Ouch my toes!!!!

[LindsaySkiGal]

So I got new boots and today was my second day on them. Them and my new skis have been rocking my world, however, today was negative 10 degrees and while skiing, my toes went numb. I didn't think much of it, but at the end of the day, both my big toe nails were grey. I didn't realize they were rubbing against the ends and my toes are still throbbing. I'm scared I'm might lose my toenails and not be able to ski for awhile. And I need to ski Sunday and Tuesday :Cry:

 

[PowDiva85]

as a fellow toe nail loser here is the best suggestions I can give you, raise your feet to keep the blood from throbbing and ice your toes. Its just like bruising anything else...RICE. Rest, ice (maybe not compression) and elevation. I skied today as well and both my toes are a little sore, probably bruised but not to the point of making the nail fall off...yet. I know when I tend to hurt my toes is on powder days because I tend to sit back pushing my toes towards the end of the boot, or basically any time i end up in the back seat my toes suffer as well as my form. Just another reason for that tape "get forward get forward get forward" to keep playing in my head.

 

[Robyn]

Uh, I wouldn't ice. The grey sounds like frostbite to me and I don't think icing is a good idea.

 

[pinto]

Uh, I wouldn't ice. The grey sounds like frostbite to me and I don't think icing is a good idea.

Yeah, if it is frostbite you want the blood IN them. Help your circulation, but don't heat them up, either. I wouldn't elevate.

I had a day last January where my toenails turned gray, but everything turned out okay.

Of course, if it's a bruise, that's different. I would err on the side of treating as frostbite, though.

 

[ski now work later]

Good call Robyn and Pinto. My in house doc says NO ICE as the grey is an "approaching frostbite" state of being. Be careful, we had a Diva get very sick from frostbite a year ago after ESA Snowmass.

 

[LindsaySkiGal]

Thank you so much for the replys! They feel bruised more than anything and it's only grey underneath the nail bed so I'm thinking it might not be frostbite? It's 3:40am and they (the big toes around the nail bed) are still throbbing.

Questions:
If it continues to hurt, at what point should I go see a dr?
If it is a bruised toenail, and it comes off, can I still ski? Do you just wrap it up before putting your boot on? Will it grow back normal? I've never had a toe nail come off before.

Thanks again everyone!

Unfortunately, I won't be going skiing today and for me not to go skiing is unheard of since I go every opportunity I can (and today my skis were freshly waxed, it snowed overnight, I had lessons scheduled, 0.33 sec away from my first nastar silver medal, my skis have been amazing since the new boots, I could go on and on...). Oh well.... sigh

 

[pinto]

Thank you so much for the replys! They feel bruised more than anything and it's only grey underneath the nail bed so I'm thinking it might not be frostbite? It's 3:40am and they (the big toes around the nail bed) are still throbbing.

Questions:
If it continues to hurt, at what point should I go see a dr?
If it is a bruised toenail, and it comes off, can I still ski? Do you just wrap it up before putting your boot on? Will it grow back normal? I've never had a toe nail come off before.

Thanks again everyone!

Unfortunately, I won't be going skiing today and for me not to go skiing is unheard of since I go every opportunity I can (and today my skis were freshly waxed, it snowed overnight, I had lessons scheduled, 0.33 sec away from my first nastar silver medal, my skis have been amazing since the new boots, I could go on and on...). Oh well.... sigh

Is your skin doing anything weird, like blistering or peeling? Go to the doctor immediately if that happens. Otherwise you might just give him or her a call, as being diagnosed over the Internet by nondoctors probably isn't the best thing But I understand, personal experience from others is very helpful.

I've had bruised toenails before ... but not from my ski boots. That shouldn't happen, so fixing boot fit, if that's the problem, is the first item. The pain from a bruised toenail comes from the pressure of the blood pooling under the nailbed (are you getting dark spots under your nails?) and so releasing it (the old needle through the nail trick) helps a lot. It doesn't really hurt that much after the pressure is released. They eventually fall off, and look ugly, but I don't remember much pain after the initial injury. Skiing won't be a problem.

However, I still lean toward a cold injury, as it was very very cold out, and you were numb for a while, and your description of the gray and the throbbing matches what I've experienced. A bruise isn't a big deal, but you don't want to mess with frostbite. So maybe you should go to an urgent care (or the ski patrol, if you're still at a ski hill) and find out.

 

[LindsaySkiGal]

releasing it (the old needle through the nail trick) helps a lot. It doesn't really hurt that much after the pressure is released.

ouch - that sounds painful. Where would I make the puncture?

I went to a med express. The dr. looked like a hippie and was completely useless. He said I probably did have some frost bite yesterday, but it looks fine now and the circulation is good. The skin looks fine. Each toe nail is a uniform light colored bruise across the nail. He said he didn't know whether or not the nail would fall off.

Since the boots are new, I was told to ski without my custom footbeds to break in the boot first. Hopefully adding them will keep my foot further back so this doesn't happen a second time

Thanks again! I'm glad to hear it shouldn't effect my skiing.

 

[pinto]

ouch - that sounds painful. Where would I make the puncture?

If you need it, you'll know. There will be a big blood blister thing under your nail. You sterilize and then heat up a needle (hold a match to it), then slowly press it through your nail. Make sure you stop once you break through, or it will hurt when you hit the bed. (duh) The blood will spurt through ... it's a little gross, but it feels much better.

A doctor can do it for you, too. I've done it both ways. THe first time I did it, and then the second time I guess maybe my nail had grown back thicker? I had a heck of a time getting through, so I gave up and went in.

 

[climber.girl1]

The year I learned to ski, I had ill-fitting boots, pushed myself too soon onto terrain I wasn't ready for, and by February my toes hurt every ski day, and by early March I had black toe nails. I still skied until Memorial Day. I finally lost the nails in July (both feet).

I never had to puncture the nail, but I thought about it. It sounds painful and nasty. :(

The two useful contributions I have are this - when the nails started to get loose and I was afraid I would lose them (June), and I didn't want to lose them yet (big climbing trip in late June), I wrapped them in climbing tape (similar to basic medical tape but maybe a little less sticky....) I will say one thing - the pain really helped me learn to get out of the back seat with skiing!

However, AFTER I lost the nails, the toes were VERY tender. Wearing shoes was difficult. Wearing rock shoes was nearly impossible. But amazingly, with some love and care, the toe nails grew back before the next ski season.

So.... make sure your boot fit is good, work on your technique, wrap 'em in tape, and hopefully you'll make it till the end of ski season without losing them! Good luck, and keep us updated.

 

[Shellski]

I've lost many a toenail from skiing, it's never stopped me skiing though, it usually hurts a lot more with the boots off than on, and walking in ski boots than actually skiing. They take forever to actually fall off, the nail on my right big toe is just about to drop off after last February, almost a year. Put a bandaid around it if it's bothering you. I find if there is any colour under the nail (eg bruising) the nail will eventually come off.

Got new boots last season so I am hoping this won't ever happen again.

 

[LindsaySkiGal]

Today I learned that it was a POWDER day yesterday, which is VERY RARE in PA! And of all things I had all day lessons!!! Oh the pain of missing such a day!!! My goal is to one day be good enough to go on a heli-skiing trip, but I need to learn to become a good powder skier first. I had to also cancel my ski trip for tomorrow to Blue Knob (It would have been my first time there) and I would have had friends driving up for the trip! I was so miserable today, I even went for the donut this morning!

My toes are still swollen, nails grey, but intact (so far). There is a small section of skin that is grey right underneath the part the toe nail hangs over. I called my primary doctor and like the other one, he said there is nothing I can do about it except keep the area warm and dry. I think on Sat I did have minor frost bite since it took the skin awhile to change from white to pink. I tried to put on one boot, but because my big toes are swollen, it creates a pressure point there. I hope I can ski this weekend, but now, I don't even know. :(

 

[volklgirl]

Sounds like frostbite. Be aware that once you've had it, you'll be more prone to getting it again, forever. You might consider using toe warmers from here on out.

For any of you that are bruising or losing your toe nails:

90% of the time it means that your boots are too big. They could be too big all over, too big or too deep in the toe box, or the cuff isn't being buckled tight enough to keep the whole foot from sliding forward. If you're teaching, it can also happen from tooling around on the bunny hill with your boots loosely buckled. Once I stopped teaching, I quit losing my toenails . It's not a big deal, but it IS a sign that you need some boot work done.

The other 10% is usually technique related. Don't lean back!

 

[LindsaySkiGal]

Thanks for the advise Volklgirl

It's frusterating because I can't get my foot in a normal pair of shoes without being in pain let alone a pair of ski boots and the nail bed is still as sore as it was Saturday. How long can I expect it to be before I can go skiing again/ wear normal shoes? :(

 

[tradygirl]

Do the hot needle!! It doesn't hurt if you don't go too deep. Just push far enough to puncture through to the blood blister. Instant relief, and the nail heals SO MUCH faster.

I'm not believing in the frostbite. Maybe mild frostnip, but I think the discoloration is all from trauma (leaning back, causing toes to slam into the top of the boot).

With new boots, you have to be very careful about unbuckling often since the liner hasn't packed out yet. Try unbuckling every time you get on the lift, and completely undo them in the lodge at lunch (just don't take them all the way off or your feet will swell)!

 

[LindsaySkiGal]

EWWWWW I youtube'd it to see how it's done, ahhhh, ewwww.....

I'm so torn - sking versus poking the toe... I might need a drink or something befoe I try this...

 

[Jenny]

When I re-pierced my ear I found that a few drinks first helped a lot!

 

[LindsaySkiGal]

I don't know, my brother who is a nurse (but not specialized in the feet) said not to do it

 

[Jenny]

The thought of it gives me the willies . . .

 

[LindsaySkiGal]

i'll call my primary dr tomorrow and see if he'll do it. I just don't think I could bring myself around to do it.