Podiatrist (Foot and Ankle Specialist) Questions Podiatry

What should I do my big toe nail is about to fall off

My toenail my big toenail is about to fall off I dropped a chair on it almost a week ago and it completely bruised under my toe I noticed some skin at the bottom of the nail and removed it then liquid clear came out and the toenail is starting to fall off

Female | 23 years old
Complaint duration: Days
Medications: Motrin
Conditions: None

11 Answers

Sometimes the trauma causes a localized hematoma which lifts the nail up which can cause it to fall off. Don't play with area..
Consult your local podiatrist.He will remove it properly so the next nail that comes in grows correctly.
Thank you for reaching out!
Based on the information you provided, it's crucial to assess the extent of the injury and ensure proper care for your toe. Dropping a chair on your toe can result in various issues, including trauma to the nail bed and surrounding tissues.
However, considering the severity of your symptoms and the potential for the toenail to fall off, it is strongly recommended that you schedule an appointment with Jose Loor Podiatry Practice for a comprehensive evaluation. During the visit, our experienced podiatrist will thoroughly examine your toe, assess the condition of the nail bed, and determine the best course of action.
To schedule an appointment, please call (917) 821-0862 or visit our website https://joseloorpodiatry.com/
We look forward to welcoming you to our practice and helping you achieve a full diagnosis and appropriate treatment for your toe injury.
see a podiatrist
This is something best seen in person by a podiatrist. Sometimes the area just needs to be cleaned and some the loose skin and toenail can be cut back. Sometimes the toe needs to be numbed up and the toenail removed. A new toenail will grow back. It takes about a year to grow out completely.
soak with epsom salt soaks, luke warm h2o, f/u with antibiotic oint/cream
and come see me or one of my partners and we can get it fixed,
Your condition should be seen in a podiatrist office asap.


The best way is to remove it under local anesthesia and then will regrow normally after 90 days. Antibiotics will be needed.
Your toe appears to be infected, probably from the trauma. My suggestion is to see a local Podiatrist who can evaluate whether or not to prescribe antibiotics. In addition, I suggest soaking the toe (foot) in 1 qt. of WARM, not hot water with 2 TBSP of Epsom Salts (available almost everywhere) for 15-20 min 2x/day, apply antibiotic ointment and cover it with a new bandaid after each soak. The nail will probably NOT fall off but I'm more concerned with the possible infection. Good luck!
You can band-aid the nail plate down to see if the traumatized tissue will re-adhere to the plate. Otherwise, if the majority of the nail plate is dislodged it may just fall off on its own. At this time a new nail plate will begin to grow in its place. From the picture, I think if you use some Neosporin and a band-aid you should heal fine.
You can do epsom salt foot soaks and apply antibiotic ointment until it falls off on its own, but you may want to get an X-ray and make sure you didn't break the toe.
You should go to a podiatrist, it even looks infected, and you need help with a specialist.