There is nothing worse than when you hurt your toenail, especially when it is the season to get your flip flops on and show off your toes to the world. Sure, when it is the winter this kind of ailment might not be too much of a bother to you. But, now it is much warmer out, why should your toes suffer and be squashed into sneakers? Sweat + split = OUCH!
Does our formula sound all too relatable? Well, read on to find out more info on how to fix a split toenail and other handy foot advice… don’t worry, we are not going to force you to visit a chiropodist straight away, there are some at-home remedies that you can test out first.
Why has my toenail split?
The best place to start is why exactly your toenail has split. Yeah, you need to retrace the steps that have led to the crime scene of your split toenail. You might just generally have weak nail growth, or you might have used something new on your feet and your toenails have not agreed with the chemicals.
We would say that biting and picking your nails can cause them to break, but we are not too sure if anyone would be flexible enough to do this to their toenails… If this is you then although your flexibility is impressive, stop this now!
Can I repair my split toenail?
Again, this kind of depends on how your toenail has split. We are sorry to say that if your toenail has split to the nail bed then you will have to go to the emergency room for stitches because you might suffer with a risk of infection otherwise. No one wants an infected toe.
Also, if there is any severe discoloration then you should definitely consider getting this checked out. Sometimes, different nail polish colors can discolor your toenail but, if you have not used any nail polish on your toenails then we recommend getting this checked out.
So, if your toenail split does not seem too serious then you can definitely do your own fix on this. We would recommend just using a little medical tape or a band aid just to prevent the split from getting right into the nailbed. This method would be more of a short term fix, just until you are ready and geared up to do a substantial repair job.
Do not worry, by serious repair work we just mean that you should get your nail file at the ready.
How can I file my split toenail?
A key stage before you start filing your split toenail is to soak your toenail in warm water. This is just to soften up the nail and ensure that your nail cooperates more with the filing motion, and so not to cause any more damage to your toenail.
Make sure that you file your toenail down in the direction of the split so not to make it worse. Make sure that you do this until your toenail is nice and even.
There are a variety of methods that you can use to strengthen your toenail, but all we advise is that you do what is best for you. And also, if you are particularly squeamish when it comes to feet either ask someone to help you out or just do what you can.
Will my split toenail sort itself out?
If you are wondering if your toenail has magical healing powers, then we are sad to break it to you that there is only so much that your toenail can do. Your toenail can grow out enough for you to cut the nail off, but if your nail has separated from the nail bed then there is no way that it can magically reattach. The best thing that you can do in this situation is to just keep your toenail filed nice and low to avoid it catching on anything.
Toenails are a pretty slow burner when it comes to growing. In some cases a toenail can take well over a year to grow back fully. If your split toenail ends up damaging your nail bed then you should bandage up your toe for at least a week until your nail bed hardens up. Of course, you can help the process by ensuring that your diet has sufficient calcium and protein just to make sure you have strong nail growth.
When it comes to your toenail, no one knows your feet better than you. So, you can try a DIY fix, or if you are particularly worried about your split toenail then go and see a professional.
