Bruise under big toe nail...

[kerry88]

I have a bruise under my left big toe nail, it covers almost all of the the toe nail area. It doesn't hurt like a bruise normally does if i put pressure on it and it never has. I don't know exactly how long it has been there as I had painted my toenails and due to my back problem it was easier just to top up the varnish than to remove it, so I first noticed it approx. 9 weeks ago. It has never hurt, I have no idea how it happened! I don;t remember banging it or anything. It doesn;t seem to fade, or grow out with the nail, so now I am unsure what it could be! I am terrified of the prospect of my nail falling off or something as I have a real phobia of nails (strange I know!!). I don;t want to bother my doctors with it as I am already seeing them for a number of things related to my back and an operation, and I always feel like a hypochondriac (sp?) when I see them as I put off seeing them so then have a list of things to sort!

I was hoping someone could just reassure me that this is normal and that it will go in time really!

[Anonymous125679]

I've had a bruised fingernail since I was four. Still, I have it today and I'm 16 years old. It can't be a biopsy, I've had it for 12 years now and just paint my nails to cover it. I've tried all of the dig a hole in your nail and let the blood release, but that doesn't work. I've been told basically my whole life to take the nail out, but I'm way too scared. Idk where to go, someone plz help. I know this isn't an answer, sorry.

[eastcoastjac]

My son just came to show me his toes ... also two identical spots, one on each toe!.
I'm thinking possibly fungus (we won't discuss WHY he spends a lot of time in his shoes!), so going to try tea tree oil first and see if anything happens.
Let us know if you find out anything!

[Elle1122]

I have the same thing happening to my toe except for it is on BOTH big toes?! Exact same size spot on both just on exact opposite sides. Weird!!! Anybody have any ideas or answers on this subject?

[Jensue6471]

I have the exact same thing on my left big toe.. I also had nail polish on and noticed it when I took polish off. Any changes to yours since you posted?

[KCinStP]

I also have the exact same thing on my left big toenail. Mine's been there about a year now. I went to a dermatologist this last summer and they said the only way to tell for sure is to biopsy it. That means they'll cut part of my nail and it's never going to grow back correctly. They told me it could be a mole but they were sure it wasn't a bruise if it had been there that long. They took pictures and told me to come back to see if it spread further out. I just took the polish off my nails and it looks like it spread and got a little darker. I should probably make an appointment.

[Sevenglyn]

I have the exact same problem that you 3 have described and it's been on my big toe on my left foot for over 2 months right about when summer ended. I kept my toes painted since they are in sandals during that season but once the season ended I noticed once I removed the polish.

I thought that was odd that we all had painted toes and it was on the left big toe. How random is that? I have not been to the doctor do any of you have any recommendations? What happened since your posts? @Kerry88 you were posting in 2010. Any changes in 5 years?

[KarenK918]

I just found the same thing on my big toe.  Did the vinegar work?  How about the tea tree oil?

[FranieMae]

Without the strange phobia, I have the exact same symptoms.  It's black under half the big left toenail.  I noticed it a few months back under my nail polish and due to having an 85+ lb. Shepard, I thought nothing of it since she's always dancing around my feet.  It never hurt and I don't remember bruising my foot neither.  It doesn't seem to go away and my doctor seems to think it a fungus.  My thinking is NOT!  I will try the tea tree oil and I understand that soaking your toe in vinegar and water will neutralize the ph and kill the fungus, if indeed, it is a fungal problem.  Thanks for the info and I hope we will nip this problem in the bud soon!

[SassyLassie]

In answer to your question about telling if it is a fungus, actually, the way is to swab the area and have it examined by the lab, if there are any strange bacteria, etc, they will be able to determine if is a type of fungus.

[kerry88]

I think I am going to leave it, at least until after xmas now....I am struggling a bit with an unrelated operation recovery so getting in to the doctor, then getting the referral to the hospital is just adding more to the struggle right now! I will definately keep my eye on it though, hopefully it will just grow out and be ok!!

You can definately develope moles under nails though, it is the same as any other area of skin i suppose, you can even have flesh coloured ones apparently so you would never know, although I guess that is probably rare!! and not your fault for the goosebumps...my fault for being a wimp when it comes to nails!! :-) x

[remar]

So it is possible to get a mole under your toe nail? I've never heard of that. If I were you I would see a different Dr and ask for a culture to be done to see if this may be a fungus. Sorry about my story. I did'nt mean to give you goosebumps! Ha ha. I just wanted to let you know I've had injuries to my toe nails and they've grown out normal.    Remar

[kerry88]

the mole thing was the doctors initial thought, from what an internet search has taught me, it is possible but can be inidicative of cancer, the same as a mole appearing anywhere suddenly is a bad sign. i don;t think i woudl be able to drain my nail....even reading that in your message gave me goosebumps!! lol i hope it just goes away on its own, it isn't very nice to look at!!! x

[remar]

Your right, that does'nt make any sense that it's not growing out. I had the trash can fall on my big toe nail. It filled with blood right away. I had to keep draining it it with a needle at the corner of the nail and it stayed purple and bloody underneath but it did grow out and looks completely normal.
I just think it's strange that they did'nt even take a culture of your nail. I've never heard of a mole growing under a nail but I'm not a Dr and I guess it may be possible.
Do keep an eye on it.  Remar

[kerry88]

It is frustrating, the dermatologist said it looked like it was 'mostly blood'....but I wouldn't have thought blood would lift the nail, be completely painless and not grow out! It is a bit difficult to get a second opinion here, as it was at the hospital. So unless I went privately then I wouldn't really get any further. They didn't take any samples at all, just the pictures to see how it develops in 3 months. I will keep an eye on it myself and if anything changes before then I will go straight back to the doctor. I was only really scared of it being a mole and having a risk of cancer, anything else I don't have any urgency about as I am terrified of them doing anything to my nail! (I really hate nails, hate ppl biting their own, cutting them, touching them....i get goosebumps!! it is a very odd phobia!) x

[DebC09]

I had blood under my big toe nail.  I noticed it after a shopping weekend.  I didn't hit it on anything but my shoe may have been just s tad bit too small and with my tie being up against the end of the shoe this likely caused the bleeding.   It's never grown out and there's no pain associated with it.  However the nail has lifted.  So I used some cuticle scissors to trim it back and sure enough there was dry blood under the nail.  I guess the dry blood caused the nail to lift.  Anyways, the nail is growing back just fine.   I hope that helps.

[DebC09]

I had blood under my big toe nail.  I noticed it after a shopping weekend.  I didn't hit it on anything but my shoe may have been just s tad bit too small and with my tie being up against the end of the shoe this likely caused the bleeding.   It's never grown out and there's no pain associated with it.  However the nail has lifted.  So I used some cuticle scissors to trim it back and sure enough there was dry blood under the nail.  I guess the dry blood caused the nail to lift.  Anyways, the nail is growing back just fine.   I hope that helps.

[remar]

This must be very frustrating not getting any answers. So they did'nt do anything like take a culture to see if it's a fungal infection? Maybe you should see a different Dermatologist.  Remar

[kerry88]

I had my appointment with the dermatologist today....they didn't seem too concerned, apparently the nail has raised slightly. they took photos of it and i have to go back in 3 months to monitor it.....they then asked an awful lot of questions about getting suntans, and any family history of skin cancer which was rather unnerving but I guess they ask everyone that so they know who is more at risk! No real answer as to what it is though which is frustrating! x

[remar]

A nail fungus does'nt have to smell. I'm glad to hear you have an appointment with a Dermatologist. Hopefully they can get to the root of the problem.   Remar

[kerry88]

The doctor didn't mention fungus. How can you tell if it is that? I always thought a fungus would smell bad wouldn't it? The nail isn't raised, hasn't been damaged and doesn't smell. I don't know exactly when it appeared because I only noticed it when I removed my nail varnish, which wasn't chipped or damaged as I guess it would have been if it had been knocked.

I am hoping I am just paranoid now....sometimes checking symptoms online isn't the best idea seens it will always give the worst case scenarios! It is just difficult to not worry now! Hopefully the hospital will be quick in arranging an appointment!!

[SassyLassie]

Try not to worry, just because it may be a mole does not mean it is cancerous. Has anyone mentioned a fungus? Sometimes they can cause odd nail problems.

[Caryopteris]

Good think you're getting it looked at!  

[kerry88]

Hi, my doctor had a look at my toe today, he thinks that some of it does look like a bruise but there is a darker bit that is closer to the base of the nail which he thinks may be a mole, so I have been referred to a dermatologist. So will be getting an appointment in the next couple of weeks. I mentioned the possibility that it could be diabetes as Caryopteris suggested as my dad has diabetes, but he didn't think it was that.

I am now a little freaked out because everything you get told about moles appearing or changing is bad news! So I guess I have a week or so of worrying I think!! :-\

[remar]

Let us know what your Dr says.  Remar

[Caryopteris]

This used to happen to me when I was young.  It first happened after going rollerskating.  It was from the skating motion of lifting the foot and bumping the toe inside the shoe time after time to skate around the rink.  Then other things triggered it.  The bruise grew out but I never lost the nail.  But for years I had a nail that wasn't connected.  It didn't reconnect until I stopped eating gluten and started putting a drop of tea tree oil on the toe in case there was fungus.  Not sure if there was a fungus, but the tea tree oil solved the disconnection problem.  You should point out the problem to your doctor as it may be a sign of a circulation problem/diabetes or something like that.

[kerry88]

I am hoping to mention it to my doctor tomorrow if they have time to cover everything. Do you have any ideas what it could be?