Why are my toenails so tiny

[ClumpingBambooIsALie]

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?

My daughter has EDS. And she has very small toenails too.

when she was a baby, I recall the heath visitor talking about baby safe clippers etc. but I never had to cut her toenails, ever.

she doesn’t otherwise have small
digits though she has lovely long elegant fingers!

I'm not spending pedicure money on something so tiny 🤣 I just clip them short enough that they're not causing problems.

@Mykittensmittens it's generally more associated with EDS to have the long fingers etc as part of a marfanoid habitus, although of course varies from person to person. A lot of people with EDS can do the Marfan hand signs.

Weirdly, the people in my family with the most EDS symptoms (including the diagnosed one) are fairly tidgy people, pretty much the opposite of a marfanoid habitus 😅

They’re not much smaller than mine which coupled with massive feet mean mine look ridiculous. I’ve never had a pedicure because it would be so little nail varnish it doesn’t seem worth it! DH has webbed toes. DD’s toes seem to have somehow turned out pretty normal looking.

My little toe nail is very small. Likes idea of pp calling it 'evolved'

Don’t want to derail but yes, she can do that. And bend her thumb back to her arm. And she clicks and creaks with every move. Is there an EDS thread anywhere? My DM just messaged me to say radio 2 did something on it around 1pm today.

I can start one if you want? It's a bit tricky as the condition is very 'political' and attracts self diagnosers. But happy to do a thread if helpful! Agree on not wanting to derail.

To be honest I'm fine with any and all derailing, my inadequate toenails are simply not a topic I would expect to hold anyone's interest for very long 🤣 But nobody looking for EDS info/support is going to guess that they should have a look at Clumping's toenail thread, so maybe a new thread would make sense for those of you with this disorder.

Much sympathy on the self-diagnoser aversion; I have different diagnosed conditions that attract similar types, and while it's fine that there are people who suspect they may have <condition X> because of their symptoms and family history and so on, the "self-dx is valid, not everybody with the condition has the symptoms of the condition, I'm totally fine and normal and have (self-diagnosed) condition X, and I am now a spokesperson for people with the condition" crowd get very boring.

Have they always been like that? I guess they are normal, for you.

Yup 😞

EDS Discussion & Support thread: www.mumsnet.com/Talk/general_health/4559692-eds-discussion-support-thread

Nice one Innocenta, I hope it becomes a useful support/resource thread! I won't personally be joining as my issues are sub-threshold and minor enough not to affect my daily life, but I'm well aware (through, weirdly, more than one unrelated acquaintance with EDS that required operations and wheelchairs and such, as well as my family's mostly less severe issues) how much it can affect your day to day life. Good luck 👍

I total understand, ClumpingBamboo! Thanks for being so gracious about this coming up on your thread 🤗

It's a nice thing to come out of a whinge about toenails!

I am exactly the same, as is my DD. I think it's hereditary. My dad's nails are the same. The baby toe nails themselves get quite thick, but are so teeny and short.

What I have found that works is I use a nail file (just a drugstore sand papery type one) and file them flat. So not lengthwise which would make them shorter, but thickness wise. So file the tops of so that the nail gets to be thin like a normal nail. I find they actually grow like this and I continue filing flat as they grow. I can actually paint them now and they look much more like regular toenails!

That's interesting. A friend of mine has similar symptoms and tiny toenails too. Don't think she has E-D though.

Anyway, we went away together recently and she had false toenails. Somehow.

They looked great.