thing he can legally do to rape people's feet for $$. Despite oral antibiotics and cream, and soaking, I'm infected. I really appreciate your post and all the info and support. I feel like a total idiot for letting him near me and for agreeing to this. But these docs must bear some responsibility. I know I would not have done this if he had accurately represented the side effects. Seriously, who wants to be walking around in WINTER with snow with sandals and no socks! Not to mention I'm 5 months pregnant. Anyway. Thank you! Be well. My best to you and all on this page dealing w/ this.

Liam		06-Dec-2011 01:08
Hi Cherry, To be honest with you,I would recommend NOT doing it unless it is an absolute MUST (like your toenail is in real bad shape). This is a permanent procedure so it'll last for a lifetime and that does come with a lengthy, painful recovery. Even people who healed within 5-6 weeks will still say those weeks were difficult. Look for second or third opinions (if the first 2 specialists say different things, go to a third to verify one or the other). The surgery should never (and I mean never) be done on heavily infected skin. Your foot specialist should prescribe you some antibiotics prior to surgery to get the infection under control, then proceed to surgery. Performing surgery on infected tissue is a recipe of disaster which is why so many people end up with horrible infections that delay healing (the infection only spreads deeper when surgery is performed). If your foot specialist isn't writing out antibiotics, delay surgery and go to a GP/family doctor and get a course of antibiotics. What is the condition of your nail now? Is it very swollen, is it infected with fungus, is it simply curved or is there a shard of nail cutting the skin? I know I am just shooting things here, but I really want you not to make a mistake and be 100% confident in your decision. You should know about the risks. ALL podiatrists say the surgery is painless. The surgery itself is painless (if you hate needles, the freezing may be uncomfortable) but the recovery is PAINFUL. Very, very painful. Especially the first few days. I didn't need pain meds, but within 3 hours after the surgery and the freezing wore off, I was in pain! I just toughed out but my god...it was bad. Since you are getting a total toenail removal, expect recovery to be up to 3 months. Maybe more, but no less than this. NO ONE I know (I've known people personally who've done this) healed within the time frame of 3-6 weeks. These are lies. Seriously. Be protective of your toes Cherry. If you don't have to do this, then don't Get on a course of antibiotics, soak your foot in warm epsom salt water daily (twice a day) to keep swelling down and soften the skin, and perhaps you can get away with just a partial without the use of phenol (i.e. when they just cut the nail that is cutting you, not permanently burning the matrix which is for extreme, recurrent cases only). This procedure is what I should've got, but my podiatrist suckered me into the permanent one which causes so many issues. Best of lucky Cherry and please update us on your decision. I hope you really don't need it and can save yourself from this horrible experience.fingers crossed Especially since you walk a lot. If you do end up getting it done, then rest for a full week (no long distance walking). If you end up going through with this, I (and any of us) can give you tips on healing and preventing infection. :)

Cherry		05-Dec-2011 22:02
Hey guys, i am getting my toe nail removed..............5 days bfore christmas and I walk alot......! well u lot seem to be having a lot problems....... and well it just seems like complications.... should there be anything i should be weary off?

Liam		05-Dec-2011 00:53
BTW the name of my podiatrist was Dr. Mark Bradley. Dickhead asshole that I will never see again.

Liam		05-Dec-2011 00:50
Hi Rex, I'm so sorry to hear of what you are going through. Seriously, we all (hundreds of us) have been there and know what you are going through. Almost all podiatrists claim the procedure is painless and you can go about your regular business the next day, LIES! They are in denial and need the $$. I, too have had deep regrets of this procedure. While I have healed, it took almost 3 months!!! (did it in September and it's not healed in December!). Bullshit. My podiatrist is an asshole, but apparently he's pretty good. He's an instructor at the Michener Institute (applied science/medical university here in Toronto, Canada). He is very money hungry though. I feel so foolish to have believed in doing this as in my own personal case, I didn't really need to do it and could have found another way to fix the problem without drastic measures. I cannot believe you are on crutches! I am sorry to hear this =( The pain is overwhelming I know! I suggest you NOT go to him, seek another podiatrist. They will help you. What type of procedure did you get? A partial or a total avulsion? Was it with phenol? How did it he apply it? 3 rounds of phenol? Was your toe infected prior to the surgery? If so, there is a a 80% chance you'll get an infection post surgery. All I can do is give you some advice: 1) Never go to any of his follow up appointments, seek another podiatrist 2) never let a podiatrist 'scrape' your wound to remove debris. Decline if they suggest it 3) Soak your foot in warm epsom salt water in a clean basin or bowl for 5 minutes morning and night. Make sure to dry off well and wait at least 20 minutes (preferably an hour) before apply a NON stick gauze pad around the wound to ensure the area is fully dry. 4) Apply an antibiotic ointment or wound dressing gel. I used Amerigel. Good stuff. 5) If the infection is deep or worsening, please seek another podiatrist or even a GP to get on a course of oral antibiotics. They will help. 6) Keep up with your nutrition the best you can. I know it's hard when you can't be that mobile, but up your protein intake and take vitamin C and zinc supplements. They helped in my healing. I know this. Good luck. I'm praying that things go well from here on out for you.

Rex		04-Dec-2011 21:08
I just had my toenail removed Tuesday. I have since found out that the podiatrist who did this to me is practicing with severe restrictions on his license- and had an expose done on him and his antics in his previous practice in our local paper. Prior to the proceedure he told me there was ZERO down time from this proceedure and that pain was minimal and limited to the first night. He also gave lax care instructions and his nurse wrapped bandage way too tight. The next morning he wouldn't call me back when I complained of severe pain and had signs of infection...he had his RECEPTIONIST tell me to try more tylenol. For me the pain is excruciating, and I can't wear shoes (BTW there is show on the ground here!). I'm almost a week out and I can now walk without crutches. The technician told me that the podiatrist I saw was doing this to 2 to3 people DAILY- ACK! I would like to know if any of you would share the names of the podiatrist you saw in this forum. I will check back here. If he's this bad and any of you saw him, I urge you to complain to your local podiatry board as your stories sound earily like mine. As I have since learned, this is not some easy proceedure (it was only easy for him to pocket my $$).

Guest		30-Nov-2011 20:39
for the breastfeeding mom, use your milk on the infection it is the best anti biotics :)

Liam		30-Nov-2011 19:45
I want to make an announcement or warning to ANYBODY who is reading this and is CONTEMPLATING the total or partial removal of an ingrown toenail: PLEASE, look for second or THIRD opinions. Do NOT rush into this. This is surgery and there risks. Major risks. So be careful and protective of YOUR toes! These foot specialists don't have to live with this, WE DO. They just do 'the job', get your money and tell you to have a nice day. If anything bad happens, well tough luck. I wish someone would've warned me sternly about this. This procedure is not a bowl of cherries. It takes WEEKS to heal - phenol is NOT kind to tissue. Please think twice before proceeding. I hope my message has reached someone. SOMEONE out there who is reading this and about to go into this. If this is NOT your last resort (and surgery should always be the last resort) exhaust ALL other options first. I know I wish I did....learn from OUR mistakes.

Liam		21-Nov-2011 21:56
@Kerry Bennet: Healing from total nail avulsion takes time. You're looking at 10-12 weeks. It should dry up to a scab of some sort by week 5-6. Try your best to sleep on your back. Going back to sports...hmm that won't be until week 10 I think. Realistically speaking because it's a chemical burn on the entire base of the nail, not just a bit of it like the partial. Good luck and very much baby your toe. Soak it in warm, epsom salt twice daily (5 mins each that's it) and use an antibiotic ointment during the day. At night don't use any ointments, leave it open to the air. Always use gauze non stick pads and everyday try walking on your affected toe or at least standing on it. Even if it hurts like heck, this prevents throbbing and that numbness feeling. @Mrs Ouch: When you say it hasn't healed, do you mean it is still draining/oozing? Which ointment are you using? By the 8th week, the area should dry up and be like a scab. If not, then there could be an infection. Do you have an active infection (pus, BRIGHT redness and warm around the toe) @ It will heal eventually. Keep it clean, keep using dressings for until drainage ceases. Once it dries up (scab forms) stop soaking, stop using ointments and stop dressing it. 2 weeks is not a long time to heal from a total chemical matrixectomy. good luck all!

Debbie		21-Nov-2011 13:51
I had part of my toe nail removed down to the nail bed a week ago. I still have a lot of pain, it feels like another ingrown nail when there isn't a nail there at the very base/corner. I keep it open all day, unless I go out, then I put antibiotic on it and cover it loosely wearing flip flops. By the end of the day all my toes are so swollen. Will this pain go away? Does the toenail grow back? I am so worried it will grow back into my toe.

Mrs Ouch		20-Nov-2011 20:52
its now 8 weeks since i had both my big toe nails removed and they are still not healing. I have been back to the specialist 2 days ago and they have given me another dressing and cream to try. I did ask if they had any idea to why my toes are not healing and they have no idea. 3 courses of antibiotics and 5 different dressings and no answers. HELP

kerry bennett		20-Nov-2011 01:19
hey guys i had both my whole toe nails removed at the same time on 16th of nov there. its really painful and sleeping is a nightmare , anyone got some tips?? i also play alot of hockey and i am really gutted to be missing it , how long do you think it will take before i can play again and wear heels?

Liam		17-Nov-2011 22:26
I guess I should update, it's been awhile. It has now been 8 weeks since my partial and while I no longer have pain - I still have a slight scab left over on the side. I was informed that it would takes weeks for that scab to fall off., My podiatrist wanted to scrape it off, but I gave him that look. You know the 'look' like if he dares touches me I will kick him with my good ol' left foot in the groin? Yeah...so I guess it's over. I can do everything normally (exercise, walk long distances) and nothing occurs. Once the scab falls off I`ll feel great and my toe will look nicer. «Hope everyone else is going great!

Laura		13-Nov-2011 01:20
It's been a month since my partial toenail removal and I'm thankful to say it's healing really well for me. I have no pain or swelling. Only a slight scab on the side. I have no probalems walking for long distances. Sorry to hear so many of you are having problems reovering from this! I agree the Dr's do not tell us how bad it will hurt or they are in a lot of denial! I think pain meds for at least the first week afterward is completly appropriate. Some tips for what I did in my aftercare... The first week pour a little peroxside (sp?) on my toe and let it bubble for a min, then I soaked my toe in water only (no epsons salt, ever!) for about 2 mins. I blotted the water off and used a dab of prescription antibotic ointment that my regular doctor had given me when I first went in about my infected toe nail. I then bandaged it up with gause and medial tape and put a loose fitting sock over top if my feet were cold. If it seemed that I was oosing blood then I would change the bandaging on my toe. I wore only open toes shoes for 2 weeks. The second week I stopped bandaging my toe unless I was going to be walking a lot but wore a loose fitting sock over my foot all the time. By the 3rd week I was walking several miles with no pain at all. Hope this helps someone!

Mrs Ouch		11-Nov-2011 22:27
Thankyou Joanne for your comment. I haven't tried savlon but am now on an ointment which I have to apply every night before I put on a new dressing. It's a type of betadine so maybe it will work. I have been told not to wear socks, shoes or boots by the surgeon until they are more healed but it's getting really cold in sandals so I may have to try some sort of closed footwear. xxx will keep you posted

Guest		11-Nov-2011 22:26
Thankyou Joanne for your comment. I haven't tried savlon but am now on an ointment which I have to apply every night before I put on a new dressing. It's a type of betadine so maybe it will work. I have been told not to wear socks, shoes or boots by the surgeon until they are more healed but it's getting really cold in sandals so I may have to try some sort of closed footwear. xxx will keep you posted

Joanne		11-Nov-2011 20:03
Hiya Mrs Ouch, have you tried savlon dry antiseptic? its really helped my toe speed up with healing. im coming to the end of week 5 and still find my toe has off days, but can wear loose closed toed shoes once every few days. ive found aswell, dont know if anyone else has?, that when i first put on my shoes the toe feels squashed and a little tender but after about half hour of walking its feels fine in shoes for the whole day.

Mrs Ouch		09-Nov-2011 21:32
sorry i am in as guest(the message before this one) .How long will it take before I can wear closed shoes and how can I help healing?. As I said, Its been 7 weeks and its making me so miserable. Has anyone got any ideas to save my sanity xx

Guest		09-Nov-2011 21:19
I had both big toe nails removed and the nail beds treated with phenol 7 weeks ago. I have been on 2 courses of antibiotics and an assortment of dressings. I still have lots of pain and they are not healing. I am salt soaking every night and am at the end of my tether. Even the surgeon is puzzled to why they are not healing. I wish they told me about recovery before I had it done because I wouldn't have done it

mytoehurts		07-Nov-2011 14:18
Hello everyone. I'm on day 22 and things are getting better. I do have a question though. At night my foot swells a little bit and there's only so many ways that I can lay. Depending on how I turn or move, it puts pressure on my toe that makes it throb. It's pretty hard to sleep and night and get comfortable. Does anybody else experience this? Is this to be expected? Driving is getting better as well. Sometimes I feel pressure on my toe which causes a little discomfort. The toenail itself seems like it's coming along. I'm open to anyone's thoughts. I've always found it hard to find a good shoe. I tried flip flops but that wasn't enough support so I've gone back to the boot with a sock (hole cut out for toe). Someone suggested going to Skechers to see if I can find a nice, comfortable open toe sandal. Thanks for your suggestions/advice!

mytoehurts		03-Nov-2011 16:52
Yeah it sounds like you might have an infection in your toe. My doc gave me Keflex...an antibiotic that I take twice a day to help prevent infection. You definitely need to go ASAP!

Guest		03-Nov-2011 06:05
Breastfeeding mom here again, glad to hear your toe is doing well, me on the other hand not so much its been over a week that I got it done and I think I should really start some antibitoics I've been keeoing it clean, and soaking it in epsom warm salt water.. Seems like its getting more swollen by the day the entire side of my toe is a red big swollen bubble like to my skin and my corner of were the toenail edge was removed is leaking pus its just as painful as before igot the ingrown toenail out :'( guess ill stop at the clinic tmrw morning... Sigh

mytoehurts		01-Nov-2011 00:56
I just had my follow-up appointment and the doc said it's healing very well. I still don't think they have a realistic sense of what we go through. He suggested wearing a shoe. I was like YEAH RIGHT. But he did tell me stop babying my toe so much. Soooo I've started putting more pressure on it. I think it actually might help with the pain. Perhaps it throbs so much because I haven't been walking on it? I think I'm going to wear a flip flop tomorrow. The surgical boot didn't work good for me. Great tips on sleeping Joanne. I'll try your suggestion. Thanks for all the advice!!!! We will ge through this in no time.

Joanne		31-Oct-2011 22:18
I never had a follow up appointment so its all been trial and error for me, with some success i suppose. At least i know what works now. I had to sleep with one foot out the bed haha, cant sleep on my back. Have you tried on your side with your good foot protecting the bad from the duvet. that worked for me. I didnt really have pain or such apart from while the anethetic was wearing off wich was the wierdest uncomfortable experience. I return to work after a week because i got bored haha. I started getting bubbles and blisters from the pressure of being on my feet all day. But on the up side it really increased drainage. I'd try to go for a few small walks a day, just to see how you feel and what effect it has, it might help your toe get used to it aswell though.

mytoehurts		31-Oct-2011 16:41
Joanne, Great information. Thank you so much!!! I am on 2 weeks so I'm glad to hear that there's light at the end of the tunnel. My follow-up appointment is today. I made the mistake of not covering my toe for several days because the bandage was just so uncomfortable. It started getting super tight and now I see that it was making it worse. Today is my first day back to work...yay me! I have on a surgical boot with a non-stick gauze pad and a bandaid and my toes are freezing. I tried to put on a sock but that's a little too much pressure for me right now. My toe still throbs but it's getting better. Sleeping at night is very tough...I have to lay on my back. Walking really sucks...can't apply full pressure so I'm limping around. Is it good to start walking and try to apply full pressure? Does that help? Thanks to everyone for their input. You guys rock!!!

Joanne		30-Oct-2011 09:31
Hiya everyone I've got a few answers at least now from this site and for a few of the recent questions on here. Ime coming up towards week 4 of healing now. I think stiffness is perfectly normal till its fully healed, i've only just began being able to curl my toe. While its stiff though i would refrain from the temptation of curling them, i've noticed it open up the wound at the cuticle which is why is stiff. As for bandages rubbing and toes feeling tight, they will feel tight if you dont bandage is. this also makes it more painful. You can go to most chemists and get a normal 7 by 8 mepore bandage. these are none stick and big enough to create a little pocket so that the bandage isnt touching the actual wound. no pain no tightness. I have also found using savlon dry antiseptic povidine spray helps healing after salt bathing the toe or changing badages help. This may help clear up infection and funny smells too. But if you're are worried about odour and infection I went to a walk in centre about the issue and they put a povidine gauze on and banaged it back up. this was left on for 3 days and cleared it up nicely. It might be possible to buy this over the counter but havent tried it myself. Your gp/nurse may put one on on request. For those wearing shoes, i've being wearing open toe sandals for 3 weeks, absolutly freezing in this weather haha. Ive only just been able to star wearing shoes and only loose solid toes ones at that. Sites i've been on all say no tight, closed shoes for 2 weeks, no excercising. Hope this helps answer a few questions anyway.

GeeCee		30-Oct-2011 02:27
I want to thank all of you for contributing to this forum. Like most of you, the doctor (DPM) did not did not give my husband (who had his left great toe nail removed) any directions other than replace the bandages in 24 hours using antibiotic cream. There was no post surgery info sheet, no offer of antibiotics, pain killers or anything other than another appointment in 2 weeks. I / we learned everything about after-care here. Here is what we did: after the first 24 hours, we soaked his foot in a Himalayan sea salt bath at least twice a day (cool water gave better pain relief than warm); applied lavender essential oil after each foot bath since the antibiotic cream burned. We found out that the cream had propylene glycol (antifreeze) as an ingredient. As for bandages, G-d must have guided us to the right ones. We chose Johnson and Johnson 2 x 3 Non-Stick pads and Curad Ouchless Tape. Only later through this forum, did we see the consequences of band aides and gauze pads. Again my thanks to all who chronicled their experiences. You have blessed us and countless others with your candor.

Guest		27-Oct-2011 05:32
Hi everyone I am a breastfeeding mom, I've got an ingrown toe nail removed the other day and the doctor took part of my big left toe nail out, I've had this procedure done almost 8 times over the years on the same corner of my toe because the nail keeps growing back but it was usually instant relief, except this time I was up crying all night no pain medication worked at all, the pain has decreased but when I went to change my bandages I got a gross odor from my toe, since I'm breastfeeding I can't use any form of antibiotics the dr said I should be fine, the skin is white and still swollen, slight white discharge only a very little, and doesn't seem like its getting worse, I'm concerned tho?? Any advice :(

mytoehurts		26-Oct-2011 14:00
Does anbody have good tips on how to wrap the toe to keep it from rubbing the wound? I'm about 10 days in and when I wrap my toe it rubs really bad...I hate it and end up taking ity off. I'm still having issues walking because the toe just feels so tight. I still haven't gone back to work. Is that normal? So many questions and no answers.

Robert		25-Oct-2011 13:15
So I just had my left big toe nail completely removed and my right one partially removed. My doc said that I could go back to work after a couple of days but the pain is so bad that the vicodin isn't working at all. Any comments on what I should do?

Robert		25-Oct-2011 09:38
So I just had my left big toe nail completely removed and my right one partially removed. My doc said that I could go back to work after a couple of days but the pain is so bad that the vicodin isn't working at all. Any comments on what I should do?

mytoehurts		25-Oct-2011 01:07
I agree Donna, the doctor's act like it's no big deal. My doc told me that I would be a little sore but that was it. Yeah right! How soon should I be able to walk? I'm on day 8 and I'm finding it very hard to walk. It feels like my toe is going to explode. It's really tight. Also at night my toes start twitching and my big toe (where the toenail was removed) feels very stiff and numb. Is this normal? I'm so confused... I haven't been out of the house and I've already missed a week from work. Thoughts anyone???

Donna		24-Oct-2011 20:22
Due to an Unsanitary Pedicure in August I had to have my 2 big toe nails removed. The Doctor gave me no indication of how painful this was going to be. They have me soaking my toes twice a day for 20 minutes- Once in the morning then cover with antibiotic and band aid- and then in the evenening leaving it uncovered.Today makes day 7. No pain meds were given and they truely should be.

mytoehurts		22-Oct-2011 21:14
I had a hematoma on my big toe on my right foot. I got this from running. By the time I went to the doctor it was the blood underneath had started to dry up so the doctor did a temporary toenail removal. I was absolutely hysterical during the entire procedure. It was awful! I am on day 6 and I can barely walk, I have missed a week out of work and certainly haven't tried to put on a shoe. I wasn't given pain meds either. Here's my question. It looks like my toenail is beginning to heal. But the PAIN IS HORRIBLE. It's like sharp shooting pains and there's nothing I can do about it. I called the doc back and they gave me vicodin but that's not helping. It doesn't appear to be infected. Please, please tell me that this gets better!!!!

Laura		22-Oct-2011 01:43
Sorry about all the typo's...

Laura		22-Oct-2011 01:40
I had a partial removal of my right foot big toe done on Oct 12th. I kept it wrapped for a week (cleaning it 2 times a day) for the first week. Dr has me air drying it at home and putting a bandaid on it if I go out now. One of my cats stepped on my toe today and it is oosing blood a little :( I put some peroxide on it for a few mins then soaked it and the bleeding has stopped. I'm going to put off getting my left big toe done until I see how this one goes. I happen to really like my foot Dr but the procedure gave me anxiety, I was sweating bullets the whole time he was doing it and it completey grossed me out. I needed twice the normal numming shots and while it was numb, you can still sort of feel it :( I'm diabetic and also take shots for psoriasis that lowers my immuse system so I get infections real easy. Fingers and toes crossed that this is the only removal of a toenail that I will need!

Liam		19-Oct-2011 15:50
...somebody please update! I'm feeling kinda alone in this struggle. Still haven't fully healed....it's been a month (week 4). =( I hope this doesn't last up to 12 weeks like other ppl. I cannot. I have been so drained from this. =(

Liam		18-Oct-2011 14:51
Oh, Tonya my heart goes out to you. Don't feel discouraged! Skin around the wound site turning white is quite normal as the inflammation is causing the area to ooze and seep liquid. In your case, it sounds like maceration of the tissue (common). Are you using band-aids or gauzes? Never use band-aids as this promotes maceration of the tissue (sloughing off of healthy tissue). Use gauze pads and tape them with surgical tape. I like non stick pads too (for the big toe). I want you to know you ARE NOT ALONE. Please don't get all down on yourself or feel hopeless. It will get better. You won't lose the skin around your toes. My suggestion is to switch from band-aids to sterile gauzes. Also try to air it out a bit (especially at night). Are you soaking btw? After soaking or showering,. DO NOT put the gauzes on right away. It takes the skin a full 30 minutes to fully dry (even if it feels dry). Let it air out for as long as you can (while lying down or something) and then apply the gauzes when you have to get up and move around. At night, let it out in the air while you sleep. If you are using an antibiotic ointment, there is no need to worry about infection setting in. Be strong Tonya. Please feel free to vent here and post updates. I come here often (daily) to just see who else is going through what I am. WE will get better. Trust me. It gets worst before it gets better. Maceration and extreme pain around the toes is very common for those who wear band-aids instead of gazues or never let it air dry at all. Wishing you all the best! Hang in there and keep posing! :)

Tonya		18-Oct-2011 04:34
I had all ten toenails removed on oct. 7th. and i really can't take the pain anymore. I don't think it is so much the nailbed itself but the skin around it. It is turning white, ripping. I don't know if i am having a reation to the ban- aids or what. When i take them off and take a shower it feels great. But as soon as i put the band- Aids back on instant pain. I called the doctors office and they said i had to leave them on until i see him again. I don't see him until the 24th. ( he is on vacation) I am afraid i am not going to have any skin left by the time he comes back. I can't even hardly walk. I cry all the time from the pain.

Tonya		18-Oct-2011 04:00
I had all ten toenails removed on oct. 7th. and i really can't take the pain anymore. I don't think it is so much the nailbed itself but the skin around it. It is turning white, ripping. I don't know if i am having a reation to the ban- aids or what. When i take them off and take a shower it feels great. But as soon as i put the band- Aids back on instant pain. I called the doctors office and they said i had to leave them on until i see him again. I don't see him until the 24th. ( he is on vacation) I am afraid i am not going to have any skin left by the time he comes back. I can't even hardly walk. I cry all the time from the pain.

Tonya		18-Oct-2011 04:00
I had all ten toenails removed on oct. 7th. and i really can't take the pain anymore. I don't think it is so much the nailbed itself but the skin around it. It is turning white, ripping. I don't know if i am having a reation to the ban- aids or what. When i take them off and take a shower it feels great. But as soon as i put the band- Aids back on instant pain. I called the doctors office and they said i had to leave them on until i see him again. I don't see him until the 24th. ( he is on vacation) I am afraid i am not going to have any skin left by the time he comes back. I can't even hardly walk. I cry all the time from the pain.

Liam		17-Oct-2011 20:49
I am now in week 4. Not fully healed but no pain at all and go about normal. It just doesn't look 100%. I am now harboring some deep hatred feelings for my podiatrist because the last 4 weeks have been depressing. I think I have passed the stage where infection can set in (it's dried up and scabbed). But if I do end up with an infection, I will FUCK this podiatrists' life up!!! Looking back I did have other options because mine wasn't even that bad. I am seeing him on Wednesday. It'll be my last time. I'll give him some shit about not telling me of potential risks.

Liam		15-Oct-2011 16:48
Hey Zoey. I'm glad to hear so far in this early stage things have been good for you. That is a very good sign. \|While this procedure is a minor one, I wanted to make that announcement because foot specialist rarely tell us the risks. Keep it up though. Follow the directions and take it easy the first week as much as you can. Good luck and happy healing. It would be very nice to know someone who healed nicely from it. Also, I think 6 months is a bit of a stretch for full healing. For total avulsion full healing is like 6-10 weeks. Partial should be 3-6 weeks. :)

Zoe Swift		14-Oct-2011 22:30
I had the part nail evulsion done yesterday on both toes, both sides and after a ridiculous amount of pain with the injections (I underestimated how much it would hurt) the actual removal of the nail was a breeze as you really cannot feel a thing. After I was waiting for the anaesthesia to wear off and be in a lot of pain, but the pain never came? About 9 hour later one toe started to hurt a little but it was completely bearable and was nowhere near as bad as stubbing your toe when the nail is ingrown (ouch). Today, the day after I have gone about completely normal, had my dressings changed this afternoon, gone shopping to get a new mobile phone, no pain at all! In fact they hurt more before? So to me it's a big relief. It is only the second day but I figure if its gonna hurt, it's gonna hurt on the day/day after. Doctor told me to leave it a couple of days then start soaking them in salt water daily and then go back in a week so have them check it out. I suppose it affects everyone differently though depending on peoples pain thresholds and stuff. Told it takes around 6 months to completely heal but it will definately worth it as they were infected and I was embarrassed to have my feet on show and I'm a 20 year old girl, I wanna have my feet on show. Will keep you updated but so far, been a major success!!

Zoe Swift		14-Oct-2011 21:51
I had the part nail evulsion done yesterday on both toes, both sides and after a ridiculous amount of pain with the injections (I underestimated how much it would hurt) the actual removal of the nail was a breeze as you really cannot feel a thing. After I was waiting for the anaesthesia to wear off and be in a lot of pain, but the pain never came? About 9 hour later one toe started to hurt a little but it was completely bearable and was nowhere near as bad as stubbing your toe when the nail is ingrown (ouch). Today, the day after I have gone about completely normal, had my dressings changed this afternoon, gone shopping to get a new mobile phone, no pain at all! In fact they hurt more before? So to me it's a big relief. It is only the second day but I figure if its gonna hurt, it's gonna hurt on the day/day after. Doctor told me to leave it a couple of days then start soaking them in salt water daily and then go back in a week so have them check it out. I suppose it affects everyone differently though depending on peoples pain thresholds and stuff. Told it takes around 6 months to completely heal but it will definately worth it as they were infected and I was embarrassed to have my feet on show and I'm a 20 year old girl, I wanna have my feet on show. Will keep you updated but so far, been a major success!!

Liam		13-Oct-2011 16:06
I want to make an announcement or warning to ANYBODY who is reading this and is CONTEMPLATING the total or partial removal of an ingrown toenail: PLEASE, look for second or THIRD opinions. Do NOT rush into this. This is surgery and there risks. Major risks. So be careful and protective of YOUR toes! These foot specialists don't have to live with this, WE DO. They just do 'the job', get your money and tell you to have a nice day. If anything bad happens, well tough luck. I wish someone would've warned me sternly about this. This procedure is not a bowl of cherries. It takes WEEKS to heal - phenol is NOT kind to tissue. Please think twice before proceeding. I hope my message has reached someone. SOMEONE out there who is reading this and about to go into this. If this is NOT your last resort (and surgery should always be the last resort) exhaust ALL other options first. I know I wish I did....learn from OUR mistakes.

Liam		12-Oct-2011 00:44
So far things are going good. I went to work today for 8 hours in socks and shoes, plus had dinner with a friend all WITH SHOES. And no pain, no nasty drainage. It's all dried up now. The skin is becoming normal and less crappy looking. FINALLY...I can see the ray of light known as hope and the end to this!

Christy C.		10-Oct-2011 02:23
Liam: yes i am using Triple Antibiotic Ointment and the "ear drops" the doctor prescribed me. and that sounds good to hear. this is my first time of getting the toenails removed thats why i was asking all these questions. thanks for helping with some tips. if i have anymore questions i will be back for sure.

Christy C.		09-Oct-2011 20:20
Liam: yes i am using Triple Antibiotic Ointment and the "ear drops" the doctor prescribed me. and that sounds good to hear. this is my first time of getting the toenails removed thats why i was asking all these questions. thanks for helping with some tips. if i have anymore questions i will be back for sure.

Christy C.		09-Oct-2011 20:07
Liam: yes i am using Triple Antibiotic Ointment and the "ear drops" the doctor prescribed me. and that sounds good to hear. this is my first time of getting the toenails removed thats why i was asking all these questions. thanks for helping with some tips. if i have anymore questions i will be back for sure.

Christy C.		09-Oct-2011 19:59
Liam: the right foot is starting to look like my skin color. but i think that i might try the epsom salt to help give it a boost to dry out. so when should i be safe to leave band-aids off in the shower to help clean my toes?? drainage/ oozing came to an end about a half week ago on the right foot and the other there's a couple toes that still have very little clear drainage.

Liam		09-Oct-2011 18:49
@Christy: It sounds like things are healing nicely for you on the right foot. You can probably take a shower whilst a bit of drainage is coming out. The shower may help it promoting that drainage to come out (which is going to come out eventually). I was taking a shower after the 7th day (and I too still had some drainage). Things worked out fine. Definitely try out the epsom salt soak but do it for only 5 mins (no more than this). It really helps to dry things out without being harsh. It may sting a bit but I think it's less harsh than dish washing soap. Once drainage has stopped and the area is dry (meaning no weeping of fluid or anything) then you can go without band aids in shower or not. Getting out in the air will help things to not be so wet. BTW are u using any ointments or no? Happy healing

Christy C.		09-Oct-2011 18:23
Liam: the right foot is starting to look like my skin color. but i think that i might try the epsom salt to help give it a boost to dry out. so when should i be safe to leave band-aids off in the shower to help clean my toes?? drainage/ oozing came to an end about a half week ago on the right foot and the other there's a couple toes that still have very little clear drainage.

Christy C.		09-Oct-2011 18:13
Liam: the right foot is starting to look like my skin color. but i think that i might try the epsom salt to help give it a boost to dry out. so when should i be safe to leave band-aids off in the shower to help clean my toes?? drainage/ oozing came to an end about a half week ago on the right foot and the other there's a couple toes that still have very little clear drainage.

Christy C.		09-Oct-2011 17:50
Liam: the right foot is starting to look like my skin color. but i think that i might try the epsom salt to help give it a boost to dry out. so when should i be safe to leave band-aids off in the shower to help clean my toes?? drainage/ oozing came to an end about a half week ago on the right foot and the other there's a couple toes that still have very little clear drainage.

Christy C.		09-Oct-2011 17:40
Liam: the right foot is starting to look like my skin color. but i think that i might try the epsom salt to help give it a boost to dry out. so when should i be safe to leave band-aids off in the shower to help clean my toes?? drainage/ oozing came to an end about a half week ago on the right foot and the other there's a couple toes that still have very little clear drainage.

Christy C.		09-Oct-2011 17:29
dr had to remove all 10 toenails due to they curled and was digging into the toe itself. i been suffering from that for over 3yrs and it got so bad to where i couldn't wear socks or shoes due to how the nails grew. i had the perminate toenail removal done on Sept. 23rd 2011, and dr has me soaking in dish soap and water and after soaking still put ointment and a band-aid on. the right foot seems to be healing rather quicker than my left due to the left was the worst. should i soak in the epsom salt instead to speed things up a bit and when can i start letting it get air and not have band-aids on anymore?? and when can i leave band-aids off when i take a shower? i feel like the toes aren't getting cleaned enough with them being covered and just soaking. any responses please email me at christy9500bell@yahoo.com and in the subject line put "toenail removal" its so i know. thanks.

Liam		09-Oct-2011 13:26
Hey Christy. The general rule with stopping the use of band-aids or dressings is when the drainage/oozing stops. Once drainage and oozing stops it's best to leave it open to allow the wound to actually dry out. A scab needs to form or it would take forever for the wound to heal if stayed moist and it would be impossible to function (wear socks, shoes daily etc.) Dish washing soap seems a bit harsh but it's working well for your right foot. How is that one looking? Has it formed a scab? Epsom salt soaking is good for drying out the area. Don't soak for more than 5 minutes though. Most of the yucky looking stuff gets cleaned away in showers not soaks. best of luck!

Christy C.		09-Oct-2011 13:15
dr had to remove all 10 toenails due to they curled and was digging into the toe itself. i been suffering from that for over 3yrs and it got so bad to where i couldn't wear socks or shoes due to how the nails grew. i had the perminate toenail removal done on Sept. 23rd 2011, and dr has me soaking in dish soap and water and after soaking still put ointment and a band-aid on. the right foot seems to be healing rather quicker than my left due to the left was the worst. should i soak in the epsom salt instead to speed things up a bit and when can i start letting it get air and not have band-aids on anymore?? and when can i leave band-aids off when i take a shower? i feel like the toes aren't getting cleaned enough with them being covered and just soaking. any responses please email me at christy9500bell@yahoo.com and in the subject line put "toenail removal" its so i know. thanks.

Christy C.		09-Oct-2011 04:56
dr had to remove all 10 toenails due to they curled and was digging into the toe itself. i been suffering from that for over 3yrs and it got so bad to where i couldn't wear socks or shoes due to how the nails grew. i had the perminate toenail removal done on Sept. 23rd 2011, and dr has me soaking in dish soap and water and after soaking still put ointment and a band-aid on. the right foot seems to be healing rather quicker than my left due to the left was the worst. should i soak in the epsom salt instead to speed things up a bit and when can i start letting it get air and not have band-aids on anymore?? and when can i leave band-aids off when i take a shower? i feel like the toes aren't getting cleaned enough with them being covered and just soaking. any responses please email me at christy9500bell@yahoo.com and in the subject line put "toenail removal" its so i know. thanks.

Liam		08-Oct-2011 22:57
Keep us posted though! I would love to know your progress. I come on here often just to vent. Check out John's photostream (nomoretoenails). He healed pretty well (23 days). :)

Liam		08-Oct-2011 19:56
I still wouldn't recommend this procedure honestly unless it's a last resort. These last 17 days have been unpleasant. I can't do the things I want partly due to fear of getting infected, or making it worse. My podiatrist wanted me to write a positive review or commentary on their facebook page. Heh.

Liam		08-Oct-2011 19:54
Great to hear so far things are great! Healing takes awhile unfortunately =( I'm on day 17 and the whole thing has dried up but not healed. I want healed skin dammit haha! Going to work is a bit of pain and I am constantly worried about getting an infection.

Guest		08-Oct-2011 08:05
Guest - I posted a response about 6 weeks ago I had both of my big toe nails permanently removed on Wednesday and I was pleasantly surprised. Sure the anaesthetic hurts a little but after that nothing. I had the dressings changed yesterday and still no pain. Like others on this site I think the time it takes to heal is going to be the hardest thing to manage. Climbing the walls already, as I'm not used to doing nothing - I'm going to get the Wii out later for some arm chair exercise

Liam		05-Oct-2011 13:42
I really wish I never did this.........=(

Liam		04-Oct-2011 17:56
I'm now in DAY 13 and it's kinda scabbed up. No more pain at all when walking but still not completely healed (meaning fresh new skin). I hope I heal completely soon. Kinda tired of this. =S

Liam		23-Sep-2011 16:47
Alright so I took the plunge and got a partial nail avulsion (with phenol). My toenail wasn't infected prior to the surgery, just a bit inflammed and there was a curv in my nail that hadn't yet broke into the soft tissue. My podiatrist recommended me to get the procedure now before my tissue gets super inflammed, red or infected. You can imagine how TORN I was making a decision. I mean...seriously. These comments make you think otherwise. The surgery was painless (albeit the injection at the beginning). No blood or anything. After getting home I went into bed and kept my foot elevated. It started hurting for like 3-4 hours (not intolerable pain, just some stinging/dull ache). It stopped and I just took it easy all day. I was advised to begin soaking for 5 mins max in epsom salt the next day (morn and night). When I took off my dressing I was ELATED to see no signs of infection (there is a HUGE advantage of getting this procedure when you don't have active infection going into it!). My toe didn't even look that bad. A lot of the drainage went on to the rubber non stick pad he put on. So I soak it. It hurt a bit. I could walk on it for sure! I also apply Amerigel ONCE a day (a light dab on the cuticle only) during the day. I am now in day 3 and things are healing fine. I should note that I leave my toenail open (free of dressing) at night. No ointment or anything. After I soak with epsom salt water I just leave it open and it's getting better. I'll keep you all posted and good luck to everyone!!!

Guest		09-Sep-2011 16:05
due to have both my toe nails removed in 6 weeks - I figure I might cancel, this site has truly put me off. What other treatments are out there for toe nails that have been through constant trauma (running and water sports = equal bruised toe nails that fall off annually)?

Deborah		23-Aug-2011 19:09
Hey guys, I had my toenail removed ~3-4 weeks ago due to an abscess under the base of my toe after an injury (and my toenail separating from the base of my toe). Doc had to remove the toenail to get to the abscess, which had spread practically everywhere in my toe by that point, and the toenail was likely infected as well. In the meantime, I have a "sac" of blood that recently developed across the bottom part of where my toenail "should be" and then grew a bit in size (from the size of a pinprick to slightly larger). I'm uncertain whether this is a blood blister or something more sinister. I'm semi-paranoid due to the abscess, so I don't know whether I should simply take care of it as usual and go about my business (which landed me into this mess to begin with--I waited 2-3 months before going in for this surgery to begin with...), or contact the doc now... I just want to wear my shoes again (and for my toe to stop hurting)!!!

George		17-Aug-2011 16:49
Hi all, just been reading the forum and feel really sorry for you all :( I've had ingrowing toenail for 3 years now ( on my 2 big toes ) ive had 2 operations on my left foot to take a slice of the nail off and 1 on the right foot, but they came back again. 2 days ago i had the operation to remove my toenail completely and it hurt a lot the first night, but it seems fine now, just pins and needles. ive still got the 1st bandage on, so i cant see it... cant wait aha. Just wondering what with all this soaking and salt stuff? do we have to care for our toe for a long time after surgery? my doctor said it should just grow into hard skin like your heel or elbow, so ill be fine. but reading this forum im having doubts :( can anyone help? thanks x

AJD		12-Aug-2011 02:02
I had the same thing happen to me...I eventually had to permantly remove my toe nail. When it started growing back it was going into the skin instead of growing upwards. I do understand why you had it permantly removed.

Guest		11-Aug-2011 23:44
I injured my foot and had my left big toenail removed on Tuesday. The removal was done by a family practice doctor who did an amazing job. Today I feel no pain and only have minor itching on my toe as it heals. I work in a clinic and am on my feet for long periods of time. I still can't wear a shoe but am sure that within a few days I will. I didn't find the procedure all that offensive or painful.

Guest		10-Aug-2011 02:00
Whoops! I meant exercise! (I hate to spell incorrectly)

Guest		10-Aug-2011 01:59
Is being a runner really worth having such ugly feet? I mean, I just recently had ingrown toenail surgery, but it was only because I'd lost part of my toenail due to a different injury (not running related) and an ingrown toenail was the result. But prior to this I prided myself on having really cute feet! Do runners really think REMOVING the toenail PERMANENTLY is acceptable? GROSS!!!!!!!!! Can't you run AND have attractive feet? If not, find another means of excercise!!! Geez!!!

aching toes		06-Aug-2011 09:34
I voluntarily removed both big toenails permanently. I am 59 and diabetic and in week 6. They toenail beds are healing slowly. I think doctors should tell us more about wound management since it seemed each time I went back, every week, they said I did too much antibiotic cream, or not enough soaking, or wore shoes too soon, or shouldn't have run, or gone on a vacation, ecetera. After over thirty years of suffering with badly turned in nails I thought it was time to remove them so that I didn't lose my toes in my old age. After 5 weeks of oozing and pain the doctor applied some sort of purple dye to them and now they are finally scabbing but feel very tight. Anyone have this stuff applied? I forgot what the doctor called the stuff. I am grateful for this website but probably wouldn't have done the surgery if I had read this site first! The healing has been far more difficult than I expected.

Guest		06-Aug-2011 05:20
After two years of desperate attempts to cure nail fungus on both big toenails, I decided to have both toenails removed (not permanently) 8 days ago. The doctor said they probably would be swollen for a week...rubbish... Eight days after the operation they still have the thickness of a banana, and i can't even wear my spacious trainers that are normally a size to big! I really miss exercising, which is difficult in flip flops... I am constantly putting on antibiotic cream and for the last three days i have even had tablets. It doesn't cheer me up reading about others not having recovered after 3 months. I'm feeling ugly,sad and down. I really miss running and swimming!

Nathaly		12-Jul-2011 04:31
ripped my toe nail off opening a door. went to the doctor to get it completely removed, that was 4 days ago. im still in pain. when i walk around, my whole foot gets swollen & my surrounding toes get numb. is this normal? should i go back to the doctor?

Guest		17-Jun-2011 11:56
Alice--Sorry your toe is so painful. I can't imagine working around children with sore toes!!I was told by my dr not to put the bandaids on my toes for at least 20 - 30 minutes after soaking. Also, I've been advised to cover my toes when I'm away from home, but leave them uncovered as much as possible at home. I recommend checking with your dr. before changing how you take care of your toe.

alice kiracholu		15-Jun-2011 19:14
please tell me someone..i have had my toenail permanently removed and in lots of pain for past 2 weeks - some people say don't put the dressing on after salt treatment as it won't heal...some say do put it on or it will become infected???who should i follow..i am a nursery teacher and have to work...child dropped a chair and it hit my foot..it bled for days

Sue		14-Jun-2011 03:54
It's been 10 days since I had 3 toenails removed with phenol and laser. Today, my podiatrist said they are all 3 healing nicely. My toes are red around the edges, very tender and draining a little but are not infected. I'm still soaking them in white vinegar and water 2 times a day and applying Amerigel and bandaids to them. I go back to the dr. In a week.

Sue		14-Jun-2011 03:54
It's been 10 days since I had 3 toenails removed with phenol and laser. Today, my podiatrist said they are all 3 healing nicely. My toes are red around the edges, very tender and draining a little but are not infected. I'm still soaking them in white vinegar and water 2 times a day and applying Amerigel and bandaids to them. I go back to the dr. In a week.

big toe		12-Jun-2011 02:52
i had the side of each of my left big toenail removed in this manner, the acid, etc, and almost three months later one side is BEYOND swollen and sore still! i went in due to it being infected and its like it never went away. he said its just due to the acid but i dont know...it does not seem normal. putting off getting my right one done til the left heals but i am sick of the pain it even hurts to wear socks!

Tamara		05-Jun-2011 09:48
hi, i knocked my toe against an edge of a step which pulled out half the nail out of the bed. I was rushed to hospital with the nail hanging out in half and bleeding inside. The entire nail of the big toe had to removed under anaesthesia and today is the day after the procedure. I have been asked to come every other day startung tomorrow for change of dressing and am on antibiotics for 5 days. Am in severe pain and am so scared of my two yera old trodding my foot by mistake....i just want reassurance that this nail will grow properly and will not require any more painful procedure

Tamara		05-Jun-2011 09:48
hi, i knocked my toe against an edge of a step which pulled out half the nail out of the bed. I was rushed to hospital with the nail hanging out in half and bleeding inside. The entire nail of the big toe had to removed under anaesthesia and today is the day after the procedure. I have been asked to come every other day startung tomorrow for change of dressing and am on antibiotics for 5 days. Am in severe pain and am so scared of my two yera old trodding my foot by mistake....i just want reassurance that this nail will grow properly and will not require any more painful procedure

Sue		03-Jun-2011 19:51
After years of nail problems and treatments to my two big toes and recently injuring my 2nd toe on my right foot, I finally had all 3 permanently removed yesterday. So far, my toes feel sore but no throbbing or severe pain. I'm only taking extra strength Tylenol for the pain. The shots to numb my toes brought tears to my eyes, but I felt nothing during the actual procedure. My podiatrist followed the phenol burn with a laser treatment. I go back Monday to get the dressing changed. After that I will be soaking my feet in a solution of 1/4 cup white vinegar in 1 gallon of lukewarm water 2-3 times a day. I will need to keep these toes covered with dry bandaids.

Guest		27-May-2011 02:50
I had partial permanent removal on the outter side of both toes with phenol for ingrown nails. Mostly from my shoe rubbing on the outter part of the toe. The dr. took off about 1/6 of the nail, not too much. It was pretty darn sore for about 3 weeks and slow healing for sure, but by week 4 the scab had fully formed and the pain went away. I wonder if I should have had the inner sides done because sometimes I can feel the curve in them. Not nearly as bad as the outter. Anyone have similar?

Deb		24-May-2011 23:51
I was misdiagnosed by several different doctors as having a sprain. Three years later I went to the foot doctor for permanent removal of nails on both great toes due to a fungal infection. He took an xray (while I was standing ... prior xrays were in a lying position) I did indeed have several fractures. Now the nightmare begins. First of all, may I say I am not a sissy. I have 8 spinal fractures and six ruptured disc. I not only live with this pain but, I am highly functional. The removal of these toenails (6 years ago) was and continues to be one of the most painful experiences of my life. The metatarsal very recently became inflamed, extremely painful. I can not wear shoes of any description without extreme pain. The nail beds are a constant source of pain. The newest development is the great toes are intermittently blue. I am at my wits end and afraid whatever the diagnosis ... it will not be favorable. Seeing a new doc soon. Be extremely protective and vigilant re: your feet and the person you chose to treat you.

Mary		22-May-2011 05:19
I had both big toe nails removed on Wednesday this week. They were thick, gross, ugly, painful sometimes, and ingrown. At this point I wish I would've stuck with the way they were. I've given birth 2 times and that's a walk in the park compared to this procedure and the recovery process. And to think...I have a LONG way to go. I just want the use of my feet back again...to wear shoes and to be able to walk without looking like "Frankentoes". My husband, God bless him, made me a "toe cage" to sleep in. He took a small square laundry basket and cut out the front, wrapped the edges in duct tape and I stick my feet in it to sleep. It really does help. At this point, if anybody gets in a 25 feet radius of my feet I beak out in a sweat. Tell me it DOES get better....please!!

Shawn		22-May-2011 00:32
@Steph R I also had some ointment "BIODERM" So what I did was soak them in water with Epsom Salts(twice a day), yes it stung for a few minutes but then went away. They feel ALOT better after soaking. The Epsom Salts dried the skin around the nail area, they looked like raisins kinda....Then I put just a small smear of ointment on the shrivelled skin. I did not put any kind of band aid or dressings on them after removing the dressings from the hospital. Just soak and air dry everyday. Elevate the toes about your heart as much as possible too, that really helps. Anyways I had both nails permanently removed May 10th and I am able to wear socks and shoes now May 21st. Hope this helps :)

Steph R		18-May-2011 17:26
I boldly went with the double big toe permanent removal on 5/5/11. My left toenail was about half gone from me clipping it for over 12 years. The left one was still mostly there but, I was working on it slowly but surely. In my mind, I knew that I would recover pretty quickly. In the real world, I don't see that happening. My Dr. gave me some ointment to put on and it felt like my feet were in the bowels of hell. It hurts worse to put it on and the pain/burning last about 10 minutes. My dr says it's one of the best on the market. I don't forsee me wearing a shoe anytime soon. How long is this going to last and what ointments do some of you use? I'm sorry but, there is only so much pain I can deal with. Right now, I am sitting here with no bandages on until I can get up the nerve to put the ointment on again. HELP!!!!

Steph R		18-May-2011 17:14
I boldly went with the double big toe permanent removal on 5/5/11. My left toenail was about half gone from me clipping it for over 12 years. The left one was still mostly there but, I was working on it slowly but surely. In my mind, I knew that I would recover pretty quickly. In the real world, I don't see that happening. My Dr. gave me some ointment to put on and it felt like my feet were in the bowels of hell. It hurts worse to put it on and the pain/burning last about 10 minutes. My dr says it's one of the best on the market. I don't forsee me wearing a shoe anytime soon. How long is this going to last and what ointments do some of you use? I'm sorry but, there is only so much pain I can deal with. Right now, I am sitting here with no bandages on until I can get up the nerve to put the ointment on again. HELP!!!!

Shawn		15-May-2011 18:04
Hi guys, So I just had both big toe nails permanently removed 5 days ago. My ingrown toes I dealt with for over 10yrs. You want to talk about embedded, the sides of the nails curled in so bad that the two sides were almost touching each other. I had to be put to sleep to remove the nails. Anyways I came here to see if I should really be soaking them in Epsom salts. From reading your posts I see that I should be soaking so thanks for all your comments they are helping the rest of us :) To you Rebecca, yes mine hurt deep inside also but I do think that is because the nails were actually cutting us deep in there, it will heal. Last night was the first night that I could sleep with the blanky covering them. Anyways all the best to you all and me :) But I would recommend the permanent procedure because going through this more than once would be unbearable for sure. -emailshawn71@gmail.com

Guest		10-May-2011 02:20
Lorri I had and have the exact same thing. It takes quite a while to heal. It is 9 weeks post surgery for me and mine is still red down at the cuticle and tender as well. I think the real trick is staying off it as much as you can and elevating it. When I elevate it (try this yourself) above my heart...you should notice that it isn't as red or "pressurized." I only learned this after the 3rd time I went into the dr. because that is the way mine looked. My last visit to him was just a few weeks ago because it was still draining a bit and I was worried. He never had me on an antibotic which I thought was strange given that the previous 3 or 4 times I had it removed previously I was always given an antibotic. At any rate I am soo happy that I won't have to deal with this ever again...at least not on this toe! Am hoping I won't have to have the right big toe nail removed permanently but I guess only time will tell on that one. AT this point in time I have to figure out what the "extra" "calous like" not as hard as a nail stuff is that is on a little bit more than 1/4 of the toe from the cuticle up. I did pick at it a bit just a while ago and was able to literally tear it off across or at least partially. Wonder it is like a scab or something ? /shrug Anyone have that? Happy healing everyone and as ridiculous as this sounds...was nice to find this little forum to communicate with. Take care.

Guest		09-May-2011 16:33
And, LOL, I still get a throb in it even when I cough. /geesh

Guest		09-May-2011 16:32
It has been 9 weeks since I had my big toe nail removed permanently. It is STILL healing. I was finally able to get a tennis shoe on at about the 7 week mark. My question is...I have this "hard" almost like a nail like skin on the bottom 1/4 inch or so part of the toe. Very much like when you look at the picture below title "almost back to normal" but mine still seems thicker/bumpier/harder..not quite like a nail but between something soft and a nail. Any have this experience...problem...do? Thanks!

Lorri Silk		06-May-2011 04:19
It has been two weeks since my removal. The nail bed is dark purple/black. I finished a course of antibiotics. There is still redness and pain in the cuticle area. Did anyone experience this ?

Guest		30-Apr-2011 15:48
Sorry- I typed last message, forgot to sign... Heidi

Guest		29-Apr-2011 20:31
Thanks for the replies! Unfortuately I am not allowed to soak my foot, let alone get it wet due to the fact I had a tumor removed. According to Dr. With the bone involvement I must wait until I have a scab. I see no way for me to return to work in 8 days! This is the sorest foot ever! :(

cally		29-Apr-2011 12:09
Hi i had my toenail removed 1 weeks ago, all i can say is OUCH OUCH OUCH, ive had daily visits from a district nurse to change the dressings, the 1st was horrendous, all dried blood stuck to the wound, i told her that a local should be administered for the 1st change, she informed me that shes had patients faint on her, i asked how long it would take for the toenail to grow back and only then was i told it was a permanant removal, neither was i told how painful it would be, its worst than childbirth i swear, i have another toenail going the same way and theres no way im seeking medical advice on that, id rather tolerate the discomfort as it is,

marie		29-Apr-2011 01:53
did your toenail grow back or was it permenant. mine was perminent and looks hideous. i've tried to put a fake one on and that didn't work. any suggestions

Rebecca		28-Apr-2011 02:20
Heidi, Mine hurt real bad at first. I used the large non-stick badaids and alot of first aid neosporin. I sqeezed the ointment on the bandaid itself. Between that I soaked my feet I started off in warm water. You need to soak them at least 3 times a day. That seemed to help. Later after about a week I started using water as hot as I could stand it.I hope this helps.

Heidi		27-Apr-2011 09:02
Greetings! I had a subungual exostectomy with temp removal of my big toe nail performed last Friday. Life was grand until the digital block wore off. I began adjusting to the pain, & am on Celebrex due to an intolerance of narcotics. Went today to have the pressure dressing removed. That was so ungodly painful! The dried blood had clotted and was stuck to the wound! My word did I cry!!! Dr. Seems to think I will be back to work (I work as a clinician at a hospital-12 hr shifts) in two weeks. Wearing a closed shoe in the same timeframe. I understand it's early, but this is so painful! I can't see being on my feet for 12 hours during the next 1.5 weeks! Anybody else have some input!?!

jess		13-Apr-2011 05:04
My second toenail got accidentally ripped off by my boyfriend monday 4 11 11 and it was not pretty! Unfortunately we only had alcohol to clean it.....ouch but it was covered in triple aid and a bandaid. Today i've changed the bandaid with a new one. And when I got home from work I used peroxide and more ointment and gauze wrapped with tape. I experience very little pain..sometimes it aches....when should I start soaking it in the salt and should I clean it and bandage everydaymultiple times a day?!

Rebecca		10-Apr-2011 01:50
I have suffered with my 2 ingrown toenails for 19 years, then 2 more came up 6 years ago. The ones for 19 years are my big toes and the other is the toes next to them. My husband was with me when they removed the 2 big ones at once. He said it took the Dr. along time to get them out because it was embedded so much. Now since I have had this done 4 days ago. The first night it hurt a little and tonight hurts so bad. My question would be if anyine has ever had one that emedded? I am worry about it healing the wrong way. It hurts deep down inside, but don't see any opening. Can anyone tell me how theres healed.

Rachel		28-Mar-2011 16:30
Hello All, I had both of my big toenails removed about 8 weeks ago. I havn't really had pain but they are tender. My Dr. said that they were healing better than he has ever seen and he has been in practice for over 25 years. The key to good healing is soaking in epsom salt. DO NOT SLACK ON SOAKING. Soak at least 2 times a day for 5-20 minutes. I have a large tuperware that I use. I put about 1/4 to 1/2 cup of epsom salt to about a gallon or a gallon and a half of really warm water. When I was about 6 weeks into healing I started to slow down on soaking..I was soaking once every other day and I started to have a lot of discomfort. I am now back t soaking twice a day and I am feeling much better.

Barb		13-Mar-2011 17:05
Well, I have been wearing 2 shoes now for a week, I suppose it does get better huh? The initial pain will be in my memory bank, I sure don't (and won't) ever do this again. Good luck all and happy healing.

Guest		28-Feb-2011 22:16
it really does get better! it may not seem like it, but it will! its a lengthy process and hurts like hell. i had my full nail on big toe removed with the acid to kill the cells, about 15 years ago. i had to wear a slipper with the toe cut out for a week to fit my bandage in! it took about 6 months all in all to heal properly and now its my lovely stump! haha! yeah it looks a bit silly but i can paint it if i want to (but i dont because it tickles too much!) . i now unfortunately have another ingrowing toenail in my left big toe which i have had tonnes of antibiotics for, which heal it up for about a month and then it comes back again,grrrrrrrr. so ive been trying to pluck up the courage to go back to the doctor for him to tell me it needs taking out, tomorrow im going,eeeeeek! i can just remember the pain and im being a giant wuss i know, but im just thinking how great it will feel to be able to not have the pain and wear some pretty flip flops in the summer without my big ugly toenail leaking pus everywhere!

Barb		27-Feb-2011 20:27
Today I am trying to go without a bandaid. so far so good. Had my last checkup, she said I didn't have to come back unless the infection flared up again. Still not brave enough to try a shoe yet, maybe next week. Hang in there ev1, it does seem to get a little better. Not sure about how its going to feel when the nail starts coming back.

George		21-Feb-2011 01:04
I got my toenail removed for the second time in 5 years only this time I had the doctor to make it where it never grows back. So it has been 5 weeks and I dont wrap it anymore with bandages but I just place a bandaid over it. It has been 5 weeks and is still is sensitive and the drainage has slowed down a lot as there isnt much drainage but its still red and tender and only seem to be scabbing up a little bit... how long can I expect to be able to remove the band aid and just have it not be sensitive

George		20-Feb-2011 23:21
I got my toenail removed for the second time in 5 years only this time I had the doctor to make it where it never grows back. So it has been 5 weeks and I dont wrap it anymore with bandages but I just place a bandaid over it. It has been 5 weeks and is still is sensitive and the drainage has slowed down a lot as there isnt much drainage but its still red and tender and only seem to be scabbing up a little bit... how long can I expect to be able to remove the band aid and just have it not be sensitive

Barb		15-Feb-2011 15:50
update from Barb: went for checkup last week, said I was half way healed. still can't put on a shoe. I wear 4 socks to go outside to feed horses, The skin is sloughing off but nice new skin coming in. Still oozing gunk, cleaning with a q tip is still touchy. Still on antibiotics, and just an aspirin a day. Hope everyone feels better soon, I was starting to feel that if they had just amputated the toe, it would be healed by now. Hugs!!!

Leslie		11-Feb-2011 23:00
These comments have helped so much. I am 7 days out of having a big toe nail removed. I jammed it and was on antibiotics for 3 weeks. Then went to a Podiatrist and was told the nail had to come off right then and another week of another antibiotic. I too had a doctor that said oh, you will be up and going in a day or two with no problems, life as usual. Ha Ha and HA! I went through 24 hours of the worst pain ever! My husband and kids said they have never heard me cry so bad. It even made my husband cry too. I still can't get into shoes and wonder when I ever will. I do a lot of traveling. We have a family vaca planned in April to DC and I still don't know what shoe to get to wear. Right now I can wear flip flops but is that the best to wear for a lot of walking? Any advice of best shoes to get and when I will be in closed toed shoes again? The Doctor's are in fantasy land thinking its no big deal. It is a big deal, very painful and makes me wonder have they ever had this done?

Guest		04-Feb-2011 22:34
the only thing i can suggest is to make sure you dont wear shoes that rub against it, and try to get it aired to dry it so it can and scabb over, i hope your problems clear up :) iv've just had half of my toenail removed and its healing well it was such a huge relief as my toe was badly and infected and verry painful, after a year of problems everything seemed to be going well with my toe after my surgery but when i removed my dressings my toe was swolen and infected at the other side i :( i am afraid to go back to the doc as i dont want him to remove my whole toenail..... is there any other options availible besides surgery?

jenny wren		03-Feb-2011 20:38
hi all had both big toe nails removed permanently on 6 . 12. 2010 and guess what 9 weeks later and they are still painful still cant get shoes on and being a dancer this is frustrating toe nail beds are still leaking gunky stuff been to the doc 4 times and they swab them and say no infection been to the podiatrist and they say the same never would i suggest this treatment for any one the pain of ingrown nails are nothing compared to what i have now podiatrist tells me the long term benefit will be worth this pain................grr any one else out there with any suggestions on how to get these beds healing quicker help.

Ray		31-Jan-2011 05:18
Last update after Dec 16th 2010. Its been about 40 days since the last 4 of the 10 I had removed. They are still somewhat tender but do-able. I had all ten toenails removed and fave to say when I had them done it was a terrible thing to have to do but because of diabetes I think its better than the loss of a toe or toes or foot. If you can stan the pain of removal its worth it. Yes they look a little funny but hey I can walk now pain free and who cares what they look like. If I had to do it all again I would without question do it. Hang in there everyone it gets better with time. But I have to admit there is no pain in the world like it, but it does get better, lots better.

Barb		28-Jan-2011 23:37
I am in week 3 of the most pain I have ever experienced. I do wish I had read some of this prior, but it was an instant decision in the Dr's office when I went to see about my toe being purple and very swollen for the previous 3 weeks. Lesson: don't pick at an ingrown nail. They removed the entire nail and said have a nice day. Ha ha ha. Two days after I am screaming for pain killers. The antibiotics seem to finally be kicking in, but at week 3 it still hurts like hell. Didn't help that I dropped the cell phone right on top of it either. Pulling off a bandaid stuck in it doesn't help much either. If I didn't have animals to look after I would stay in bed all day, I hope to never experience this ever again.

Kelly		17-Jan-2011 21:44
I acutally cut the toe out of my tennis shoe which was very helpful and there was no pain from shoe pressure - that might be something that could help a bit. Hope it feels better soon.

Guest		10-Jan-2011 20:19
hi i've just had a half of my nail removed perminantly, i have found this site verry helpful on the do's and dont's after surgery. i am planning to go back to collage after a week of rest. .hovever i live in the UK and the weather doesent permit wearing opened toed shoes, i am worying that after my return to collage wearing trainers will hinder the healing prosses. i dont know what shoes to wear? any advice?

Guest		10-Jan-2011 20:19
hi i've just had a half of my nail removed perminantly, i have found this site verry helpful on the do's and dont's after surgery. i am planning to go back to collage after a week of rest. .hovever i live in the UK and the weather doesent permit wearing opened toed shoes, i am worying that after my return to collage wearing trainers will hinder the healing prosses. i dont know what shoes to wear? any advice?

Guest		10-Jan-2011 20:19
hi i've just had a half of my nail removed perminantly, i have found this site verry helpful on the do's and dont's after surgery. i am planning to go back to collage after a week of rest. .hovever i live in the UK and the weather doesent permit wearing opened toed shoes, i am worying that after my return to collage wearing trainers will hinder the healing prosses. i dont know what shoes to wear? any advice?

Guest		30-Dec-2010 17:13
I did a 30 mile Breast Cancer walk back in Oct. and as a result ending up without 2 toenails - one having to be removed (the big toe on my left foot), and the other falling off on its own (the second nail on the left foot). I had experienced trauma to the front of my feet doing constant downhill walking (even though I had gotten fitted for proper sneakers and wicking socks). I have to say the 10 days that followed the removal of my toenail were without a doubt some of the most painful days I've ever experienced. The podiatrist I went to kept reassuring me that I would feel so much better once they removed the toenail. Unfortunately I was by myself and had to drive myself home from the appointment (about 20 minutes away in tremendous pain). The doctor didn't prescribe anything for pain or any antibiotics. I promptly called my family MD who called in 2 RX's to help me out. At the end of the first week I had been so nauseated by the pain and the sight of my foot (changing bandages everyday - the 1st two days they stuck to the wound), I lost 8lbs. The nail that fell off, didn't do so until November. Oh I forgot to mention, I was going on a cruise 2 weeks after having my nail removed! The podiatrist mentioned that some woman actually paint their nail beds at that stage (REALLY???? Doesn't seem like sound medical advice). Anyway, its almost 3 months since and I'm here hoping to find out if my toenail (the big one) will grow back looking normal. I'm vain, I guess. I liked my feet. I'm sad that they look so ugly now. But as my husband says, save a boob, lose a toenail...or two.

Cathy		26-Dec-2010 19:56
I had both big toenails removed and phenolised 3 weeks ago. They are still quite tender to the touch and weeping with clear/yellow stuff. I have been bathing them in a warm salty water bath every morning. I just got my normal shoes on a couple of days ago after wearing a huge pair of snowboots for a fortnight!! They seem to be healing but just slowly. Can't imagine attempting to go to the gym for at least another two weeks but am no longer taking painkillers and it's worth it for me in the long run than having to permanently tolerate a lifetime of pain from gryphotic nails. Would recommend.

Cathy		26-Dec-2010 19:50
I had both big toenails removed and phenolised 3 weeks ago. They are still quite tender to the touch and weeping with clear/yellow stuff. I have been bathing them in a warm salty water bath every morning. I just got my normal shoes on a couple of days ago after wearing a huge pair of snowboots for a fortnight!! They seem to be healing but just slowly. Can't imagine attempting to go to the gym for at least another two weeks but am no longer taking painkillers and it's worth it for me in the long run than having to permanently tolerate a lifetime of pain from gryphotic nails. Would recommend.

Cathy		26-Dec-2010 19:49
I had both big toenails removed and phenolised 3 weeks ago. They are still quite tender to the touch and weeping with clear/yellow stuff. I have been bathing them in a warm salty water bath every morning. I just got my normal shoes on a couple of days ago after wearing a huge pair of snowboots for a fortnight!! They seem to be healing but just slowly. Can't imagine attempting to go to the gym for at least another two weeks but am no longer taking painkillers and it's worth it for me in the long run than having to permanently tolerate a lifetime of pain from gryphotic nails. Would recommend.

Ray		21-Dec-2010 03:56
Update Dec16th had the last four of ten nails removed, over all its been painful like nothing I have ever had to deal with, but it is healing slowly for sure. I have to admit the worse came about 3 to 4 days later somehow It felt like all the nerves came to life all at once The first day was bad but not as bad as this in a few days later. But like anything else you just have to man up and take it. I am a diabetic and was advise to have all nails removed because of fungus and thus would have led to one day having to have a toe removed this seemed like the lesser of two painful solutions. But hey they are all gone now and with any luck they won't come back and I was very lucky to have a great Doctor, I mean she was the best of the best.

Guest		11-Dec-2010 01:36
Hang in there Alan and Kathleen its a horrible procedure and beside the risk of infection being high form procedure regrowh is also common keep on top of it and make your docotr see you if you have any problems or concerns

kathleen		09-Dec-2010 20:50
i had both my big toenails removed on nov 29th and phenol applied and have been bk to the drs 3 times now! the dr says its not infected but i am in absolute agony with my left foot! i cant fit a shoe on and its so red,swollen and gunky. im constantly crying in pain and never in my right mind would i recommend this surgery! i just cant see any progress at all!

Alan		11-Nov-2010 11:20
Hi there, I had my left toenail removed and Phenol applied over 4 weeks ago ( 9th Oct ). It is still swollen, very red, to sore to touch and discharging gunk. I have been on 3 courses of antibiotics for infection. I went back to the podiatry practise 2 days ago ( 9th Nov ) and had the injections again so they could clean & probe away at the toe. I can't wear any shoes and I'm in constent discomfort from the toe. I thought I was on my own with the symptoms as the practise have never had anything like this ( so they tell me ) But reading this forum it seems it happens quite often. Like most of us its getting me down and very frustrated. Reading that there is other people with this problem it has helped a little. Any information on recovery time / medicines would be a big help. Thanks

Rachel UK		06-Nov-2010 12:57
Hi I had my left big toenail removed 3 1/2 weeks ago and it still hurts like hell! I have been folloing the dr.s care instructions soaking in salt water daily for 1-2 weeks then every 2-3 days, it is still very gungy and raw looking and has blood and stuff on the dressing when i change it. i have had it swabbed for infection at the dr.s but it came back all normal, can i leave it undressed if i am at home? I know also have atheletes foot under my toe which is driving me mad...................help!!!

sad about toes		17-Oct-2010 01:41
Good news Joe and good luck I have regrowth too and have to get them drilled down about every 9 or 10 weeks so they dont catch on my socks .

Guest		09-Oct-2010 22:52
Jo here again! guys I have good news, I am now wearing full shoes, FINALLY not sign of infection but clearly not 100% yes but very much on the way to full recovery. And, I have a tiny piece of nail growing in the corner, but I'm not goinbg back cause I coudn't bear the thought of them doing more! I have now booked an appointment to have my other nails cut porfessionally because mentally I am so frightened of the same thing happen again. So hang in there all my nail amptutee's, it will get better! :)

sad about toes		16-Sep-2010 16:03
amen Grace well put I have even written to doctor Oz about telling people the risk we trust these doctors to get us well , Because I wasnt told the truth I may loose one of my toes :( I was told it was an easy fix and would stop al linfections .Not the case for me at all :( I hope you will heal and be ok

Grace Devol		16-Sep-2010 11:58
I had my left big toenail removed on Aug. 9th. After 6 weeks and two days, my toe is still red and swollen and I cannot wear real shoes. I have read many comments and realize that I should not have had the nail permanently removed, needles seem to cause infection and the podiatrist does not want to acknowledge there is a problem with nail removal. Doctors seem to want to hide the results. There should be a law making it necessdary for the doctors to fullly inform patients about the problems that seem to occur very frequently, too frequently. and everyone should be advised to get on the internet and do research if they can. BEFORE SURGERY. From Grace

Sad about toes		15-Sep-2010 01:06
Jo glad you went back to your doc for the infection under your scab I am the guest who posted I thought you had an infection keep a close eye on it though infections can become night mares I have being deal with this nightmare for 14 months

Guest		14-Sep-2010 19:34
And Ray! I can't begin to immagine what you are going through, I fortunately have only had one done, my thoughts are with you, rgds Jo

Guest		14-Sep-2010 19:29
Jimbo, I really feel sorry for you, do you have any family that may do your dressings for you? Kimmy, sounds like you have a very simular experience to me, after weeks of infections and alot of discomfort my scab finally came off with a little help on Sep 12, after my proceedure on June 30th! I posted on here a couple of weeks ago because my infection wasn't lifting, the doctor told me that the infection was under the scab. (so gross I know) it has been oozing ever since and I'm sure I have another infection! if I had any idea of how bad it was going to be, I would of investigated other avenues! still doesn't look like I can wear a full shoe anytime in the future, and now it's getting cold in the Uk :( I can't wait to get some trainers on and go for a nice comfortable hike! rgds Jo

Guest		13-Sep-2010 03:20
Ray I pray you wil heal ok and be well hang in there

Ray		12-Sep-2010 22:05
I am a male 63 yr old diabetic and my doctor advised that I have my toenails removed so that I would not get any more nail infections because for diabetics you can lose a foot due to infection. I agreed to do it and had one removed left big toe 8 wks ago and the other big toe and the one next to it removed last wed. I have to admit the pain is almost unbearable for sure. after 8 wks the left toe is still very very tender to touch but it is healing and of course the right one is pure hell to say the least. But the one thing that helped me cope with this was taking 800mg Ibuprofin and codin pills for pain and ibuprofin for the swelling really helped a lot. Not sure if this was a great Idea but time will tell I guess. I am retired so its easy for me to recover but for you folks that have to work I really feel sorry for you I am sure I could not have gone back to work right away. Good luck everyone.

Guest		02-Sep-2010 14:29
Kimmy Sounds like an infected nail go back to your doctor

kimmy		02-Sep-2010 01:54
well her goes.. i had the right great toenail removed almost 4 months ago. it started growing back but is swollen and hurts like hell.. i cant touch it without cringimg.. its so swollen and red.. no drainage .. just wondering if i should call the surgeon . Also the nail thats there isnt a normail nail.. it hurts bad to touch it and it s really swollen.. i dont know what to do.. someone help me .. im n alot fo pain and i am not sure what to do.. i had this toenaik removed because of a infected ingrown nail.. i just want the pain to stop and for it to look normal.. please help

jimbo		28-Aug-2010 18:59
Yesterday, (24 hrs ago) I had four nails permanently removed 1 & 2 on right foot, 2 and 5 on left foot. At the same time, they cut open my left big toe to remove a bone spur growing up sort of like a small rhino horn. This may have been a side affect of having the nail on that toe removed 6 yrs ago. This was done out-patient in a hospital and thankfully, I was given stuff to put me in la la land and never felt the numbing needles. The one done 6 yrs ago was murder as it was done in docs office where they can only number but not give you la la juice. I'm glad I had this all done at the same time but it complicates post op care as I am not supposed to get the left big toe wet. Doc said to soak right foot in warm water and mild antibacterial soap. For the left foot, I have to dab hydrogen peroxide on the nail beds They gave me Amerigel to put on the nail beds after soaking or dabbing. The hardest thing is to bandage them. I'm a big guy with little flexibility and my toes are all crowded together as all my toes are fat, like the rest of me. . On top of that, the big sterile dressing on the toe they cut open kept falling off. I've replaced it twice. It fell off sometime last night again and I awoke to find blood and some goody stuff on the sheets. I am considering hiring someone like a nurse of first aid person to come in and take care of the dabbing, bandaging a couple times a day. Don't want to pay for a home nurse visit (not covered by insurance) and wonder if there is someone with light heath care experience who might do this? Any ideas on where to look?

Guest		25-Aug-2010 03:18
Jo you may have an infection if its draining under the scab so follow up with your doc this procedure really is a no guarantee and a tough one hang in there and hope you get better

Guest		24-Aug-2010 18:00
Hi, I had my left toe nail removed on June 30th, 8 weeks ago, I still have a huge unsightly scab, and today it has been leaking all sorts of stuff, I have had two lots of anti biotic treatments and I feel like it's still infected now. Very red and swollen, I had no idea the healing process would take this long, it's really getting me down now, if anyone has any tips on how to improve the healing I would be very grateful. I have bathed in salt water and bandaged when leaking. :( Jo

Guest		21-Aug-2010 02:02
Im not much of a "buck up" person either, as I have had 3 surgeries, 2 kids and broke both feet and ankles in a car wreck. The broken feet is why I had to have my big toenails removed permanently 3 weeks ago and I still have more pain in my toes than all the other injuries! Cant wear normal shoes, cant touch anything to my toes, and podiatrist refused to give me pain medicine. Lucky my PC doctor gave me vicodin and now at least I can walk around to do housework, grocery shop and go to work. You are really lucky if you dont have any pain. I am thinking of using large Lee Press On Nails (the fingernail ones) since there is no glue, just the sticky tape to stick them to my toes when I wear sandals. The press ons WILL fall off, tho, so keep an eye out! Good luck everyone!

Guest		16-Aug-2010 03:26
Ok you the person that says buckup better count your darn blessings it is not always an easy surgery for all like me I got an infection called mrse look it up #$%^& it ended me up in the hospital .Plus podiatry needs to explain the risk of nails coming back in 3 to 7 months and mine did on both toes done by diffrent doctors and the last toe had it so bad the nail cells wich doctors cant see didnt only grow on the top of my toe but down underneath . Second procedure put me in the hospital becuase of infection and infectiouse disease doctor said if it happens again I will ooose my toe . So be darn careful of telling people to buck up as not every one heals the same !!!!!!!

buckup		12-Aug-2010 18:11
Seriously.....some of you people really need to suck it up a little. I had toenail removed on right foot 3 yrs ago..three weeks to heal and its over no more ingrown toenails, no more pain. Had the left one removed last week...healing fine..it drains, I change the dressing, it drains some more.....etc. The pain is nothing compared to the ingrown toenail and you dont need meds....

metooch		02-Aug-2010 05:36
I have had both my big toenails removed permanently and except for the time it is taking the hard skin to grow back I have no regrets. Initially I had surgery for ingrown toenails on both feet. It took the toenails almost a year to grow back...think about how long it takes your toenails to grow under normal circumstances (like normal clipping). About four years later unfortunately I had a bad pedicure where the nail was cut too short and not repaired correctly which resulted in the toenails once again starting to get ingrown. I worked with my podiatrist for a while trying to keep them but because I had already had the ingrown toenail surgery once it was going to be harder to correct so I made the decision to remove one permanently and then a year later the other. From experience I do know that the hard skin will eventually grow out on both and I will be able to paint them as if I did have a toenail. I didn't have any problems when I had the ingrown toenail surgery or the toenail removal. My podiatrist gave me a prescription for pain pills but I never too one. Occasionally I would have a quick sharp pain like a pin prick but that is it. My podiatrist says it is not the surgery that causes you pain but the surgeon (if he doesn't know what he is doing). I soaked it in epson salt a couple times a day for about a month and left if open if I was home but put a band aid on it if I had to go out so the open skin would not rub against the shoe. You can buy fake toenails but I didn't. They are sold next to the fake fingernails.

Guest		15-Jul-2010 06:27
More information on permanent toenail removal: phenolablation.blogspot.com

guest		21-Jun-2010 01:10
Had my left big toenail removed due to fungus, and wish I hadn't. It was loose think I would just tape it and see what happens if ever again. The pain i get in the toe at the root area is like a burning knife poking around inside, anytime of day when ever it feels like it and trust me its 24/7. Not happy that doc isn't taking this serious and said he cannot get me for a week but it is what it is.

sad about toes		20-Jun-2010 17:44
now I am told the infection will not clear becuase of the cells left behind under the skin and they cant remove them while there is an infection . My family doctor says these surgiries should never be done because they come with this risk and he told me I will more then likely loose my toe

sad about toes		17-Jun-2010 18:56
So much for not getting to redone the toe done in Dec has pieces of nail on top of it just like the left toe done in July 09 however there is also pieces of nail left behind under the skin wich has now caused an infection .Had to be cut open yesterday so it can drain and need to soak it and put antibodic cream on it .Then when and if infection clears I have to be burned all over again .This has been hell

Guest		12-Jun-2010 11:55
Sharath Hello Guys!! i got my whole right toe nail removed today (12 th june) .... because my foot met with some obstacle and the almost whole part of nail lost contact with the skin.... i wanted to know that how much time will it take to recover from this ...... i am experiencing terrible pain today.......doctor gave me 2 kinds of tablets 'lyser-d' and 'droxyl-600' both to be taken twice daily........ and to dress it for 4-5 days ........and i also wanted to know do we get the exact look as the previous one..... can we move around outside without any bandage....if so ....after how many days?... i wish u guys luck who are experincing it!!!! hope u all recover soon.. :)

Sad about toes		04-Jun-2010 13:49
got my second opnion so glad I did the other doctor wanted to burn me again on both toes for the pieces of nail growing back .New doctor said no that after the first time its to cloes to the bone and a much greater risk of infection so he used a drill that sands it down and I go back again in August hoping thats all I will have to do from now on I spent a year in sandles and it snows where I live so now that I am back in my sneakers I want to stay there .Not sure how the sanding it down wil make it ok but if it does thats great !

Guest		29-May-2010 02:28
Sharon its a long road for me it was 10 weeks each toe 4 of those were draining and I was in sandles for 3 months .Hope you heal well for me two difrent doctors did both big toes and nails growing back pon both so need it redone and I am scared to death to go through it again and the doctor say s its common to have it redone again :(

Sharon		28-May-2010 19:19
I had the toenail removed from my left big toe on May10,2110. The doctor used phenol to kill the nailbed. It is now May 28,2010. I kept my foot elevated alot the first two days; but, then went back to my normal routine as much as I could. I still have weeping and oozing when I am on my foot for very long. I did the Epsom soaks, then switched to Neosporin and bandaid like the doctor said. I wear flipflops and sandals all the time now. Just how long DOES it take for this thing to heal? I would appreciate an answer from someone.

sheldon		28-May-2010 17:40
OK, this is Sheldon again. I am writing to say that i am at about 8 weeks after the procedure and i am doing very well. No more discharge, no more pain and the skin is looking almost normal. I finally got off of vicodin,but i had started taking advil which worked really good. however, the first day that i used it, it made me bleed alot because it has a blood thinning agent and i think my body had to adjust to it. other than that, it worked well for the last 2 weeks. I feel i am at about 99%. if anyone wants to know more or has more questions for me, e-mail me at krwhsw@sbcglobal.net. thanks for this blog, it was comforting to read the other postings when i could not sleep at night because of the pain about a month ago.

sad about toes		28-May-2010 02:56
PJ I am no doctor but looks like nail mine are growing back also and they start out soft like skin one toe is growing back after 9 month and just now feels like nail the other toe is growing back in pieces .My toes where done with laser and chemical docs promised it would work and now say I have to get them redone .I am going for a second opnion next week .

pj		27-May-2010 19:36
Hey guys I had my first ingrown toenail back in July of 2009, they removed the right portion of the nail, not permanently, and then it grew back ingrown in December of 2010-- I had the nail permanently removed then. I'm about 6 months post-op now and everything looks fine-- the picture there is of my nail, but I'm worried about the right side of my toe-- it looks like that area is different than the rest of where the nail was removed. It doesn't seem to be a nail because I can't stick anything underneath of the top edge (it looks like that area kind of grew with the skin) but I'm worried it could be a nail and that it would get ingrown again. The area feels different than the left side, is definitely harder and has less sensitivity. Any thoughts?

Guest		22-May-2010 21:29
Cant believe I went through all of this and may have to have it redone nail growing back two podiatrist said its very commoon up to a year afterwards to have to have it redone :(

Guest		22-May-2010 18:54
I had both my big toenails removed (a week apart) and yes they're still oozing that gross yellow puss, but as I have read, that is part of the healing process. My doc told me to wait 24 hours after the removal to soak with 1 tbsp Epsom salt in a gallon of warm water and to repeat that once a day after that. For the first week, after soaking, he said to apply triple antibiotic ointment and a regular bandage (fabric ones) on the toe. My first time, I didn't realize that I was supposed to put the bandage up over the toe -- I had been putting it around the toe therefore not letting air in. After the first week I was to apply Polysporin powder and a bandage for approx. 10 minutes until the powder was set, and not to let it get wet til a scab formed. I am still a wee bit uncomfortable now (about 3 1/2 weeks from the first toe), but as long as I have a bandage on both toes, I am able to wear regular sneakers even though there is still a little bit of uncomfortableness. I work in a school, so I really don't want the toes exposed to all those little prying eyes so this was what I had to do. Also, I need shoes with good heel support as I also have to wear my orthodics to heal my plantar fascitis (sp?), so I couldn't really wear flip flops. As for the first day and the day following, those shots were nothing fun!! On the 2nd big toe he had sprayed it numb and then the shots and I still felt pain, I told him and he said he couldn't numb me up anymore so that really sucked!!!!! Funny thing, is that toe is less painful than my 1st toe!! Good luck to anyone that has to do this, I was supposed to get the rest of my toenails done, but I think I will postpone that for a while!!! Especially with summer coming up quickly!

Guest		22-May-2010 01:17
Vickie that much pain might be an infection go havea recheck with your doc

vickie hampshire		19-May-2010 06:15
hi there, i had both my big toes and both nail beds removed under general anaesthetic on 11th may, and am still in agony and housebound. does anyone have any pain control tip or ideas on how to speed the healing process. i am currently taking 60mg codeine, 1000mg paracetamol and a 400mg ibuprofen every 6 hours but this is not even touching the constant pain.......cheers vickie

sad about toes		07-May-2010 13:58
Has any one else had a piece of nail come back ? not from the bottom of the toe but the side .My toes where done with laser and chemical first the doctor said that this would work and heal in 6 weeks then took it all back when each toe took 4 to 5 months to get better . Now I am scared if this is done again Imay loose the toe any advice would be helpful

Guest		07-May-2010 00:55
I had surgery to correct an ingrown toenail in January. The toe is still red, swollen and painful. Have been back to the doctor 4 times, she calls it a "good result". I will never have elective surgery on my feet again. This has been a nightmare.

Guest		01-May-2010 23:44
For Vicky UK....24 hours after the removal, you should be soaking in Epsom Salts & warm water for 10 minutes three times a day. Cut the compression bandage up the underside of your toe and soak the bandage off the first time. The soaking will help with the joint swelling as well as bringing everything up to the surface of your nail bed to help form a protective scab.

Vicky - UK		01-May-2010 15:43
I had part of my toe nail removed from my big right toe a couple of days ago. The day after everything was fine and pain free. Yesterday the the joint of my big toe is really hurting and has swelled up. I find it difficult to walk however, the toe itself is not giving me any pain. Does anyone know whether this is normal? The only advice I was given was to keep it bandaged and do not get it wet for about a week.

Guest		01-May-2010 12:38
For Shon.....Have you considered getting your nail beds tattooed? Many spas have "asthetic tattoo artists" who do eye liner and lip liner. These are delicate areas and the needles in the tattoo machines they use don't go as deep as the ones used in your local tattoo studio. Look for someone who also does "nipples" for breast cancer survivors who have had reconstruction. They are skilled at creating the "3-D" illusion. If you pick a classic shade of polish that you will always be able to find, (frosty pink or true red, for example), and take it with you, the ink can be mixed to match it. They can even put a little shine streak on there to make it "pop"! I am considring this myself when I am completely healed. I have some "dermographic art" art already and one piece is around my ankle. My podiatrist noticed it when he was removing my toenails and casually mentioned that a little flower tattooed on my nail beds to match it would be pretty...that is what got me thinking about it! I don't think a flower would do but I like the idea of a tattooed polished toenail!

Sonya		01-May-2010 04:58
I got the "black toenail" from Snowboarding. I went to the MD because my toe hurt so bad I couldn't drive home one day. I decided it was time to go in, plus the toenail was loose. He was going to only remove 1/4 of it, but once he got into it, he decided the whole thing should go. I got home and my toe was about 2 1/2 times the size of the other big toe. the skin at the base of the nail was grey. Now, day 3.5, the toe feels like it burns, and the skin around the space where the nail was is red- not blood red, but burnt red. Mine was not a permanent removal, so there was no chemical used to kill the nailbed. Any ideas? ...and the needle almost killed me! I am afraid of needles....I found out the day I passed out from a vaccination.

guest		30-Apr-2010 14:33
9 month after removal and nail is growing back just a tiny piece on the side not the bottom doctor says for now just watch it and see if it grows all the way back or stays the same after all the healing and being burned with laser and chemical this is just depressing :(

Rachel		29-Apr-2010 10:30
Help with recovering from a toenail that was so infected 4 doctors actually stayed after working hours to remove it since they were going to be closed for 5 days when I went to the doctor it was for just a monthly check in for blood pressure and she noticed I was in slippers so I got caught that way or I would have never went. They removed the inner side of the left big toe being that it was so infected they would squeeze my toe up where they part and infection flowed out well they got it out but didn't give me any after car instructions and sure enough that same flat of raw skin grew on the other side of the toe and this is so odd because I have never had an ingrown toenail in my life but that was on the 22nd of April here it is the 29th of April and my left to is so infected where they took the part off and now on the other side and the other foot the big toe on both sides are infected, I am a morphine patient I have an implanted pump and take two other types by mouth for an obviously different problem but with being on that much morphine you would think it would HELP knock out SOME of the pain I have hit my knees so many times crying this is worse than a lung removal surgery two kids with no asprin but with so much infection in both toes could someone tell me what they were told to do for after care, I am changing the bandages due to them being soaked with puss about every 4 to 6 hours and they are just getting worse I was not told to put anything on it or soak it NOTHING about all I have done was increase my morphine immediate release about an hour before I know I have to change it otherwise I would be crying like a baby there has to be a better way!

Guest		28-Apr-2010 01:20
Janeen, yours sounds like mine that was removed mid Dec. It is still sore in spots and has a hard ridge across the middle. Mine was killed with chemical. No infection and I too have a high pain tolerence. I know what you mean about changing the dressing. I soaked mine off the best I could with Epsom Salt in warm water. Other than soaking it was elevated . I wish I could say it will be better soon but mine wasn't. Raw pain that brings you to tears. I guess I wasn't one of the "it wasn't bad" ones. Good luck

nervouse and scared		25-Apr-2010 22:28
Ok so had right toenail lasered and chemical done july 2009 do to fungas infection that lead to staph infection that had 3 surgieris . now the darn nail is just starting to grow back a littel on the side of the toe instead of from the bottom . I dont think I can go through this again it took 5 months to really heal last time . Has anyone else had this happen . I heard that nails can always come back no matter what method is used . can I jkust leave this alone has it does not hurt ? The other toe was done in dec and scared that one will come back too

Margie		25-Apr-2010 18:41
The comments here are great but are also confusing because of the wide variety of experiences with regard to pain, recovery times, etc. I'd like to help a bit with that by pointing out the following: 1. permanent removal of the matrix (the part from which a nail grows) can be done either with cutting in an outpatient surgery or with chemical (burning) using Phenol or similar chemical (usual in the doc office). Recovery is different with each in terms of pain, times to recover and post-procedure care. 2. pain in toes depends a great deal on the blood pressure in the toes. Thus, if you keep the feet elevated, they will hurt a whole lot less. Put them down on the floor, even when sitting, and they will hurt much more. Walk a lot or run a little and they will hurt even more. 3. "recovery" means different things to different people. When people ask how long recovery will be they can mean how long until the pain is gone, they can go back to work, they can resume some other important activity, they can wear normal shoes, etc. So if you want good answers, don't ask "how long is recovery", ask what you really want to know. 4. pain perception and recovery both depend on a bunch of factors including the way the procedure was done, the age and health of the patient, individual pain tolerance, individual tolerance of anesthesia or other chemicals used, etc. Consider your particulars when you try to apply what others have posted here. 5. The biggest factor in how your experience will turn out comes down to one word: INFECTION. If you get an infection, the pain will be much worse, recovery may take a very long time and your entire experience will be a nightmare compared to if you don't get an infection. Be paranoid about infection and do everything possible to avoid it. One thing to note: surgery in an outpatient facility is much less likely to cause infection than the chemical method. I mention this because the chemical method is most often used since it is an in-office procedure, shorter recovery if infection is avoided, and may give a better cosmetic result. For me, since I have a joint replacement that is vulnerable to any infection anywhere in my body, the infection issue overrode all other considerations. My story: Both big toenails were removed 12 days ago because of persistent nail fungus by outpatient surgery instead of chemical. I get my stitches out tomorrow. I had virtually no pain on day one thanks to the numbing meds. I was given percocet for pain and used it pretty regularly on days 2 and 3, much less after. Keeping feet elevated made the biggest difference. Even now, after 12 days, having my feet down or being on my feet longer than 30 minutes or so at a time brings the pain on fast. If I keep my feet up, I have very little pain, but I am heartily sick of having my feet up! I am 50 years old, female and have severe arthritis in my big toe joints as well as other areas of my feet so this has affected my pain levels due to swelling of the joints. This hasn't been very pleasant but compared to my tonsillectomy, it has been a cakewalk and joint replacement surgery is in a different class altogether. It has been worth it. I hope this helps and wish the best of luck to all!

Janeen		21-Apr-2010 13:58
This is site has been so helpful so far, I am also an ultra runner and went to the podiatrist for an ingron nail after it was growing back from loosing it. I went in on monday and somehow left with both gone forever. the process in the office was great under the local they gave me. That night I was on the floor in tears from the pain, and I would say I have a high pain threshhold. yesterday was okay I stay off my feet with them elevated and when it came time to soak and change dressing the worse pain ever taking the dressing off even after soaking it. My Doc told me that I could do everything like normal the the next day... I can now see this is not the cause. Where any of you in PAIN? and what am i looking at for recovery time as I am pacing my bro at Western States this year. Thank Janeen.

Guest		20-Apr-2010 08:21
My Toe was smashed by a brick i think it was 7-8 months ago. and it still hasnt fully grownn back. im 12 years old and its really been bothering me because i always feel insecure when im in bare feet. Its about 3/4 grown back, but it seems like it stopped growing.. would putting vitamin E on it help? && its got a bump on the end of it, it looks like a cave (haha) sooo im scared sand. etc could get in it and infect it??? could that happen?????

Guest		19-Apr-2010 20:05
I had my middle toenail permanently removed 08-12-09, and here we are 8mos. post surgery and still can't wear anything but sandals Quite a trick considering I live in the northeast.I'm totally exasperated at this point, yet I'm still trying to be optimistic and hope it heals soon. ( I have heard it can take as long as !yr to heal. To the rest of you, good luck! .QUITEAFEET

Guest		18-Apr-2010 00:51
My left big toenail was removed mid Dec, 09. Healing wel,l but still has hard ridge across the middle. This was the worst, and most constant pain I have experienced. It hurt for weeks! Neck surgery in Nov. was a breeze compared to this. I was lucky to have strong pain pills from that surgery to take. C-section, 2 shoulder surgeries, 2 neck, elbow and hand and I felt like a wimp saying my toenail hurt the most. If I HAD to I would do it again but would dread it horrible.

DC		16-Apr-2010 18:24
This is a great site -- thank you everyone for your feedback on your experiences. Everybody is so different regarding healing time, level of pain, etc. I had my right toenail removed 11-20-09 and the injections to numb the toe were worse than childbirth. No, really, I am not exaggerating. Anyway, my doc is old-school -- after surgery I was to keep it bandaged for the first week, then after my checkup, he told me to put a fresh band-aid on it each day, but leave it open to the air every evening after work, and to NEVER let water touch it until all drainage had stopped, which took nearly 2 months! Showering with a plastic bag and waterproof tape on my foot got old real quick, and I am SO glad that is over! Now, I know this sounds like an awful experience, but it really hasn't been. I didn't have any pain at all after the couple of days, didn't miss even one day of work, although I did have to wear Crocks every day for over 3 months, which I despised. Today, 4-16-10, I still have a small scab on the nail bed which should be gone by June. My recovery time is what it is because I am 49 years old, and a smoker, as my doc pointed out today. He also said, :You are not going to heal like a 29 year-old". But I'm still 29 in my head! Doesn't that count for something? Evidentally not in this case. Oh well. Thanks again for your posts!

Sheldon		16-Apr-2010 02:29
Me again - I meant to say end of March, not July. LOL, sorry

Sheldon		15-Apr-2010 09:24
Guest - I had it done at the end of July - both big toe nails - It is now 4/15 - the challenge is staying off my feet and giving the scabs a chance to complete their process(es). From reading this site, I suppose my recovery is about normal - some pain, but manageable. Can't wait to be active again.

Guest		13-Apr-2010 10:51
Had large toe nail removed from the right foot on April 8th and going back to the Doctor on April 14th. Unable to wear shoe due to pain. I had a lot of pain before the removal. To answer a question a saw on here: I had an old pair of tennis shoes and cut-off the top-front half of the shoe with a knife, Sort-of turned the old tennis shoe into a sandle and that is what I wore to and from the Doctor's office. I think I'll be able to return to work on April 15th.

Guest		11-Apr-2010 03:22
To last post you are ao right this is in NO way an easy thing its painful and the nerves can end up damaged and still with all you go through sometimes nails grow back .I had to throw out all of my shoes need bigger toe room now and hard finding socks that dont have a seem on the toe .

Guest		08-Apr-2010 16:26
Was glad to see that picture of week 4 looks just like my toe looks. Nail permanently removed 3/8. I have found the healing process frankly painful, much more than I expected or was led to believe, soreness, burning sensation,throbbing, despite the fact that podiatrist felt it was healing OK. Ended up on oral antiobiotics for 10 days. Ask the podiatrist for a soft boot, found all shoes to be uncomfortable. I will never have this done again, for any reason.

Guest		07-Apr-2010 03:44
just sure hope toenails dont grow back after all I have been through I hear there is a 25 % chance but if it doesnt come back in 6 month you are in the clear god i hope so

Guest		06-Apr-2010 23:34
Just had both big toenails removed, Phenol on beds so no regrowth should occur. Its only been about two hours but its OK, the Dr. used a liquid to freeze my toe where he put the needle, it worked brilliantly, almost no pain from the needle at all. That was my biggest fear. I have fungus and what they call pincer nails where the sides grow in together. I cant wait until Im healed. The removal was pain free as was the Phenol application but the nail removal was a surreal experience, it didnt hurt but was a very odd feeling as it came off. All in all Im really glad I did this.

No Nails		06-Apr-2010 15:09
I had what the podiatrist thought was a fungus and removed both big toe nails. As it turned out it was psoriasis. The podiatrist removed the nails and they have never grown back. It has been 4 years. I went to a dermatologist to get shots into the nail bed but it didn't help. In order to wear sandals, I will apply fake nails, but as Shon stated, I don't have anything to attach the fake nail to and the nail glue doesn't really hold onto the skin. Does anyone have a solution?

Stubby		31-Mar-2010 07:41
@guest i had some problems with my fingernails and some of my nails have been deformed over the time. The deformation could not be handled. I disliked my fingernails from the cosmetical aspect. So i tried out the look and feel of nailless fingers and got in the first step all nails of my left hand removed non permanently. The cosmetical result was perfect for me and the feel was absolut ok. I loved the feeling of my smooth round fingertips without annoying nails. After about 4 month the nails grew back. Then i made the schedule for getting all fingernails removed permanently.

guest		30-Mar-2010 15:15
to stubby why did you do your hands thought this was only done to toes

shon		29-Mar-2010 02:25
i had my 2 big toenails removed about 2 years ago i had no problems at all during recovery. the surgery and everything else healed just fine. now i want to put fake toenails on so i can at least wear sandals but i have nothing for them to connect the fake toenail to all i have is skin and it will not stick so now im trying to find ways to harden my skin where my toenail use to be so they can connect a fake toenail to it does anyone have any suggestions for me im 23 and sometimes it bothers me that i can not wear open toe shoes

Stubby		29-Mar-2010 00:30
@Guest dont worry about the pain. The only discomfort are the numbing shots. Healing will take between 6 and 8 weeks. 6 weeks ago i got phenolized the last 3 fingernails on my right hand. Now after 6 weeks the last scabs are going. in about 1 or two weeks there will be only soft skin. But i think of getting 8 nails (both feets) done in one session is a challenge. But the you have it out of your mind. But then i would go the full route and get all nails done. I got my hands done in 4 sessions (thumb and indexfinger in one session and then the remaining fingers in another session). And this hand by hand.

Guest		25-Mar-2010 18:38
Hi everyone, I can't believe I found this site. I have compassion for all of us. In about a week I am going to have eight toe nails removed. I feel a little scared about the pain and the time. But, I must try to help my nails regain some dignity and give them some air because I must hide them from sight. Ugly.......disgusting. I think I picked it up from a pool and Physical Therapist office. Another girl told me she also picked up fungus in her nails. I am doing this to help the next years have fun, lots more fun not thinking and so nervous about my toes being seen. I will let you know the outcome.

Pj		23-Mar-2010 21:04
Hey guys! I'm back! My toe is recovering excellently-- I've been without a band-aid for a long time and I have no more red or swollen skin-- everything is perfect. I'm getting a layer of hard skin that is growing where the toenail used to be, it is quite awesome and welcome seeing as to touch it before felt very funny. Thanks for your support :)

sad about toes		17-Mar-2010 21:17
I dont recommend this surgery unless its your last resort . It is slow to heal and painful I had my first toe done july 09 laser and chemical and it took 10 weeks before the scab came off and 4 months to get in shoes . The other toe done in Dec 09 and took longer . The doctor says ther is no guarantee the nails will not grow back . My toes get red and swell every time I exercise I was an active person and know have such a hard time with even going walking . The darn nail bed is so sensitive to sock and water in the shower never mind shoes . I have hard skin growing on both toes one is on the cuticle and it doesnt go away no matter how much lotion I use . I just wonder if I will ever have my life back .

Tammy		10-Mar-2010 05:57
Previously I had both of my big toenails removed because of problems with wearing steel toed shoes and nail fungus.I had even tried lamisil which did not work for me. I now have arthritis pretty bad in my shoulders and hips. It was so painful to keep my toenails manicured. A little toenail had grown back on my right bid toe. Monday I had nine toenails removed.I waqs not sure how much epsom salts to add to the water so I added one cup to 2 quarts of warm water. The first soaking went ok, because I soaked them with the dressing still on.(the Dr. said to) The second time I could only keep my feet in the water for 5 minutes. The salt burned so bad I was just shaking. I felt like I was going to pass out.By the way the 30 shots for the numbing just about did me in. Anyway, I am grateful to finding this website. By scrollingdown and reading I found out that I need to add 1 teaspoon to each quart of warm water. Now I think I will live through this after all! THANKS!

KVM		09-Mar-2010 16:20
I read this site before I had to have my left big toenail removed . It was very helpful but my situation was a little different. I had a reaction to the stuff they use to kill the root of the toenail and I was in so much pain...it felt like I had broken my toe. I went into the Doctor for my 2 week check-up and he gave me a numbing cream that has helpted a lot. So if any of you have severe aching after your surgery get help sooner. I am going on 3 weeks now and the only problem is the itch because it is healing. I am now able to get on the elliptical again and I hope to be able to wear my high heels again soon. I am planning on getting a tatoo on the toe when it is completely healed.

Suzanne		28-Feb-2010 16:59
I had both my big toenails removed in early Dec. I had injured them both years ago, one cracked up the midle when I tripped over an in-ground sprinkler head and the other cracked up the side when I dropped an enormous steamship round beef roast on it. Over the passed year, the scar tissue under the nail was making them "tent" up and the sides were digging into my toemeat. The removal and initial recovery was no problem and I never had pain than a couple of Motrin couldn't handle...HOWEVER....six weeks down the road when I had already had my post-op check up and everything was fine, I started using Neo-Sporin., as directed by my Podiatrist. I broke out in an itchy rash all over my body which was mis-diagnised by my primary care Dr. as a blood infection, (possibly strep or staph), eventhough my nailbeds showed no sign of infection. After a course of anti-biotics that didn't do anything to help, I was sent to a Dermatologist who knew exactly what was going on. I was having a recation to the Neo-Sporin which is apparently very common when applied to foot or leg wounds even if you have been using on cuts and scrapes for years! I stopped using it immediately and began to clear up. An open nailbed is a gateway to infection or allergic reaction. On the advice of the Dermatologist, I have just been soaking in plain warm water and using regular old Vaseline when I have to bandage them....so far so good!

Ellen - London UK		25-Feb-2010 17:38
Hi Everyone - What a helpful site! I had my big toenail permanently removed yesterday morning. The injections were really not that bad (I had 3). Today I'm wearing Ugg boots and have no pain at all! My re-dressing instructions read as follows: Remove dressing tomorrow; Soak foot in warm salt water for no longer than 5 minutes; Dry foot and dress with the prescribed dressings only (2in x 2in Melolin dressing fixed with micrporous surgical tape - ask your pharmacist); Do not use ointments or creams unless told to do so. It then says: The nail bed has been destroyed, therefore the toe will: Look red; Weep clear or yellow fluid; Be slightly swollen; Be tender. If the toe is excessively swollen, painful or red, contact your Podiatrist or Doctor. NEVER leave the toe without a dressing on. This information comes from the NHS leaflet I was given yesterday. Hope it helps.... Nothing can be much more painful than what we've gone through prior to the removal. Take care everyone!

Leigh Patterson		24-Feb-2010 19:19
I am a Podiatrist. I am about to conduct a study into the use of TENs (Transutaneous electrical nerve stimulation) whilst performing conservative nail spike removal. I am aware that many patients put off having nail surgery because of fear of the discomfort of the anaesthetic injection. I would be very grateful for your comments on this point, whether you have had the procedure done, are about to undergo it, or indeed if it is this fear that is holding you back. Thank You, Leigh Patterson gataleigh@yahoo.co.uk

Patty		19-Feb-2010 19:53
Had my right big toenail removed on Monday. Yes the shots hurt alot!! as far as the actual surgery couldn't feel anything. The next day removing the gauze for the first time was very painful. It's friday today and I think today my toe hurts the worst so far. I'm soaking it in a warm epsom salt bath once a day. Hope it starts to feel better soon. Can anyone tell me how long before the pain goes away?!?!

FREW		19-Feb-2010 03:53
playong baseball and have an infected ingrown toenail. lots of pain but i can still run and do my sport. the infections getting kinda bad so im wondering how longit would take to completely heal and be back at baseball. please i nedd answers fast!!!

Donna		18-Feb-2010 22:34
If you are having your toe nail removed, I don't think how it looks "Painted" really matters, because if it needs to be removed it probably didn't look great in the first place. I just had one of mine removed yesterday because it was nothing but problems no matter what I did. I had to have this done. It hurts, but I know in the long run I will be happy without the pain. If you are having as many problems as I did, and can not live your life because your toe hurts, then have it taken off, you wont regret it.

sandy		16-Feb-2010 00:28
di anyone try medication first before removing toenails? If your a lady and had all the toenails removed do you still use toenail polish? Can You post pics of all toenails removed with and without polish?

Carol		10-Feb-2010 20:24
Had both big toenails removed on Monday. Injections hurt a lot!! Nail surgery itself was fine. Wore shoes home. Today am on day 3; -back at work as an infant school teacher with 30 pairs of feet around! Have had no pain or discomfort at all. Wore "sensible" shoes to work. They are leaking a little but no pain at all whereas a a toe infection was very painful. They should not return as had chemical applied so lets hope thats true. Have showered as well and was all fine. If you are undecided I would say go ahead its not as bad as some say.

Alwin		05-Feb-2010 08:41
I had my toe nail removed its now 3 days still the same as it was. thnks for this site

Jackie		03-Feb-2010 21:53
I had both big toenails removed temp. before...now after one grew half back and another grew in sideways(pointing to the left) and think and gross and also now my two nails next to the big ones are coming in yellow and gross..I am having all 4 of them permanently removed this friday. I am not a big fan of feet and whenever I go I get all sweaty and feel sick lol but that's just me. I am just looking forward to not having the pain and also having them being removed again and again..and I am only 23!!!! So my advice.....if you are having problems HAVE THEN REMOVED!

Mac		16-Jan-2010 18:11
Getting my right big toenail removed next week (non-permanent). Thanks for this site - it helps to understand what to expect. I'm interested in what people are wearing on their foot when they leave the doctor's office? I was thinking maybe a Teva sandal, but I'm in the Northeast and temps are likely to be in the 20s. Also, do you think I'll have any problems driving myself home following the procedure?

Mac		16-Jan-2010 03:44
Getting my right big toenail removed next week (non-permanent). Thanks for this site - it helps to understand what to expect. I'm interested in what people are wearing on their foot when they leave the doctor's office? I was thinking maybe a Teva sandal, but I'm in the Northeast and temps are likely to be in the 20s. Also, do you think I'll have any problems driving myself home following the procedure?

Mac		15-Jan-2010 18:43
Getting my right big toenail removed next week (non-permanent). Thanks for this site - it helps to understand what to expect. I'm interested in what people are wearing on their foot when they leave the doctor's office? I was thinking maybe a Teva sandal, but I'm in the Northeast and temps are likely to be in the 20s. Also, do you think I'll have any problems driving myself home following the procedure?

JoanieGirl		05-Jan-2010 22:12
Hi PJ, Don't worry, you didn't make a mistake. I had both my large toenails removed recently. The first one at the end of October and I had the other one taken off at just before Christmas on the Dec 18. With the first toenail removed, I did the soaks with epsom salts and used betadine disinfectant to clean it as directed. I was wearing my shoe and working all day with a small bandage within the first two weeks. With the second removal, I was wearing a bandaid and working, walking a lot, etc....within the first week. If you take care of it, you shouldn't have any problems. Don't go walking around barefoot, keep it clean, keep it covered with a sterile bandaid and you will be hiking like it never even happened. I did the epsom salts soak for 2 weeks, wiped it with a sterile gauze with betadine solution (available at Walgreen's) as a disinfectant, and then a sterile bandaid and I was good to go! Good Luck and enjoy your hike in March!! Joan

Guest		01-Jan-2010 17:16
Hi, I'm having my big toe nail removed in the next few weeks, does anyone know of a place that sells false toe nails that can be stuck directly on to the skin? Also how long should I expect to be off work? thanks

pj		01-Jan-2010 04:38
Hey guys! I need big answers and I need them quite surely! I'm 19-- I had my first ingrown toenail back in July-- it was infected so I took antibiotics and later went on to have that half removed (not permanently). It grew back over time and just three weeks ago it became ingrown again. It wasn't painful, but I reailzed it would keep coming back so I opted to just have it permanently removed. I had it removed on Tuesday night-- it wasn't painful at all until a bit of throbbing afterwards (that night). I took the bandage off for the first time yesterday and the gauze was stuck to my skin (ouch). I am now using Telfa pads (or just standard non-stick pads) and I'm taping it up with medical tape-- looks like a caste, but you know, what can you do? lol. My nail looks like this though: red, splotty area where the nail used to be, and then the nail bed it all black. Yesterday, where the nail was ingrown, I saw that there was a pocket of white-ish yellow-ish skin (from infection, I was on antibiotics for a week). Now, looking today, the area has white next to it and the skin is pretty dead-looking. I just keep feeling like I made a horrible mistake. I want to be getting out to hike in early March, for sure, and I'm going to be doing some very long-distance hiking. I just need to know the heal time and I want to know how long I need to keep this gauze on and how long to keep babying it. I hitchhike often, I wonder if I shouldn't settle down for a while at a place just so that I can soak my foot and have somewhere clean to be, but what would you guys really reccomend? I just want to get better so that I can get back to running and hiking again, I'm heart broken right now and feeling I made such a big mistake. :-/

Beth		27-Dec-2009 05:26
I can't wait to post how I feel after my surgery Tuesday as I am getting all 10 toenails removed. Am I nuts??? I'm glad to have found this link as there was a lot of good information. Thanks!

Loren		14-Dec-2009 13:29
I had three toenails removed last Wednesday (both big toenails and the second toe on my left foot). The two big toes were discolored from fungus and became ingrown and the second toenail was badly misshapen--grew pointing toward the left. I'm a concerned because the doctor didn't prescribe any anti-bacterial ointments or advise me to soak my feet at all. Both he and the nurses only advice was to keep my feet wrapped and dry until the follow-up visit coming this Wednesday. I don't know what my nailbeds look like because they've been wrapped for the last five or six days. Has anyone else been told to simply leave their feet wrapped and dry for a week, or am I the only one? Also, will the Lamisil I will begin taking after the blood tests come back help the toenails to grow back straight, or will I have crooked toenails the rest of my life?

JULIE		11-Dec-2009 13:45
had both toe nails removed 7th december it only took 15 mins and didnt feel a THING!the injections stung a little bit but was nothing compared to the pain of an ingrowing toenail,i havent had any pain since and have had to cut the toes out of some old trainers not very trendy i know but it will be so worth it when theyve healed! great tip for the shower is to put a surgical gove over yor feet they will stay bone dry . anyone who is putting off this procedure i say get it done bcause walking around with ingrowing toe nails is no fun !

tsuki		09-Dec-2009 20:05
I had my R big toenail removed 2 days ago. It had fungus and bacteria for the past couple years that wouldn't go away with treatment. The doc told me it was my best option to have it removed and that it should grow back normally. It seems to be healing normally. I have been taking epsom salt soaks 3 times daily and changing the dressing each time. I'm using the johnson&johnson non-stick pads instead of bandaids and they seem to work great. My concern is...how do you keep it from growing in painfully, ingrown? do you lift at it as much as possible? and he doesn't have me treating it with neosporin or anything. he said once the nail bed is hardened, after a week or two, then i can apply an OTC Lamisil cream each day to keep new fungus from forming. I'm curious to know what everyone else is doing. Also, should I throw away my old sneakers? Is there fungus in those still? I really don't want to have to go thru all of this again!!

Stubby		29-Nov-2009 15:51
3 weeks ago at 11/05/2003 was the big day, where i got the remaining 3 nails on my left hand removed and phenolized. Healing is still in progress. There are scabs, but no more drainage. The first week i used bepanthen when covering the wounds with tape. It prevents the scabs to become hard and thick. But the healing seems not to be accerated very much.

Maid Marian		16-Nov-2009 19:22
I had both big toenails removed on 11/11/09. I experienced NO pain and was able to sleep very well that night. I stayed off my feet for the first few days and did nothing around the house. (I do not work outside the home.) I have been soaking them twice daily per my doctor's instructions. Last night, 11/15/09, I put on my tennis shoes and went shopping and out to eat with NO problems whatsoever. I will have a check-up this afternoon, so I will know how well the healing process is coming along. My problem was hereditary...with both nails growing in a high arch and pinching the tips of my toes tightly making it impossible to wear any other shoe than soft tennis shoes. Hope this helps someone make the decision to go ahead and have the surgery. It's the best thing I've ever done for my feet!!

MOLLI		16-Nov-2009 05:18
I GOT ALL 5 REMOVED AT ONCE AND I STARTED WEARING A REGULAR SHOE AGAIN AFTER 2 WEEKS. I PROBABLY COULD HAVE A FEW DAYS SOONER BUT, I JUST WANTED TO BE ON THE SAFE SIDE...

Guest		11-Nov-2009 02:48
I dropped a can of soup on my left big toe. Yeah it hurt really bad, and I didn't really think anything about it until about a month later when I went and had a pedicure done and noticed it. I've been putting this liquid fungus crap on my toe and now noticed it is coming off. I can pull the nail back but it's not all the way lose, so do I let it fall off on it's own? What do I do? I've heard the toe nail does come back right? OMG, will I have to glue on a fake toe nail forever? Any help you can provide please do.

tree		07-Nov-2009 02:54
i just had my right toe nail removed yesterday 11/06/09 the doc gave me to shots it hurt,now i have a little pain he also said take bandage off saturday.I need to no how long will it take before i can wear a shoe ?Right now i'm wearing a flip flop.I did hit my toe and made it bleed and that really hurt.Can anyone please tell me when did you start wearing a normal shoe again?

Stubby		02-Nov-2009 00:05
6 weeks ago i got removed and phenolized the nails of my right thumb and indexfinger. Most healing was done after 3 or 4 weeks. now the last scabs are gone. One year ago i got removed and phenolized the nail of the thumb and the small finger on my left hand. The thumb did heal after about 5 weeks and the small finger did heal after 3 weeks because of the smaller area. The cosmetical result is phantastic, so i am planning to get removed and phenolized the remaining fingernails on both hands this month.

Chris		01-Nov-2009 17:23
I just had my right great toe nail burned permanently after a marathon. I really want to run or do some cycling, how long did most of you guys wait before running or cycling on your surgerized toes?

JoanieGirl		01-Nov-2009 12:05
Hi, I just had permanent removal of my left big toenail as it was deformed and the nail actually took the shape of a large staple pinching my toe along the entire nail. OUCH! I am on day 3 and I can honestly say the pain has subsided, finally. The worst of it was the injections to block the pain. Then the acid application to the nail root. My doc said the block would last about 12 hours. Ya right! An hour and a half after I got home I felt like someone was holding a blow torch to my toe!! Since he gave me nothing for pain, I rummaged thru the medicine cabinet and found some percocet my hubby had from some minor surgery last year. Thank GOD for that! I took them for 24 hours and now the pain is gone. I realized a lot of the pain I had was from where he applied the tourniquet! I think it was too tight! I'm glad for this forum cuz I can compare my experience to everyone else's and know what I am going thru is pretty much normal. I see my doc for a follow up in one week. My instructions are to soak twice a day in epsom salt and apply a bandage. Now I know what I am in for when I have the other big toenail removed next month! Can't wait! (joke) I'm going to take a percocet an hour before I have the next toenail removed!

Sarah M.		26-Oct-2009 21:34
I had both of my big toenails removed 10/13/09. Mine are so much better and only hurt the first couple of days but the pain was nothing compaired to the ingrowns i had since i was 9 and i am 25 now. i have been soaking in epsom salt. 2.5 tbl spoons for 20-30 min then put the neosporin cream not the gel stuff it is a white cream. also use the paper tape on the gauze not the plastic tape or bandaides those trap the moisture. GOOD LUCK TO YOU ALL. it will feel better soon. i promise

CC		16-Oct-2009 15:35
I had my right big toenail removed last Saturday due to accidentally kick on wood. Like all of you that suffered .. it really pain like hell. I wonder how long does it took to grow back? Since than I need to go back clinic to change bandaid every 2-3 days. Is it advisable to cover with bandaid or let the injure nail "air" sometimes?

Dee		12-Oct-2009 17:04
Laurel, ask if you can use table salt and warm water; 1 tsp. salt to 2 cups water is what I did and there was never any pain.

Laurel		10-Oct-2009 20:47
I had my large toe nail removed two days ago and the doctor has me soaking it twice a day for 15 minutes with 1/4 cup vinegar and a quart of warm water. My toe generally feels fine (of course I'm babying it). But soaking it is excruciating. For about the first 30 seconds in the water, I'm fine and then it starts throbbing so badly, I literally cannot stand it. So, I'm only able to soak it for about a minute or two before the pain gets too intense. Is this normal? Does the soaking become less painful with time?

Ronda		04-Oct-2009 19:49
I had my large toenail removed 3 days ago, its doing fine. I'm applying antibiotic cream once a day before the new bandaid. The doc, however, said only to change the bandaid daily for one and a half weeks and put me on an oral antibiotic. My nail bed looks about the same as the photos here. This doc told me it would grow back in one-two mos...........now, my question. I've read a few accounts here of nails growing in differently............does anyone have a clue what would cause that? I was told I couldn't dance for that first month...........I'm a ballroom dancer, former ballet and on pointe, and never had anything like this happen before. My toe is sensitive but isn't causing pain. I just can't stand the thought of no dancing for that long but I want the nail to grow back correctly. Could a premature return to exercise be the cause of the nails growing back wrong? Whew..............thanks for reading!

tkmaz		01-Oct-2009 04:46
An UPDATE: I had my toenail removed in Jan of '09. I WILL say the pain subsided in 4 days, no pain meds but OTC. This was NOT permanent, I still want my nail! So what originally happened is the fungus caused the nail to pull away from the nail bed. When it did this the tissue had room to expand. When the nail grew back (5 mos)it grew INTO the raised tissue. So I had an ingrown nail at the TIP. OMG it hurt! So I went back this month (9 mos later) - he numbed me up & pushed the tissue beneath the nail, I was pain free in 24 hrs.

Dee		21-Sep-2009 18:01
To all.... use non-stick sterile 2x2 bandages held on with paper tape. You will be much happier when removing the dressing!

SharonR		14-Sep-2009 10:18
I have just had my left big toe nail removed this morning at 8.50 and am sitting with this enormous bandage on my toe, the most painful bit was the injection had 3 altogether, it was so quick, I had my right toe done in October 2008 and it took a good 3-4 months until it was completely heeled, I think I can just feel the prickly sensation of the toe coming around a bit, I do hope its not gonna be painful, the last one gave me no pain whatsoever.

MOLLI		13-Sep-2009 21:16
I JUST HAD ALL 5 OF MY NAILS REMOVED 2 DAYS AGO! MY TOES ARE STILL SORE (OF COURSE) BUT NOT TOO MUCH PAIN... THE WORST PART IS TAKING THE GAUZE OFF OF THE BIG TOE! SOME TIME IT STICKS AND IT DRIVES ME F*CKING NUTS!!! I WAS INSTRUCTED TO USE BETADINE (SOMETHING LIKE IODINE I GUESS) I WANT MY NAILS TO GROW BACK! I DON'T WANT THEM GONE FOR GOOD!!

Guest		12-Sep-2009 01:15
Dr. told me to apply nystatin and a bandaid daily. Has anyone else heard of using nystatin instead of antibiotic ointment after toenail removal?

Guest		11-Sep-2009 02:30
I've lost toenails due to long runs. I think for me it was the nail hitting up against the front of the shoe. It's pretty common.

Lisa		11-Sep-2009 02:25
Lauren, Congrats on your marathon. Nails do grow back unless you've had the toenail permanently removed by a foot dr like some of us have. (This is where they deaden the root). I don't know about gluing the nail back on. I wish you the best.

Lauren		09-Sep-2009 22:15
2 weeks ago I ran a marathon and after my big toe really hurt, throbbed and was puffy around the nail bed. Several days later I poked under the top of the nail bed with a sterile needle and blood and lots of liquid streamed out. This greatly relieved the pain and pressure. After that I soaked it daily and applied neosprin under the loosened nail. Today I caught it on the edge of furniture and realized I could probably pull the whole nail off painlessly as it has entirely loosened! I would like to have a toenail for another month of sandal season. Would it be a very bad idea to glue my real nail in place??? What glue?? Will a nail grow back??? Should I see some kind of DR....prefer not to. Thanks for any advise while I carefully navigate around to not dislodge the nail!!! Also what caused this as I did not have a nail fungus?? Thanks so much!

Janice		08-Sep-2009 12:30
I've suffered L big toe fungal for years - Sunday I cought it and ripped part of nail bed through skin went to GP yesterday and he decided to remove it. He sprayed it to freeze it (I asked for injection but he said It would be fine with the spray) it seriously wasn't - I have a high pain threshold but this was seriously sore. He told me to go to work afer putting (very sorely) gauze bandaid on toe...I did and was taking painkillers all day - was very sore - haven't gone to work today as i am experiencing the elecric shocks and throbbing like mad, but pain eleviates when i elevate my foot. If I ever have to have another nail removed I would insist on injection.

Lisa		06-Sep-2009 23:14
When i had my first great toenail removed the doc applied the guaze afterwards. When I attempted to remove the gauze the next day after soaking, I had the problem of the gauze embedding in the skin (painful and difficultto remove). When i went in for this other great toenail 4 wks ago i brought with me a 'triple layer non-stick pad (Johnson&Johnson)'. It made all the difference. No stick, no embedding. He put it on and then rapped the gauze around that. I highly recommend this being applied first. He didn't think it was necessary but I trusted my previous experience and it paid off.

Lisa		06-Sep-2009 22:23
Hi all, I too am so glad this site exists. I had one great toenail permanently removed years ago and i do not remember it being this difficult. I had this one temporarily removed in Dec '08 which grew back funky so had it permanently removed almost 4 weeks ago. I am still having sharp pain (especially at night but which is relieved with either advil or tylenol), can only wear flip flops or crocs and feel like a slug as i have had no exercise. The root area is especially sore and a little puffy at times. I am doing as doc ordered, soaking 2x/day in diluted iodine and keeping covered with a bandaid. I let it 'air dry' for about 1/2 hr/day (my idea) and wear a bandaid when showering. It helps reading others posts and that it can take up to 8-12 weeks. That gives me hope that it will resolve and that i just need to be patient (which I admit, at times i am not) I am tempted to schedule a follow up appt just to hear him say, yes this takes time and it looks as it should. Thanks for this site and your postings.

Guest		01-Sep-2009 15:05
A year ago I had a portion of my right big toenail removed because it was in grown. But the nail grew back even weirder so last week I had the nail removed the the root destroyed. I soak it twice a day and use neosporen. The first day I overdid it walking and there was considerable bleeding. But that has stopped and there is only some seeping along the base of the toenail area where the acid was applied. My doctor says the healing lakes considerable time because the wound is essentially a burn caused by the acid. Haven't had any problems so far.

Dee		31-Aug-2009 13:41
To Gayle & Marilyn, Been there...done it.....and yes it will get better! My healing process from permanent toe nail removal of both big toes took 2 months. Soaking, keeping the wounds covered and an applying a small amount of antibacterial salve is the best advice. I also had the "electric shock" sensations for a few weeks - this will pass! Patience is required for this but worth the time invested. Best of luck to you both.

gayle		30-Aug-2009 06:37
I had my R-big toe nail removed this past Weds by a Podiatrist.The surgery did not hurt and I would recommend having this done by a specialist NOT a PCP..My nail had a fungus infection and was badly ingrown, so the whole nail had to be removed.I read where this can be inherited (the shape of your nails) as my Aunt also had the same problem. It can come from your shoes hitting against the nail too.The Dr gave me post op instructions as follows; soak toe 2 X a day in warm salt water for the 1st wk,do this in the Am and Pm,then rinse or flush toe with peroxide,let dry and then put Neosporeium PLUS (this has a pain reliever in it) on a LARGE non-stick band-aid wear that over the toe all day.Remove the band aid in the Pm for the soak and rinse treatment,then NO band aid while you sleep.You do the same procedure everyday for the next 2wks only this time it's once a day.I have to tell you this does hurt like H@#* when you try to walk or stand,so I suggest to prop up your foot...gravity will make it hurt more.When I took a shower I put a plastic bag over my foot, nor did I let the shower water hit my foot,that would REALLY hurt...no thanks. I took pain med,and my toe went through the usual pain process of feeling like it was stuck with needles ( like a elec-shock) then it would throb,ache and sting.I think this is normal.I made a mistake of thinking I could gently swab away the "goop" which was on the edge of my toe...BIG,PAINFUL mistake......don't do this!!!! I've not touched my toe since and am just doing what the Dr. said.I'm sure it will take a month to get to the point where it's not tender.I can not imagine wearing a shoe right now,nor do I think it would be a good idea.I'm wondering how long will it take for the new nail to grow completely back?

Marilyn		26-Aug-2009 23:42
I am 4 weeks out from having 4 toenails permanently removed. I was told to soak twice a day in espon salt and wrap. Not to let them dry. I am still in a lot of pain. I have electric shock pain sooo bad...has anyone experienced this electric shock pain?

guest		24-Aug-2009 19:01
Hi I also just had my left toenail removed on Saturday but I dont know what to do I have some obstacles in front of me. 1st) I drive a motorcycle cuz thats my only transportation and to make matters worst since its my left foot that is my shifting foot and it takes a bit of force to shift up in gears. 2nd) I do a lot of exercises which consist of running a and weight lifting. 3rd) I'am starting school on September 24th the campus is huge and gonna be going through a lo of stairs and walking. My doctor didint give me any pain medications, so I wondering whats a good "pain" reliever for the meanwhile like creams or pills something that will ease up my foot.

Guest		23-Aug-2009 01:09
LG, I feel you. My nail was removed permanently for the same reason as you 4 days ago and the doctor did not instructions. He wasn't even a podiatrist. He said if the removal didn't work I should see a podiatrist. I feel your pain!!

LG		18-Aug-2009 01:23
Hi-- I am 29 years old. I had my right big toenail permanently removed a week ago tomorrow. The nail was always awful-looking and thick all my life. It would fall off atleast once a year. My toe was also extremely sensitive. I never left the house without a band-aid on it. I finally made an appt with a podiatrist and honestly thought he would take one look at it and give me a presciption for an antifungal. However as soon as he looked at it, he said that I was missing 3/4 of my nail bed. I did have an infection in the nail and he said he could clear that up ut even so once it grew back it would never attach properly. I opted to have it removed permanently because of this. I don't regret it at all, because believe me going nearly thirty years with something that made you totally self conscious and being able to do something about it was great. But it still hurts terribly. He didn't really give me any care instructions besides neosporin and keeping it wrapped. He told me it would get worse before it would get better and that I would think that it was infected but that is just the healing process. It throbs constantly except when I can prop it up but I can't at work. It stings, burns, aches. At times, it feels almost like dry socket when you have had a tooth extracted. That type of pain. And I have a pretty good tolerance for pain. It hasn't helped that it has been stepped on a couple times. Last night was the worse when i had it propped up on the couch and someone sat on it. it bled, and the seeping is even worse now. It hurts when I shower, when I put the neosporin on it, when I wrap it, and unwrap it. It seriously is constant. Has anyone had a similar experience so that I can figure out when I will get some relief. I don't go back for a follow up until next week.

Janira		13-Aug-2009 17:23
Hi my name is Janira im 21 years old. I had permanent toenail removal on my right big toe due to fungus August 10. When going through the procedure the only painful part when getting the nail removed was the shot to inject the numbing cream. Once the toe was numb it took a minute or two to get removed didn't feel a thing and was bandaged up and ready to go. Now im not a fan of pain so i listened to what ever the doctor told me to do. I asked for pain killers and the doctor wrote me a prescription for that. She told me to stay off my foot and keep elevated ASAP and to put ice on it for 30 minutes then take off 30 minutes three time for the day. Im glad i listed soon as i got home took pain killer and put ice on it not directly on the toe but on the foot near the toe and no pain. The toe the next day was a little sore to walk on but no big deal, just kept taking pain killers. So now i have to put this topical gel on and it BURNS but i know it will be worth it in the end. I get it wet in the shower put gel on after and put band aid on twice as instructed by doctor. My toe is doing well like i said just burns when putting on gel but it only last for some seconds. I don't wear closed in shoes yet because it is tender at the top, i wear a slip on shoe just like a slipper but you can wear outside. My advice is to just listen to what your doctor has to say and do it right after procedure is done. God Bless.

Dee		12-Aug-2009 17:26
Steph; my doc numbed both big toes and I did not have any pain. He even sprayed something on the toes so I didn't even feel the shots for numbing. Never really had any pain throughout the entire process. I had both big toenails permanently removed 9 weeks ago - am totally healed and can wear shoes other than flip flops! Do as your doc says and you will be fine.

Steph. Bossier City, LA		11-Aug-2009 00:46
okay I have a Question. I'm having both my big toe nails removed friday.. how bad does it hurt and does the dr give you pain killers cause i don't know if I can deal with the pain and take care of my kids.. I have whats called pincer nail and the sad part is i'm only 23. some one please tell me how bad it hurts before i have this done...

In pain!		01-Aug-2009 04:48
Hello! I had a partial removal of my left big toenail this past Monday. Everything seemed great until the freezing wore off (sometime Tuesday night, when I awoke in throbbing pain. I went back to see the podiatrist on Wednesday AM and was told that it was actually healing too quickly. She scraped the site an reopened it and sent me on my way with instructions to soak with epsome salt and clean (scrape ooze out with a macrame hook or toothpick) 3 times a day. I've spent the last 2 days in severe pain. At this point I'd never recommend the procedure : ( and can only say that I am nearly out of pain killers that I had left over from prior dental surgery. Hopefully it will quit throbbing and improve soon. Thanks for all of your posts - I have some hope!

stephanie		30-Jul-2009 20:32
Oops! I forgot to add that after soaking, I applied triple antibiotic ointment to the site.

Stephanie		30-Jul-2009 20:19
I had my big toe nail removed about three weeks ago. My Podiatrist told me not to soak my toe in epsom salts, but to soak it three times a day for twenty minutes in warm water with antibacterial soap. I also left my toe uncovered after the first day except when I was in the shower because it was painful when water fell onto it. For the first few days, my toe was swollen (I could not bend my toe at all) and very painful; however, after five days, the swelling started to go back down and I had less pain. We went on a cruise nine days after my toenail was removed. My doctor had told me that I could go in salt water and chlorinated swimming pools and said that strangely enough, it might even help the healing process. He told me just to make sure that the area stayed clean and to continue to soak it once a day for twenty minutes. He was right! Twelve days after my toenail was removed, I no longer had any redness, swelling, or pain!

Dee		29-Jul-2009 16:39
To Cindy and KC: My doctor was very insistant that I keep the areas covered with gauze(the kind that doesn't stick to the area) held in place with paper tape. I had an ointment to put on each day - but he said that Neosporin would work too. I was to soak 2x per day for 15 minutes with 1 tsp. table salt to 2 cups warm water. He instructed me to shower with the bandages on, get out of the shower take the bandages off and soak - dry the feet off and apply the ointment and bandages. I then soaked again each evening before retiring, following the same bandage application process. I kept the areas covered until there was absolutely no drainage and the healing was complete (8 weeks). My personal update: August 2 will mark 8 weeks since the permanent removal of the nails from both my big toes. Today I am at work with open toed shoes and , for the first time since my procedure, no bandaids or gauze cover over the affected sites. The scabs fell off last night and the areas where the nails had been are completely healed, pink, smooth and really quite normal looking; except for no nail. I am truely amazed! Long process, but the results are worth it. I believe if I wear light pink nail polish on the remaining 8 toenails it will be quite acceptable and not unattractive at all. My best to all of you - this forum has been wonderful; it is nice to know we aren't going through this all alone! Advice - follow your doctor's orders, soak as directed, keep the areas scrupulously clean, covered until there is no drainage and be patient!

kc		28-Jul-2009 03:34
Hello What an interesting site I have found. My mom had her toenail removed about 2 weeks ago and she says she is experiencing throbbing pain still in that toe and around it is pink some days. Is this normal and did anyone else experience this much pain with there removal. I guess I was under the impression that it would be removed and a week later everything would be fine. I am just a little worried that iy may be something more serious because she is diabetic and has problem with her feet anway. Thanks!!

Cindy Molina		24-Jul-2009 21:55
Hello to everyone, My name is cindy and I had my let toenail removed this pas wednesday. The doctor gav eme very basic intructions on caring for my toe but I am a bit worried. I am not putting anything under the polymem because hesaid it alreadyhad the medicine on it and it does, but It goes on dry. Anothe thing is tghat I have read to do epsom salt foot soaks everday for a couple of days and he only told me to do it for the first day. My toe is still very sensitive to the touch and when I shower as well. I don't have abything to cover my toe with when I shower. Does anyone recommend anything? Thanks, I appreciate it. Cindy

Cindy Molina		24-Jul-2009 21:54
Hello to everyone, My name is cindy and I had my let toenail removed this pas wednesday. The doctor gav eme very basic intructions on caring for my toe but I am a bit worried. I am not putting anything under the polymem because hesaid it alreadyhad the medicine on it and it does, but It goes on dry. Anothe thing is tghat I have read to do epsom salt foot soaks everday for a couple of days and he only told me to do it for the first day. My toe is still very sensitive to the touch and when I shower as well. I don't have abything to cover my toe with when I shower. Does anyone recommend anything? Thanks, I appreciate it. Cindy

Cindy Molina		24-Jul-2009 21:50
Hello to everyone, My name is cindy and I had my let toenail removed this pas wednesday. The doctor gav eme very basic intructions on caring for my toe but I am a bit worried. I am not putting anything under the polymem because hesaid it alreadyhad the medicine on it and it does, but It goes on dry. Anothe thing is tghat I have read to do epsom salt foot soaks everday for a couple of days and he only told me to do it for the first day. My toe is still very sensitive to the touch and when I shower as well. I don't have abything to cover my toe with when I shower. Does anyone recommend anything? Thanks, I appreciate it. Cindy

D		24-Jul-2009 19:33
Had my toenail removed on July 9th. My doctor told me it was not a big deal to have it removed and the Podiatrist that I went to said the same thing. If I saw this site before I had it done, I may have changed my mind. It was a big deal. Fortunately, I had a pair of sandals (TEVA) that were completely open in the front, so nothing touched it and I could walk. The gauze stuck to the skin. If I didn't soak it, I was concerned with infection. The doctor gave me a little sample of Betadine. I couldn't open the package, so bought a bottle of it at the pharmacy and just poured it over my toe to avoid infection. The next day I was able to bathe my toe but the gauze was still stuck. I poured peroxide on it and removed the gauze very slowly. It was still very tender to the touch. The numbing shot caused my foot to swell a bit. Even today, almost two weeks later, my foot is still sensitive to the serum from the shot. I am massaging it now to disburse the buildup of fluid. I am not wearing a bandage today, but stil poured some Betadine on it. The nail still looks thick near the cuticle which leads me to believe it is not going to grow in any different that before. It was very thick due to an injury. There is an indentation in the middle of the toe. I would not choose to have this done again. It took a good week before the pain subsided.

Dee		23-Jul-2009 19:58
Hello all. These forums have been good for passing along information. I had both large toe nails permanently removed June 4, 2009 and am still wearing gauze coverings. One still seeps a little and the other is scabbed over. Going to my podiatrist this afternoon and am anxious to hear what he has to say. I haven't had the nerve to try shoes; maybe in a couple weeks! Mine had to come off because of fungus; the nails were very thick, discolored and actually loose on the toe - ick! Very glad they are permanently gone even with the long recovery period. Kuddos to my doc - no pain during or after the procedure.

Tanya		22-Jul-2009 05:45
Sorry that was meant to say 7 weeks ago

Tanya		22-Jul-2009 05:44
Hi all, I had both my big toenails removed weeks ago, I also had the phenol painted on to stop the nails growing back, I can honestly say that if you had asked me two weeks , I would of said I wished I had not had it done, but now that the nails have scabbed up and stopped ouzing yellow gunk, which my podiatrist said is normal, and like no other wound you will ever have which makes you think thst its infected (its the phenol), I am so glad I had it done, I can now get my boots on and real shoes and it dont hurt like before. I wish you all good luck and I am sure you will be also glad you had the op in the end.

Guest		22-Jul-2009 01:17
I had ingrown nails removed using the phenol method 3 weeks ago. The procedure didn't hurt but I got a staph infection on day 4 and had antibiotics for 7 days. They are still oozing but are starting to heal now. I tried salt soaks every day on the second week and kept them covered with dressings until today, I want to let the air on them and see if that will help them heal. I got no after care information at all from the podiatrist other than it would ooze for a few days - not true!! I'm hoping that it was all worth it in the end as I had problems with ingrown nails for a long time. Good luck everyone.

Dee		21-Jul-2009 20:18
To Weeeman, I would advise not to pull off the sliver of nail you are seeing on your toe; go to the doc. Both my big toe nails were permanently removed 7 weeks ago and I am still having seepage, wear bandages on them and soak 2x per day. I went into this being advised that total recovery for the permanent removal is 10 -12 weeks.

weeeman		18-Jul-2009 13:35
Hello to all, i just joined to say, i had my right big toenail permanantly removed on tuesday the 14th. Its something i dont care to have ever again, so im hoping my left toe does not become ingrown too! I work for the fireservice and currently i am off work for a week till this monday (2 days time), im worried now as the recovery rates a so far away from the two weeks given by my surgeon, on top of this i have just noticed this morning that a slither of nail 4mm by 2mm is still visible on the tip of the left of my toe? is this going to be a problem? should i grit my teeth and remove ? or should i ignore it and continue the salt baths, im in some discomfort but the pains not so bad as yesterday. I still wear sandals in the house and give it air regularly and it seems very clean. Should i re visit my gp about the shard or not?

Tanya		12-Jul-2009 07:19
Hi Becky, sounds like you added to much salt, mr Dr told me this will actually burn, because I done it.

Becky		10-Jul-2009 20:13
3 days after toenail removal (not permanent) i was doing really well. went to work and was feeling pretty good until i did my epsom salt soak that evening. for some reason - it burned like i had put my toes in acid! my toes swelled and continued to burn and hurt all night. the whole thing set my recovery back to square one. now it's been 7 days and i'm still not feeling as good as i did on the 3rd day. has anyone had this type of thing happen? can too much epsom salt in the water cause this kind of setback in recovery and pain?

Dee		30-Jun-2009 15:39
Angel - You might want to call your doc or go to an urgent care facility about the pus oozing from the site. That shouldn't happen after the procedure. By all means keep the wounds covered except when soaking. I have followed my docs advice to the letter - soak 2x per day with warm water and table salt (1 tsp per 2 cups), he perscribed Genomycin to be applied 2x per day, shower with covered toes, change the gauze pads afterwards. I am now using the non-stick guaze pads with paper tape. Healing takes time - I was told 8 - 12 weeks.

Angel		30-Jun-2009 03:40
Today is day 6 after having both of my big toenails removed. I have to say I am so thankful that this website is here. My doctor didn't give me any aftercare instructions except not to go swimming for at least a week and do a epsom salt bath once a week. NO pain meds, no antibiotics... )And the reason I went in was because my toe was swollen and oozing puss from under the nail. The doc didn't even look at my foot before she had the nurse prep me for the procedure.) Thats it! cCan you believe it?? Everything else I learned was from this sight. I have been bathing my feet 2 times a day, keeping them covered with nonstick gause and nonstick tape. I try to keep it elevated and use crutches when I have too get round as to not put too much pressure on my feet... Showering still hurts, still not able to put shoes on, was not able to go camping this weekend like the doc said I would. Though the swelling has gone down a great deal and for the most part the toe is beginning to look better, except where the puss is oosing out of the sides where the woulds are deep. Tonight I added sea salt to the footbath, hope that helps. Anyone have any other suggestions? I have been dealing with this foot problem for 9 years, I can't wait to heal and see if all this pain is worth it!

Dee		29-Jun-2009 17:19
Kim (& others) I was reading through these posting and was so glad to hear about someone else experiencing these "electiric shock" type pains. I had both big toenails permanently removed about 4 weeks ago and I have been having these sensations for about 10 days. Very odd also; I mostly experience these pains in the evening when I am off of my feet. I take Tylenol or Alieve to quiet down this feeling. Wonder if this is some type of a healing process? Or perhaps it has to do with the "permanent" removal process.....burning compound that was applied to the nailbed? Ick.... I don't even like to think about it! So glad I had them both done at the same time!!

Marissa S. Lopez		20-Jun-2009 20:09
I had my left big toenail removed due to fungus as well... I am still feeling some pain and hate not wearing my heels!!! I am using a regular bandaid not the cloth kind becuase those seem to stick!! The first 2 days were nasty but today is day 5 for me and it's still sensitive looks red and has a little gunk on it.. not bleeding very much at all. I was told to soak in epsom salt & warm water 1 x per day for 7 days.. hope that prvents an infection. I hear it takes about a month to really feel almost close to normal.. who knows i guess it's different for everyone. I am glad I had it done my fungus came from a pedicure... so I guess that's something I won't be doing again. Good luck to all!

Deb		09-Jun-2009 03:50
Today I had both big toenails AND both of the toenails next to them removed. I was completely put under so that was good. It has been 12 hours and they are still numb! The doctor said they would be numb into the night. He prescribed Vicoden. I had to have them removed because they had fungus and I am having a problem getting MRSA (Bad staph). I was in the hospital 5 days a couple of weeks ago from MRSA in my foot, so I am hoping this helps me not to get it again! I hope nail polish looks ok if they don't grow back. I wonder how long I will have to stay off work. I go back to the Dr. in one week.

Nat		05-Jun-2009 22:34
definitaly ani! im 16 and its the best thing i've done. I finally removed both big toenails, this was after messing about with onli getting rid of halves that would grow back. sandals are obviously a no go zone for a while but after a few weeks you feel no pain at all and can paint over the skin. I wore heels for the first time last night, pain free! X

ani		04-Jun-2009 18:52
hey everyone, i'm turning 19 very soon and have had this same problem just recently with my toes. both sides of my right toe have been removed. the left only temporary and right permanent. but it seems as though its not healing because its still oozingand my nail is very short and looks dead. i'm going im tomorrow thinking about having it just taken out permanently? i'm tired of this constant going to the doctor business and having pain for each procedure. think it's best to just rid it all at once?

Katerina		31-May-2009 00:09
In anwser to Guest Hi its been roughly 3 weeks since i've had my nails removed and the cells killed completely. My toes are begining to itch from healing over, there still scabby and skin flaking off however i can wear normal shoes comfortably and feel no pain! Result! i'm hoping to get acrylics, do u no of any semi-permanent/ permanent acrylic or solution? Thanks!

Guest		29-May-2009 13:33
In answer to DeeJay I had my big toenails permanently removed 1 1/2 weeks ago and my chiropodist said it would be no problem to wear arcrylic nails once they had healed , but she did say to make sure and use plenty glue so they didn't pop off while wearing sandals or something! I had to have them removed because the nails had died as a result of taking up running. Has anybody else had them removed for this reason? I was just wondering about recovery time, hopefully it will be shorter than those with fungal infections or ingrowing nails? thanks x

Fredd		24-May-2009 03:21
05/23/2009 I have read some of the comments referent to what is the self follow up medical procedure after a toe nail removal. In my case, my Dr, ( a Podriatic-Surgeon) instructed me to inmerse my foot on 1 Ltr.of warm water with either Empsom salt or Domeboro, or Pediboro solution TWICE a DAY FOR TEN (10) consecutive days. After each time to apply then Bactroban or Triple Antibiotic to the nail bed, and then cover the same with a small thin sterile gauze. Then, over the same cover it with Secure Flex Wrap. I was told that is important to keep the toe covered with the mentioned above bendage at all times to avoid getting a infection. The Dr. also instructed me to have a CBC and liver profile lab tests in order to place me in the appropriate nail anti fungal tratment as my extracted toe nail (that had fungus) was sent for a biopsy in order to determine which type of fungus it had. Now Im on my third day and doing fine. Oh! and for any pain...just take Tylenol. End of the story. Hope this throws some light to folks with concerns about what to do..... Take care! Fredd

Nat		15-May-2009 23:26
Heyy :) i had an operation to remove the whole big toe on the left and half on the right and im just woondering how long it will take to start healing and th pain to ease. i had the operation 4 days ago and its stil bleeding and oozing. Like DeeJay im also wondering how i can attempt to make them "pretty" i.e. fake nails, painting. i have my prom in a month or so and have some heels :( THANKS please get back to me, really gettin me down. x

julie		07-Apr-2009 18:44
help! My mom recently had to have a baby toe removed, and as an afterthought decided to remove her big toenail that was infected, at the same time. All is healed now, but I need to know WHAT healed should look like. Her big toe is nail bed is brown, and the edges look like a potato chip that you find in Augratin Potato boxes....is this normal?

Shelly		02-Apr-2009 05:46
Hi All! Nice to know that I'm not alone...it really AMAZES me how little aftercare directions all of us were (not) given. I was told to soak with two capfuls of Betadine to about 2 quarts of water (so it looks like tea) for about a ??? - didn't tell me. Of course I was in no state of mind to know what to ask. And no drugs either. Fortunately I had some vicodin from a previous visit (same doctor) for the ingrownS - otherwise I'd be a major basket case. Thank you all for your advice and information. I'll go out and get some of the gel "gauze" tomorrow - I've never heard of that. Taking the gauze off has been really painful so I'm looking forward to eliminating that step. Based on your stories I'm going to stay off my feet for at least a week and keep it elevated as much as possible with 2 kids!. Fingers crossed that my toe will heal quickly!

annaleu		31-Mar-2009 18:04
It has been 2 months since I had one big toenail permanently removed (phenol, etc). I had no pain at all. I didn't really feel the needle, just a little sting. Doc did a great block. following orders I soaked twice a day with epsom salts and luke-warm water, silvadene ointment and bandaid for 3 weeks. I have chosen on my own to use a gel dressing after that time which can be left on for 3 days to allow skin cells to regrow. The gel dressing came in big squares which I cut into thin strips to use as bandaides. Don't know-but hope-it will allow skin to grow over and keep it from being sensitive. I soak occasionally if it looks too oozy. No infection at all. The gel also cushions the area. One poster stated that the doc gave them an expensive gel ointment-that would work same way with a bandaide. The gel puffs up, cushions and protects new skin. Gel dressings are used on bedsores so maybe it will help my toe heal better than leaving it open. If it works well I will have the other big toenail done. Twice a day soaks and keeping the area covered and clean are crucial in my opinion for at least the first 3 weeks-then do whatever you want-drying is then OK. My further treatment is my own experiment.

DeeJay		27-Mar-2009 20:42
I had my toe nail permanently removed last December and it did not come back. It has healed as good as possible. I'm not sure if it's okay to put a "fake toe nail" on it or not -- I'm afraid moisture will build under it and I'll cause continued damage to the toe. Any Suggestions? I painted the nailbed with nail polish like I do my other toenails and it peeled right off. Especially in Cholorated water in the swimming pool. Help:? I hate having an ugly toe!

DeeJay		26-Mar-2009 20:22
I had my toe nail permanently removed last December and it did not come back. It has healed as good as possible. I'm not sure if it's okay to put a "fake toe nail" on it or not -- I'm afraid moisture will build under it and I'll cause continued damage to the toe. Any Suggestions? I painted the nailbed with nail polish like I do my other toenails and it peeled right off. Especially in Cholorated water in the swimming pool. Help:? I hate having an ugly toe!

Kim		24-Mar-2009 12:24
I have been soaking my foot twice per day in Chlorine and have been advised NOT to leave it undressed, even at home. I have then been using non adherent dressings and a toe bandage. 8.5 weeks later, still no sign of being able to wear a shoe, other than an open toed sandal. Does anyone have photos of their toe at various healing stages, maybe approx 8 weeks after?

Kim		24-Mar-2009 12:17
I had Surgery 8.5 weeks ago and I am still having sharp 'electric shock' type pains and have a white thisck border where my nail used to be. Has anyone else experienced this? I was hoping that by now it would be much better than it actuall is.

jordan		22-Mar-2009 02:36
Hi I know how big those needles are, 1 down either side of your toe they are BIG I had to have the operation twice in about 3 weeks the first time they just channeled it down then it grew bak in again it was well annoying then the second time I had the whole nail of and its never grown back since that was about 7 years ago now I was only 12 at the time lol

Kim		19-Mar-2009 15:18
I am on day 11 of my big toe nail removal. I was not given any pain pills either. I still cannot wear a shoe on this foot, as my toe is VERY sensitive yet. I soak my foot each night and then use the non-stick gauze pads, then wrap in the stretchy tape. I am hoping that it begins to heal soon.

Stubby		04-Mar-2009 21:18
In about 4 weeks i will get my right thumbnail permanently removed with phenol. Nearly 1 year ago i got my left thumbnail removed with phenol and the cosmetical result is phantastic. @GABOY: My surgeon told me that the phenol-method is bringing the best cosmetic result and is better from the healing. The cutting method, which requires stitches is more harder from healing and the result is not everytime so good cosmetically.

Mimi		04-Mar-2009 21:09
I had my toenail removed 2 wks ago. I have soaked the foot in epsom salt, and it has been wrapped in bandage a few hours a day. My question is this, I had my toe become infected, and now i have to take antibiotics. however it is still very sensitive and i must return to work. What else can i do to help the healing come along?

GABOY		19-Feb-2009 21:29
I am having both nails permantly removed in 2 weeks. I have had them removed before but this time is permanent. Instead of phenol the doctor wants to do outpatient surgery to permantly remove the nail bed and it will require stitches? Anyone ever done this?

Guest		08-Feb-2009 07:29
Just had my toenail removed this past Friday and the procedure itself was not painful due to the local anesthetic administered, however the removing of the bandages the following day was very painful. Tip: Because the bandage was stuck on the wound and was difficult to remove, I soaked by foot in the warm Epsom salt bath for 15 minutes which made it easier to take the bandage off. Additional tip: I was prescribed Vicodin for pain and it helped to take the Vicodin at least 45 minutes prior to removing the bandages.

Guest		04-Feb-2009 19:10
I had my left big toe nail removed 5 days ago. This is the best thing Iever done.It use to hurt to put socks on. Toe seems to be fine, but i little tender. I heard some awful horror stories before the operation. But compared to the pain before i'm glad Igot it done.

Guest		02-Feb-2009 01:46
Your Dr gave no pain meds??? WOW, I was given serious pain medicine. I did only need to take it a couple of times, but man.....I would be calling the dr.

tkmaz		31-Jan-2009 17:11
Just had 1 toenail removed yesterday. This is not a permanent solution, I am hoping for regrowth after the fungal treatment. PAIN. What did everyone use for pain? I was given no pain meds & I'm going insane. I was considering staggering ibuprofen & Acetaminophen (hubby is asking pharmacist).. I got zero sleep last night and need a solution. When did the pain subside??

tkmaz		31-Jan-2009 17:03
Just had 1 toenail removed yesterday. This is not a permanent solution, I am hoping for regrowth after the fungal treatment. PAIN. What did everyone use for pain? I was given no pain meds & I'm going insane. I was considering staggering ibuprofen & Acetaminophen (hubby is asking pharmacist).. I got zero sleep last night and need a solution. When did the pain subside??

betty		23-Jan-2009 20:10
I had my right nail done first,It was dine in Nov,and is almost healed.Three weeks ago I had my left done.I noticed that it seems to start getting alot better after the third week when the base of the nail WAS and it felt like I had ingrowns that went all the way through my toe. The Doctor said my foot looked fine so I persevered and next thing I know the right one was much better and now the left is comming along well.I also dried my toe after each soak with a warm blow dryer.I also got a pair of boot slippers to wear EVERYWHERE so my toe wouldnt rub eeeewwww

June		28-Dec-2008 20:15
December 20, 2008 jmb from Latham, NY How do I know if I've been treated correctly? Many people here say that they soaked in espsom salts for 3 days; I wasn't told that. I was told to shower the next morning with the dressing still on that the doctor applied after the surgical removal of the toenail and then remove it after I showered. Then cleansed it with saline solution and applied Amerigel which was offered to me at the doctor's office for the price of $30.00 and apply guaze and a bandaid to keep it in place. Each night I removed the guaze and kept the toenail in the open air. Each day I did the same application. This is day 12 and it is still tender and sometimes painful; however, no antibiotic or pain killer was offered. There is some areas where it has turned black and crusty; is this normal? Also, it looks kind of red around the nail itself and a little down the toe area. I have an appt after 2 weeks have elaspsed but now I'm concerned after reading some of the testimonials from other people. The gel that I apply seems not to be doing anything fast; is this a long time fix? And will the nail bed always be tender and should I keep protection on it forever? Thee are just so many questions and the doctor didn't offer any information regarding the removal. Email me if you have answers: abusoldj@nycap.rr.com

elsvw		27-Dec-2008 22:57
I had my nail on big toe removed permanently almost 3 wks ago. I felt an instant relief after the surgery, should have done this 7 yrs ago!! I have had some discomfort after the surgery and up until last week would still soak my feet in warm water with epsom salts, but it is healing nicely now and hopefully in a few weeks will be able to wear all the shoes I have (couldn't do that with my ingrown nail anyway) My experience is, GO FOR IT. You can even paint your nails they tell me, good luck

Jan		08-Nov-2008 09:09
does it work to put white vinegar on your infected toes?

needshelp		06-Oct-2008 22:33
I have a ingrown toenail that kept coming back on the right side of my big toe even after the doc went in and cut it back. Now both sides of my toe are ingrown and i just need to know which procedure would you guys recomend for me.

freaked out for no reason		05-Oct-2008 19:56
I had both of my big toenails permanently removed on Oct. 1, 2008. Had previously done 1 temporarily, but it grew back curved and GROSS. Opted for permanent removal of both after x-rays showed bone spurs under both big nails! Not the most pleasent of processes, but with the "cold spray" and toe block, was not nearly as bad as the first time...Worst part was when the guaze stuck and even after 3 1/2 HOURS of soaking, would not budge-peeling strings of guaze from an open wound-NOT FUN-be sure to ask for a non-stick dressing!!! Recovery going well, only a little pain in "twinges", but the worst part is the big ol UGLY bandage and not being able to wear shoes. (even the clown variety HaHa). My advice would be to go for it if you have had or are having constant pain. when your feet hurt, everything hurts. I can take a few weeks of discomfort for a lifetime of pain free toes!!

Teresa		02-Oct-2008 16:03
I had my big toe nail permately removed on my right foot two weeks ago. It bled alot at first and they said that it was normal. Within 8 days I was in the ER with an infected toe nail bed. When they did the surgery the surgeon had the nurse put gauze on my surgery but told me to just keep a regular bandaid on it. After my visit to the ER I now still soak it and apply a bit of polyspoirn on the gauze. It seems to be healing better and does not look so oozy as it did before. So if they tell you to just use a regular bandaid use gauze instead. As for antibotics, yes they gave me some and they seems to be working well. It is called cephalexin 500mg to be taken 4 times a day. This particulair antibiotic is perscribed for soft tissue infection. I have a check up tomorrow to see if the surgery has to be drained. Keeping my fingers crossed that it doesn't have to be drained. I was also told that if you are a smoker or have diabetes the surgery does take longer to heal. Normally it should only take a month. I do have to get my other toe done but think that I will wait till next year at a point in time where I can wear sandels.

Guest		01-Aug-2008 03:16
MJ, how is your toe now? I noticed your toe was still sore and oozing at that point. I'm just curious if it has gotten much better. I reached the 3 1/2 week mark today. I work at a school and am nervous about kids stepping on it when I go back in a couple of weeks. Does it improve a lot over two weeks time?

Guest		21-Jul-2008 20:51
Ok I just had my left big toe nail permanently removed on the 18th. The first night was horrible I was in so much pain. Well now I'm on day 3 and this morning I was soaking my toe and it was incredibly uncomfortable. My podiatrist will NOT give me any pain medication. Can any of you tell me when I will start to feel better? Since my dr's nurse hasn't called me back... this is my next step is to ask you guys who have had this done. Also, this is the 4TH time to have this procedure done... I always had ingrown toe nails but i had it removed for good because of the ingrown toe nail again and i had a fungus from a pedicure for the last 4 years... Anyways can someone give me the time line for the healing process? Thank you.

Stubby		21-Jul-2008 15:44
@Guest The phenol method works really good, but there may remain nail-cells in the corner of the nail-matrix. So it has been at mine thumbnail. There the nail growth back partially. This was handled last week with a small surgery and handled with phenol too.

Guest		21-Jul-2008 02:26
I had my left thumbnail removed (just like Stubby) 2 weeks ago. I had injured this nail by drilling sideways through the base of the nail about 18 months ago, and it would never grow back correctly. After being told there was no hope for this nail, I had a surgeon remove it and treat it with phenol. The worst pain was going back to work and accidentally banging it on things. I have one question for those of you who have gone before me: Have you heard of the phenol failing and the nail growing back?

tmac		18-Jul-2008 23:56
i'm in the 5th day after my removal of the nail on my left toe. it's very sensitive and really hasn't been a pleasant experience at all. i'm supposed to have the right big toe done 2 weeks after the left, but i just don't think that's enough time to forget the present ongoing discomfort. it doesn't help that i have 3 kids that are oblivious of mommy's big toe or that i have to dress in casual business attire, where the shoes aren't very roomy. i'm glad the ugly ingrown nail is gone though, so maybe i'll be more grateful in a few more weeks. my doc didn't give me much information, didn't mention the epsom salt at all, i'm going to try it out even though it's a little bit after the fact...wish i'd known about it 4 days ago! thanks for the info fellow toenail removalees'!

M. J.		13-Jul-2008 00:35
I have had my toenail temporary removed and even tried Lamisil. Each time the nail looked good for several months. This time around my doctor recommended getting it removed permanently. The pain this time around was worst than the first time. It has been 3 1/2 weeks and it is still oozing and sore. I have to take Ibuprofen at least 1600 mgs before putting on a closed in shoe. I contribute some of the pain and healing to my being a diabetic. Hopefully it won't be much longer before I'm active again.

Stubby		01-Jul-2008 19:34
i got removed my left thumbnail permanently with phenol 8 weeks ago. the only pain have been the numbing shots. after the surgery i did wear a compreesion bandage for 2 days. after this i only used simple tape for protection. because the phenol was applied to the nailroot and the entire nailbed there was no bleeding, but a certain drainage for the next 3 weeks. after 4 weeks the last scabs has gone and my thumb was naked with a phantastic cosmetical result. in about 2 weeks i will get permantly removed the remaining 4 fingernails on my left hand. And 3 month later all nails on my right hand will be removed permanently.

guest		28-May-2008 05:17
i am about to get both sides of my toenail removed, right before summer, and i was wondering, will this effect activities like swimming for long? Is it best that i get this done in the start of july?

tom		25-May-2008 05:38
after four courses of lamisal i had all ten toenails removed under anesthisia. hurt like hell when dog stepped on toe, wore sandals for weeks and socks tended to get a little bloody. soaked, did everything right but nails became infected. took powerful antibiotic *augmenten) which caused diarreah for 9 months. got full colon scope was told crohn's disease (maybe) given prednisone and in no time back to normal which after 20 trips to the toilet per day even with Lomotil. soiling bed. carrying spare underwear. still, what a relief to be shy of those goddamn toenails.

BAX		14-Apr-2008 08:41
PS I've had my toenail temp removed on each big toe about 4 X EACH due to ingrown toenails, fungus and stress from running. The nail grew back worse. BTW, I am a very physically fit, 38 yr old female athlete. Finally, PAIN from permanent removal (cut and phenol) is MORE intense, I think because it's a nasty burn on top of a cut. The wound continues to ooze, ache and swell when I'm on my feet. (Day 11) Doc gave me Perkaset for 5 days, and the first two days I only needed it to sleep, Ibuprofen for swelling. OK after that, but still very tender and sore. At times it burns badly (Day 11).....still NOT very good with lots of standing or walking......OUCH.... not running much yet.....but, wound is starting to look a little less like PIZZA ..... being honest in hope to help others.....!!

BAX		14-Apr-2008 06:10
Hi sam, I'm right there with ya, man,......got my big toenail removed permanently with phenol last week (Day 11). My doc said it could ooze and be swollen for 2-4 weeks. Now (Day 11) is painful,, red and swollen, but looks better already......will go back and get the other one done after this heals.

sam		14-Apr-2008 03:59
can someone that knows a lot about this let me know some information about the recovery process?

sam		14-Apr-2008 03:58
i had my big toenail removed a week ago it is very swollen and is still oozing clear stuff and blood it is still really tender is this part of the process/

Guest		07-Jan-2008 00:51
I had 3 removed last year and 1 three years before that ...1 is permanent and the other 3 I wanted it to be but the Doc was in a hurry and didn't care....the large toe wouldn't freeze and she did it anyway.........painful....but when healed, you can file the skin till smooth and paint with nailpolish and no one ever notices.

Guest		07-Sep-2007 13:45
what do you guys do about being barefoot now. anyone have any problems with that or is it no big deal for you? email me if you want at tbud4258@aol.com. thanks.

Guest		05-Sep-2007 01:33
Has anyone found a way to keep the tonail dry when taking a shower???

Lou		09-Aug-2007 13:09
I am into six weeks recovery from permanent toe nail recovery and my toes continue to ooze and hurt. How long can I expect this to continue.

Mickie		02-Aug-2007 00:00
I had a toenail perm removed 15 days ago...should I still be putting the liquid antibiotic on it and should I still be covering it??...it is still seeping but not bad at all....thanks in advance for anyone who can help me...S

Sarah <3		31-Jul-2007 17:07
Hey. well i was wonder how much it hurts.i am going to go get my toenail removed today ina couple hours

Danny		27-Jun-2007 19:40
well i had the "sides" of my right toenail peremanently removed on mon. the injection wasv.sore but i didnt feel neting else. do u hav any idea of the chances of the nail growing back on the sides??monday evening was quite painful but gradually its feeling better everyday

lbliss		01-Jun-2007 05:30
Soccer? Hmm. Good question. Everybody's different, but I was back running in a week, but downhill running was painful for about 2 weeks, and noticeable for another couple of weeks. So, it's not the running that will give you trouble. I'd say 2-4 weeks is certainly plenty of time to be ready to return to running/cutting as you do in soccer. The thing I'd wonder if it would give you trouble is kicking the ball. You use both feet, so you are out of luck there. Kicking on the side shouldn't hurt after 2 weeks or so, but kicking head on...ouch! that might hurt for 4-6 weeks. I can't imagine it would take any longer than that though. And after the first couple weeks, it really should be on its way to healing up pretty good. Sure, there is drainage, but that's not really a problem with returning to sports. (Just be sure to keep it clean - there are lots of bacteria in our shoes!) Sure, there is tenderness where the nail used to be...but then again, it's "only" tenderness. You can't damage the toe from running/kicking, though it certainly will be tender/sore, and I found that wearing running shoes for long periods of time slowed the healing a little. Leaving it open to air as much as possible is best, but that didn't fit all that well into my lifestyle. Based on the tenderness with downhill running - and based on MY pain/tenderness tolerance level, I'd say in 4 weeks you should be ok to the point of not having to "worry" about kicking the ball (despite that you may probably still FEEL it). This is if you are getting the whole toenail removed. If you are getting just a part of it permanently removed, your recovery time will be significantly less. Please stop back and less us know how you do!

Danny		29-May-2007 19:31
i play semi-pro soccer. i had my right toenail removed temporarily b4 and i was only out of sports for 12 days. dis time im etting it removed permanently as it became ingrown from it constantly connecting wit d football. how long do u believe i will b out of soccer for??is it 4-6 weeks?plz comment back

Paudie		29-May-2007 13:59
how lng dos it tak 2 recover b4 u cn play soccer?(a rough estimation)thanks

lbliss		20-May-2006 20:13
Hi Guest, An electric shock type feeling indicates nerve irritation. While it may just get better in time, I would make a follow-up appt with your podiatrist who removed the nails. Lisa

Guest		17-May-2006 09:06
i am now 12 weeks after op to remove both nails permanenetly removed - and the phenol doesnt hurt bu the way ! and still have discharge from them and a strange feeling as if i had had an electric shock going through both toes - any one else had this ? sarah

Norma		19-Apr-2006 21:12
It has been 37 days and my toe still continues to ooze, ever so slightly. How long does the healing process generally take?

Susan		08-Apr-2006 03:33
Susan Play tennis frequently and was told that my ingrown nail would continue to go back ingrown - - It has been more painful that I anticipated and continues to bleed and discharge a type of mucus - - I am curious how long this would continue - - I am at approx 3-1/2 weeks - - thought that pain would be totally gone by now and am surprised as how my bandage continues to have blood, etc. on it. Any comments??

Mandy		07-Sep-2005 04:12
I am going to have this procedure done on September 27th. I am a 22 year old female and I've already had my toenail on my right big toe removed 3 times and I'm just tired of it not growing back right. So I opted for the permanent toenail removal Did you feel the Phenol burning when the doctor put it on or were you still pretty much numb? Thanks!

Mark		09-Aug-2005 05:02
I wanted to have this done but my regular doctor said I would most like get an infection and the toe would have to be completely amputated. What did your poditrist tell you or what do you know about this possibility?

g - money		04-Apr-2005 14:59
how long was surgery and your recovery time ? I'm considering doing all of mine and have bone spurs removed on both feet .( diabetic )

huggy		01-Jan-2005 22:11
W H Y ???????

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