What has happened to my big toe?

[Lochroy]

Sorry this isn’t very spooner-ish but I expect you knowledgable folk will have some ideas!

Whilst on holiday in August I had a sudden attack of the most excruciating pain under my big toenail. After a day or so it stoped, but I was left with extreme tenderness if any pressure was placed onto my toe nail. I had to stuff cotton wool pads in my socks to ease even the pressure of socks. Then after a couple of weeks, the pain eased. I’ve been left with a white/ lightened area which looks like the end of a toenail, but half way down, now growing out.

I had wondered about gout but don’t think the symptoms nor location really match.

Then a couple of weeks ago. Roughly two months later, I’ve noticed I now have what looks like bruising under the toe nail in the same area. Pretty sure I haven’t done anything to cause that. What’s going on with my toe?

Photo attached. The white area has grown up now, and there’s also a mysterious deep horizontal ridge between the white area and the bruised area.

Maybe a paronchia, not sure that's the right spelling.

It could be a fungal infection which the white may suggest, the black can also be a sign of a fungal infection. I’d go to the doctor as you can get melanoma under the toe nail and a black strip should always be checked out. Given the pain you had an infection is quite likely. Best to get it looked at.

My toenails went like this after having a BIAB gel polish, as did my finger nails...this was in May and they are only just getting back to normal

Isn’t it more likely that a shard of something- a seed or grain of sand- worked its way under your nail? It’s now gradually growing out with trauma around it.

If it isn’t doing much except growing out, I’d leave it alone.

It looks fungal

Fungal

This is exactly what's happened to my thumb. Nail lady said it's where it's come away from the nail bed. Another lady said fungal infection so I saw the GP and they gave me cream to treat it but it hasn't done a thing. It's still green and has been for about 6 months now. I thought it would have grown out with the nail but it hasn't..

Looks fungal to me

Goodness that looks sore OP. I would be checking with a GP.

I’d get that looked at.

Get thee to a podiatrist

Go and see a podiatrist and they will be able to advise.

Mine used to look like that and I had the pain. Went to GP, had to submit a cutting to be tested, yes it was fungal. Took 6 months of prescription tablets and it did eventually grow out and is back to normal now.

The acute severe pain doesn't fit with fungal infection, however, there could be fungal infection present.

My immediate thought was a spontaneous small blood vessel bleed under the nail. I have a condition in my fingers where this happens (dermnetnz.org/topics/achenbach-syndrome), it's intensely painful. I can imagine if this happened under a nail it would hurt much more due to the nail limiting the space for blood to go so would be more pressure from under nail.

It's really important to go to your GP and have them look at it for a proper diagnosis to rule out anything more serious. Hopefully it's 'just' a spontaneous bleed/bruise under the nail.
https://dermnetnz.org/topics/subungual-haemorrhage

Just reread your OP. On holiday had you been wearing different footwear to normal and/or doing a lot more walking? If footwear too tight over toes it may have been enough trauma to the nailed to lead to a bleed under the nail.

Did you do hiking or similar on your holiday? That looks like hikers toe where there is mechanical damage from getting battered off the inside of shoes/boots.

It looks like an injury to me, the black looks like brusing.

I think you’re in the middle of losing that toenail after some sort of shoe damage. I’ve had it a couple of times.

@Lochroy I had something similar and my brilliant Chripodist cut away the part of the nail that had come way from the nail bed and cleaned it.

i was then really careful after each shower to dry it really well. For about a month I then sprayed Lamisol to protect it. My toe nail has slowly grown back and is nearly back to normal.

Personally I found my Chirpodist was better than my GP.