Ask a doctor on the topic of General medicine

The toenail no longer grows fully.

July 12, 2014 | 15,00 EUR | answered by Dr. med. Kathrin Hamann

Hello,

I have a question regarding my left toenail:

Recently, I wore dress shoes for two weeks that were pressing on my toe. I quickly realized that they were not breaking in as expected, so I went back to wearing my old shoes. This happened about 6 weeks ago.

Unfortunately, over the last 6 weeks, a red spot appeared on my right toe, which gradually became larger. My family doctor suspected a skin growth due to a nail bed inflammation and prescribed me a cream (Betaisodona). However, neither Betaisodona nor Tyrosur had any effect.

The issue is: the red spot (see picture) is not just a flesh growth; the toenail is simply not growing there anymore. When I press on it, there is no resistance.

What would you recommend to stimulate nail growth again - or will it eventually start growing on its own?

Thank you in advance for your help!

Dr. med. Kathrin Hamann

Good evening,
I am happy to help you further.

It is to be assumed that there is a sustainable damage to the nail bed, most likely caused by the pressure of the shoes.

Since the nail growth is already disturbed, a basic rehabilitation with complete removal of the nail would be advisable, so that the new nail can form and grow unhindered.

I would strongly recommend that you seek treatment from a local surgeon for this. Some general practitioners may also perform this procedure, so you should inquire about that.

Do you have any questions about this? I am happy to help you further.

Best wishes for a speedy recovery!

Sincerely,
Dr. K. Hamann