I like to keep my feet and toenails well groomed because it makes my feet feel good and look good. Particularly since I expose my feet all year round at yoga. That’s also why I used to get regular pedicures and apply polish to my toenails.
But at the end of last year, both of my big toenails tore horizontally right in the middle of the nail, all the way through to the nail bed. It looked awful, felt uncomfortable, and was very impractical because my toenails would get hooked on my socks.
I’m not sure how they tore. I thought it might have been a particular pair of shoes that was causing pressure in that area. Or perhaps toenail polish made my toenails brittle and weak. So I stopped wearing a pair of boots that might have been the culprits, and I stopped applying toenail polish and having professional pedicures. I carefully nursed my big toenails back to health. I used disinfectant daily for a while, and a bit of nail glue until the nails grew to a point where I could cut them neatly. I also moisturized my feet meticulously throughout this time. After a couple of months, it was simply a question of growing the toenails back out evenly.
On the advice of the forum, I started applying a clear nail strengthener to my toenails once the torn parts of the nails could be cut away. I also started taking a Biotin tablet daily. Four months later and my torn toenails have completely recovered and look strong.
I love the way my feet look after a professional pedicure, and I adore wearing the awfully pretty “Kyoto Pearl” polish on my toenails. But at this point I’m weary of toenail tearing. I’m not sure what I’m going to do, but until I figure it out I’m sticking with the Biotin and a clear nail strengthener.
