So, maybe it was a little too much Quickstep,
or perhaps my toenails were overdue for a pedicure,
or it could have been the shoes were a BIT too small,
but whatever caused it, the result was both big toenails completely black and blue…and very sore!
Those poor toes were jammed between the shoe and floor relentlessly and now I’m PAYING for it.
Bruised and broken toenails, though, are par for the course for dancers!
Even a couple of months later, I’ve been forced to hide the ugliness of those bruised nails with dark nail polish, as they slowly grow out.
Hope on the horizon, though, as the new growth is a healthy pink, but boy, it takes a long time!
I was going to post a raw photo of the injured toenails, but deemed it too graphic for sensitive readers (especially if you’re catching up on your blog reading during lunch.)
Instead, I’m posting a lovely portrait of them with the scary part pixelated-you’re welcome 🙂
Toenail Trouble
Every dancer (and other athletes, too, like runners) goes through toenail trouble.
Some of the common conditions are:
- painful ingrown toenails
- nail bruises
- or even losing a toenail
Much like getting a papercut, it’s funny to think that an injury to such a tiny part of your body (like a toenail) can cause SO MUCH PAIN!
But, when you use your FEET as much as most people use their hands (shoutout, Dancers!), having an injured toenail can be quite a setback.
The Gory Details
Although the pain of the bruising healed rather quickly, the aftermath looks so much worse, as the nails are terribly discolored. Worse yet, as the months passed, I realized that a significant horizontal ridge had developed across the nail at the point of injury.
The new nail that is growing in isn’t raised, in contrast to where the bruise had developed.
And another creepy development from the injury-the nail is now disconnected from the nail bed from the ridge up. (ah, Gross!)
Unfortunately, it looks like I’m going to be losing the toenail pretty soon. 😕
With toenail growth being so slow, I wanted to check out my options for both keeping the nail bed healthy and also any cosmetic fix that would tide me over until the nail fully recovers.
Dancer’s Hero: the Podiatrist
So, I turned to every dancer’s friend, the PODIATRIST!
If you don’t have a podiatrist in your support team, I highly recommend it.
These doctors are foot specialists with iron stomachs and have seen it all.
You can go to them without fear of them being shocked by the hideous state of your dancer feet. Don’t let embarrassment keep you from getting the help you need!
I called upon Dr. Luyen Pham, DPM, for the 411 to my 911 toenail situation. Here’s what I learned:
Melissa: What’s the deal with ridge?
Dr. Pham: Under the toenail is a thin layer of skin, and when the toenail is traumatized, you also injure that skin. You need it to be intact for the foundation of the nail. When it gets thick, it causes the nail to get thick too. This skin of the nail bed cornifies, so the result is the nail growing over it thickens, too.
Melissa: How do I keep the nail bed healthy, once the damaged nail falls off?
Dr. Pham: Cover it with a bandage that is breathable, so as not to trap moisture. If it gets too wet, it can create a fungal situation.
Melissa: Can I use nail polish on the injured nail? How can I help the nail cosmetically?
Dr. Pham: Try filing the ridge flat. Let the nail rest, without polish for a while. Nail polish is an impermeable layer, so if moisture is trapped, it can promote fungus.
Melissa: How can I prevent this kind of injury again?
Dr. Pham: Keep the nails short. The nail tip should stay below the flesh of the toe. If it sticks out, it will be subjected to more stress.
There you have it! As with everything, prevention is key.
Sorry, Girls, but if you’re wearing closed toed shoes for ballroom or American Smooth, but you’ll have to keep the toenails short. (don’t let the manicurist convince you otherwise!)
If you’re like me and the damage is already done, we have to leave vanity aside for a while and pamper our piggies.
We ask a lot of our feet, so treat them well!
With her husband Erik, they are the founders of DanceSport Place and have a passion to help dancesport competitors reach their dancing goals.
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Wow! Great info! I lost my big toenail due to trauma a few years ago. (Gory story). It finally grew back. Ballroom seems to be as hard on my feet as my other dancing (and we won’t even mention the callouses!) Glad it’s not just me!
You’re definitely not alone! Foot issues are part of the deal for dancers! The best we can do is take care of them, so they’ll continue to take care of us 🙂
I lost both my toenails playing basketball. Both started out bruised and grew detached from the nail bed. Both fell off the same day and it was painless (almost three months after the injury) and I found that half of a new nail had already grown in underneath on both and that’s why they’re detached. It’s like losing teeth. I have an estimated three months to go according to my nail tech. I should have my nails just in time for summer 🙂
Poor toenails! They are so slow to recover, but at least you’ll have them in time for sandal season, Tiffany! 😉
I STARTED BALLROOM DANCE LESSONS 10 WEEKS AGO AND WENT TO GET MY MONTHLY PEDICURE YESTERDAY. WHEN MY TECH TOOK THE POLISH OFF SHE GASPED AND ASKED ME WHAT I HAD DONE TO MY TOES. I LOOKED AND BOTH BIG TOES WERE TERRIBLY BRUISED UNDER THE NAILS. I AM JUST WONDERING IF THIS IS NORMAL.
Hello Marilyn. A few things you might want to check: Are your new dance shoes are sized correctly? If you are wearing closed toe shoes, keep in mind that will be putting more pressure on your toes than you do in regular street shoes, and possibly upsize accordingly. New shoes can be tight and satin does not have as much give as leather or fabric. Consider that when trying on your dance shoes.
Also, now that you are dancing, you might find that you need to keep your toenails shorter than you normally do. We put a lot of pressure on our toes in ballroom dancing. Longer nails will be pushed into a closed toe shoe with more force, and can cause bruising.
It takes time to grow out bruised toenails, so, reassess your shoes and toenail length, and hopefully you won’t have bruised nails again. Good luck with your dancing!