How to heal bruised toenails

A bruised toenail can make it difficult to walk and cause pain for days. People who run a lot or play sports that require intense movement of the feet, such as soccer or dancing, have a higher risk of toenail bruises. It can also happen if you accidentally kick or trip over a hard object or drop something heavy on your toe. A bruised toenail will gradually heal, but there are steps you can take to speed up the healing process and make the injury more comfortable. If your toe is bruised, stiff and painful, it may be broken. ^{[1] X Research Source} In this case, you must see a doctor as soon as possible.

Table of Contents

Soothes pain and swelling

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Apply ice to your toes for 10-20 minutes at a time. Apply ice to your toe at least three times a day to reduce swelling. Cover the ice pack with a towel so that your skin does not come into direct contact with the ice. ^{[2] X Trusted Source PubMed Central Go to Source}

Cold therapy is the most effective treatment to reduce swelling immediately after an injury because it reduces blood flow to the wound.
Try soaking your toe in ice cold water if you want to cool the entire injured area.

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Elevate your feet above trust level when lying down. Use several pillows or footrests to elevate your feet when sitting or lying down. Make sure your right toe is above heart level to reduce swelling faster. ^{[3] X Research Sources}

Elevating the leg is to reduce blood flow to the injured area, so the wound also reduces pain and swelling.
Try to elevate your legs for at least 2-3 hours a day to speed up the recovery process.

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Rest as much as possible to relieve pain and prevent further injury to the toe. Stop exercising for a while and move around only when absolutely necessary. If you need to go outside, wear shoes that provide support and don’t constrict your toes or block your toes. ^{[4] X Research Sources}

Sandals with arch support are a good choice. Remember to be careful when putting shoes on and when removing shoes.
Avoid wearing flip-flops if you have injured your big toe.

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Apply heat for 15 minutes each time after 48-72 hours. Apply a hot pack or hot compress to the toe only after the swelling has gone, usually 2-3 days after the injury. Apply only 15 minutes at a time, 3 times a day. ^{[5] X Research Sources}

Do not apply heat until the swelling is gone, only ice. The heat will increase blood flow, causing the wound to swell even more.

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Take an over-the-counter pain reliever to ease the pain. Take 1-2 tablets (200-400 mg) of acetaminophen or ibuprofen with 240 ml of water every 4-6 hours for pain relief. If the toe or the area around the toenail is swollen, ibuprofen is best because it has anti-inflammatory properties. ^{[6] X Trusted Source PubMed Central Go to Source}

If you are pregnant, avoid taking ibuprofen because it can cause complications during pregnancy.
Do not take ibuprofen in high doses or take it daily for more than 1 week as this can increase the risk of heart attack or stroke. The maximum dose is 800–1,200 mg/day for mild pain.
Each acetaminophen tablet is about 325 mg—don’t take more than 4,000 mg in 24 hours.

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Avoid touching the wound and do not wear tight footwear. Do not pick or touch the injured toe and avoid wearing tight socks or shoes, as this can irritate and put pressure on the wound. Our bodies are capable of dealing with bruises, so it’s best not to touch them and let them heal on their own. ^{[7] X Trusted Source PubMed Central Go to Source}

If you often run a lot or play sports that use your feet a lot, rest for at least 5-7 days to give your toenail time to heal.

Tip: If you can’t avoid wearing closed-toe shoes for a while, consider using toe protectors. Make sure it’s not too tight and doesn’t rub against your skin or nails when you walk. ^{[8] X Research Sources}

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Wash and bandage the toe if it bleeds. If there is blood under the nail, put your toe under cold running water to wash it off. Use a clean towel to dry around the toe and let the toe dry naturally. Wrap a clean bandage around your toe when it’s dry. ^{[9] X Trusted Source MedlinePlus Go to Source}

Elastic bandages may be more comfortable and provide better fixation than regular adhesive bandages. Use a small piece of gauze to cover your toe and wrap the gauze around so that it is a little tight but not so tight that you feel pressure on the toe.
When you see that the bleeding has stopped, you can remove the bandage to let the wound “breathe”.
Apply antibiotic ointment or petroleum jelly (Vaseline cream) to the toe before dressing to help the wound heal.

Accelerate the natural healing process

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Drink at least 2.8 liters of water per day to stay hydrated. Water helps wounds heal, so drink water! If you are female, you should try to drink at least 2.8 liters of water per day. If you are a man, you should drink at least 3.1 liters. ^{[10] X Trusted Source PubMed Central Go to Source}

Another way to calculate the ideal amount of water to drink is to divide your body weight (in pounds) by 2. The result will be the number of ounces of water you should drink per day. For example, if you weigh 140 pounds (64 kg), you will need to drink 70 ounces (2.1 liters) of water each day.
Avoid drinks with high levels of alcohol and caffeine like coffee and black tea while the toe is healing, as these drinks will only dehydrate the body and slow healing.

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Eat vegetables rich in vitamin C to support the healing process. Snack on healthy foods like citrus fruits, pineapple, bell peppers, green leafy vegetables and plums to help bruised toes heal faster. Try to get 65-90 mg of vitamin C per day. ^{[11] X Trusted Source Science Direct Go to Source}

Sweet potatoes, tomatoes, pumpkin, broccoli, brussels sprouts and cauliflower are also good sources of this essential nutrient.
If your doctor approves, you can also take a vitamin C supplement to increase your vitamin intake.
The maximum daily dose of vitamin C is 2,000 mg. There’s no harm in taking more, but it can cause stomach upset if you take the full day’s maximum dose all at once.

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Apply aloe vera to dissolve bruises quickly. Rub a pea-sized amount of aloe vera gel on the bruised toe 3-4 times a day. Check the ingredients on the back of the product packaging to make sure it’s 100% aloe vera gel. Additives will dilute the aloe content, meaning the gel will be less effective. ^{[12] X Trusted Source PubMed Central Go to source}

Aloe vera can help soothe inflamed skin on the toes and around. It also helps repair broken blood vessels just under the skin.

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Apply arnica gel to the bruise 3 times daily. Squeeze a small amount of the pea-sized gel onto a clean finger or cotton swab and gently rub it over the bruised toe. Rub 3 times a day to help the wound heal. ^{[13] X Research Source}

You can also take arnica by sucking 2 tablets to dissolve under the tongue every 6 hours or drinking 2-3 cups of arnica tea per day.
Note that arnica is a homeopathic remedy and not all scientific studies have shown it to be effective in healing bruises quickly.

Seek medical attention

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Assess pain levels to determine if the toe is broken. If you can’t straighten or move your toe, if your toe is noticeably numb or bent, your toe may be broken. In addition, if the toe is very swollen and continues to swell, or if the pain worsens, you should see your doctor (ideally, a podiatrist) as soon as possible. ^{[14] X Trusted Source National Health Service (UK) Go to Source}

Dropping a heavy object on your toe or tripping your toe on a hard object are two of the most common accidents that cause broken toes.
It usually takes 4-6 weeks for a broken toe to heal completely.
If the toe that may be broken is not the big toe, your doctor may suggest that you treat it at home first.

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Ask your doctor to drain the blood under the nail to reduce the pressure. Ask your doctor to drain the blood under your nail if you’re in so much pain that it’s hard to sleep. The doctor will use a small sterile needle to poke a hole in the nail to drain the blood. This will reduce the pressure on the nail, and hopefully it will provide significant pain relief. ^{[15] X Trusted Source PubMed Central Go to Source}

You can do this at home, but it’s best to see a doctor (especially if you’re afraid of blood or needles).

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Ask your doctor to remove the nail if it is cracked or loose. If your toenail is cracked or close to falling out, let your doctor remove the nail so it can heal and grow back without complications. After removing the nail, you will apply antibiotic ointment twice a day and wrap a sterile bandage. Change the dressing if you see fluid or blood seeping through. ^{[16] X Trusted Source American Academy of Family Physicians Go to Source}

Wrap a toe bandage for 1 week after removing the nail and talk to your doctor if you notice significant bleeding, swelling, or pain.
Rest for 2 weeks after the nail removal procedure – that is, don’t run, jump or play sports for a while.
It will take 6 to 18 months for the toenail to grow back.

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Go to the emergency room or seek urgent medical attention if you notice signs of infection. Pay attention to red streaks or pus draining from the toenail. Also, call 911 if you have a fever or your toenails are hot to the touch. ^{[17] X Trusted Source PubMed Central Go to source}

If there is a lot of pus oozing out and the wound becomes inflamed, you may need surgery. Wedge surgery is the most common type of surgery in this case (and in the case of ingrown nails). ^{[18] X Trusted Source PubMed Central Go to Source}

Prevent bruised toenails

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Trim toenails regularly so that only a small white band remains on the tip of the nail. Trim your toenails every 1-2 weeks so your nails don’t grow longer than your toes. Do not cut the nail angle too close, as this can cause the ingrown nail to poke into the skin around the nail bed. ^{[19] X Trusted Source Centers for Disease Contrp and Prevention Go to source}

You can also file your nails to shorten them, but it can take a while.
For little toe nails, you should use a smaller nail clipper if you have one.

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Wear shoes that are not too tight or too loose at the toe. A shoe that is too tight can cause your toes to squeeze against the top, front, and sides of the shoe, so you should have at least a foot of space between the toe and the front of the shoe. This gap should also be no larger than 2.5 cm, as the foot sliding back and forth in the shoe will cause the toenails to push forward into the toe of the shoe. ^{[20] X Research Sources}

You need to have enough space in the toe for your toes to move freely.
If you’ve had a history of bruised toenails from running, buy shoes that are half or an inch larger than your usual shoe size. Remember to wear comfortable socks and check the distance from the thumb to the tip of the shoe.
Shop for new shoes at the end of the day when feet are at their greatest.

Advice

Lace up the shoe a little tighter so your foot doesn’t slip in the shoe and push it forward (but not so tight that it puts a lot of pressure on the instep).

Warning

Don’t try to break blood vessels underneath the nail or pull the toenail out – see your doctor to reduce the risk of infection. ^{[24] X Trusted Source PubMed Central Go to source}

Steps