What Should I Do If My Toenail Falls Off?

It may sound extreme to lose a toenail, particularly if this is the first time it’s happened to you. However, this isn’t necessarily an uncommon event, and it may not even cause much pain or discomfort when it falls off. Here are a few tips if you’re wondering how to treat a missing toenail in Pflugerville, TX.

Clean and Treat the Toe

The most important thing to do is clean the toe and protect it from further damage. Use an antibiotic cream to reduce your odds of infection drastically. Consider bandaging the toe, especially if the toenail is still attached — even if it’s hanging on by little more than a small connection point. (You can trim off some of the nails at the point if you think it will snag on the bandages).

Attempting to rip the toenail off may be more than painful, it may make the toe worse. Your nail bed is likely already hard at work to make a new toenail, and it may only be a week before the skin hardens into a new nail. Soaking the nail for 20 minutes daily can also reduce pain and speed up healing.

When to Visit a Podiatrist in Austin

In many cases, a toenail falling off doesn’t warrant a trip to a podiatrist in Austin or Pflugerville, TX. However, if this is a frequent occurrence or you think the toenail has become infected (e.g., you’re experiencing swelling, pain, or discoloration), you should visit the offices of Dr. Jeffrey Lamour, DPM, PA. With two locations, you can talk to a professional about what’s causing the problem and what you can do to prevent it from happening again.