Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Style and beauty

Looking for style advice? Chat all about it here. For the latest discounts on fashion and beauty, sign up for Mumsnet Moneysaver emails.

Why are my toenails so tiny

67 replies

ClumpingBambooIsALie · 30/05/2022 02:12

My fingernails are pretty normal. My big toenails are pretty normal. But the other toenails? Absolutely minuscule. The nailbed of my non-big toenails is absolute maximum 2mm from base to… other end.

Now, technically, I could grow them longer and pretend I have normal toenails, but when I do that they grow up at an angle, like landed javelins, and being connected to my toe by the most whisper-thin of flesh-bands, will happily rip off at the slightest insult, at least, when they're not rubbing on the inside of my shoe — so I have to keep them clipped extremely short. At this point, some eagle-eyed readers might think, "Aha! That's why your nailbeds are so short!" but no, they've always been this tiny, even back when I left them longer and took the risk of pain. I only make sure I have no dead excess on there to avoid aforementioned excruciating off-ripping — I don't do anything to the bed itself.

I considered uploading a picture, but I had to zoom in so far to make the toenails visible that the toe-hair detail was grotesque.

I've looked online and no human foot I can find has toenail beds this short. Is there some magical way of growing toenail bed, or am I doomed to forever have vestigial little nubs for toenails?

OP posts:
TooManyPJs · 30/05/2022 02:41

We definitely need a picture I'm afraid. 😬

ClumpingBambooIsALie · 30/05/2022 02:49

Oh God. Okay, you can have one toe (the one next to the big toe). And part of the one next to it. They've just been cut so they're very very short, and I also have toe hair, so, ignore that if it offends Grin

OP posts:
ClumpingBambooIsALie · 30/05/2022 02:52

That's my biggest, normalest non-big-toe toenail Blush

OP posts:
ZombiePara · 30/05/2022 02:56

As much as it pains you, and i have no answer as to why... i would happily swap my liner yet annoying nails for your non existent tiny ones!

Not helpful, I know.. sorry!

ClumpingBambooIsALie · 30/05/2022 03:00

ZombiePara · 30/05/2022 02:56

As much as it pains you, and i have no answer as to why... i would happily swap my liner yet annoying nails for your non existent tiny ones!

Not helpful, I know.. sorry!

Fair enough 🤣

OP posts:
ClumpingBambooIsALie · 30/05/2022 03:01

What's annoying about yours?

OP posts:
DramaAlpaca · 30/05/2022 03:03

You might be my toenail sister, cousin at least. My smallest two toenails are like yours. Annoying, isn't it?

ClumpingBambooIsALie · 30/05/2022 03:07

DramaAlpaca · 30/05/2022 03:03

You might be my toenail sister, cousin at least. My smallest two toenails are like yours. Annoying, isn't it?

Yes! You can barely even see the pinky ones 🥲 They're just a ridge with a thin line of toenail bed somewhere inside.

Just think, some people can actually fit a nail-polish brush on theirs.

OP posts:
LifeInsideMyhead · 30/05/2022 03:10

I do but I have a different condition - how are you teeth/hair?'anything unusual.

DramaAlpaca · 30/05/2022 03:11

I know! I can't, but I wish I could. I only wear closed toe sandals because of my weird toes. I also have enormous fat big toes (thanks dad) and also a gap between my big toe and the second toe. My feet are not my favourite thing about me!

TomBradysLeftKneecap · 30/05/2022 03:12

And they're hairy. Dear God! You are doomed!

ClumpingBambooIsALie · 30/05/2022 03:13

Only things I can think of are Ehlers-Danlos in my family, of which I only really got a few mild symptoms, not enough to meet the threshold (some bendiness, dodgy hypermobile knees, extreme myopia, couple of other things), and a couple of weird tooth things (congenitally absent teeth, extra cusps on some others). Oh and a few extra nipples.

OP posts:
ClumpingBambooIsALie · 30/05/2022 03:14

DramaAlpaca · 30/05/2022 03:11

I know! I can't, but I wish I could. I only wear closed toe sandals because of my weird toes. I also have enormous fat big toes (thanks dad) and also a gap between my big toe and the second toe. My feet are not my favourite thing about me!

Mine were described by a podiatrist as "extreme triangular feet". Confidence-inspiring.

OP posts:
ClumpingBambooIsALie · 30/05/2022 03:14

TomBradysLeftKneecap · 30/05/2022 03:12

And they're hairy. Dear God! You are doomed!

I'm told it's a sign of good circulation, and I cling to that as solace.

OP posts:
Echosound · 30/05/2022 11:40

i can see that you haven’t cut them too short as I can see the white ends but your toes look sore where they’re exposed, as if there’s too much bare toe that shouldn’t be bare. Are they sore?

BeanAnTae · 30/05/2022 11:51

Are you hypothyroid at all OP? Have you had your thyroid hormones checked?

IvorCutler · 30/05/2022 12:10

My little toenails are teeny tiny, almost non-existent but the rest are normal size!

BertieGibson · 30/05/2022 12:12

This reply has been deleted

This has been deleted by MNHQ for breaking our Talk Guidelines.

Maireas · 30/05/2022 12:16

Let them grow a bit. Then paint them a lurid colour. It may not help, but it'll cheer you up when you look at them.
Mine are the opposite - imagine if Nosferatu took his shoes and socks off. That's me.

Maireas · 30/05/2022 12:22

Your toes are quite cute, though. Chubby and square. Mine are about half the length of my feet. Sandal wearing is a joy.

Innocenta · 30/05/2022 12:32

No particular relation to EDS.

PinkArt · 30/05/2022 12:41

My baby toe nails are like this. I was told it was a sign of being very evolved - humans don't need toe nails and ours are just a step further along the evolutionary ladder to us not having them. Pretty sure it's kind bullshit my parents made up but I go with it!

IvorCutler · 30/05/2022 12:47

PinkArt · 30/05/2022 12:41

My baby toe nails are like this. I was told it was a sign of being very evolved - humans don't need toe nails and ours are just a step further along the evolutionary ladder to us not having them. Pretty sure it's kind bullshit my parents made up but I go with it!

Ha, I like this 😁

ClumpingBambooIsALie · 30/05/2022 13:15

Echosound · 30/05/2022 11:40

i can see that you haven’t cut them too short as I can see the white ends but your toes look sore where they’re exposed, as if there’s too much bare toe that shouldn’t be bare. Are they sore?

Not sore, the camera just made them look really pink for some reason :-/

OP posts:
ClumpingBambooIsALie · 30/05/2022 13:19

BeanAnTae · 30/05/2022 11:51

Are you hypothyroid at all OP? Have you had your thyroid hormones checked?

I have my thyroid levels checked regularly for other reasons and apparently they're fine.

OP posts:
Swipe left for the next trending thread