You hurt your toe and your nail is splitting or may have even fallen off, it’s common to injure your toe and even completely lose a toenail. You may not even know what happened to it. There are a few different causes for a loose or missing toenail.

Common Causes of Toenail Injuries

Some of these actions might have caused your toenail damage:

• Constant forceful friction to your toenail 
• Dropping something heavy on your nail bed
• Snagging of your toenail
• Sports-related Injury

Toenail Infection Symptoms

Look out for these symptoms when checking your toenails for a fungal infection.

• Change in the thickness of your nails.
• Subtle yellow or brown tint.
• Having a foul smell.
• Pain in the infected area.
• Break or complete loss of the toenail. 

How to Care for a Toenail that Split or Fell Off 

To avoid inflicting further pain on yourself take these measurements to properly care for your toenail injury:

• Trim the nail down so it won’t snag on anything.
• If it’s bleeding make sure to clean it up, cover it with the right ointment, and wrap your toe. 
• Change your nonstick bandage or wrap through the day so it won’t get infected.
• Let your nail naturally fall off to avoid further pain,if it’s still hanging. 

What happens if my toenail falls off?

Your toenail will eventually grow back in the next few months. Just make sure to care for it properly to avoid an infection. Be extra attentive to the area as to not bump it or rub it against anything.

Do I Need to See a Doctor?

You might need a medical diagnosis for a condition known as psoriasis where your skin cells build up and can cause your nail to fall off. Apart from your toenail having split or on the brink of falling off, you could have nail pitting, which looks like small dents in your nails.

Take the extra step and see a specialist for your toenail injuries if: 

• Psoriasis symptoms are present. 
• There’s no improvement and you have continuing pain. 
• You need fungal treatment and various treatment options. 
• You would like to know how to properly care for your injury. 
• Overall concern for your feet’s health.

Consult with a professional from Canyon Oaks Foot & Ankle that can help identify other symptoms that point to psoriasis or fungal infections.