Home  »  Foot Care  »  Common Conditions A-M  »  Black Toenails

Black Toenails

Black toenails generally result from bleeding beneath the nail, typically caused by some kind of trauma, like stubbing the toe or dropping something on it. In some cases, the trauma can also cause the toenail to separate slightly from the toe, resulting in a prime location for infection to occur.

Once a toenail turns black, the damage has already been done. An antifungal topical treatment on the nail can sometimes help it grow back healthy, although in some cases, the nail will simply fall off.

This condition rarely causes pain or much discomfort after the initial trauma, but it can be unsightly. Common methods of preventing black toenails include:

• Keeping your toenails trimmed
• Wearing properly-fitting footwear
• Avoid walking barefoot

While black toenails are generally harmless, an ensuing infection is less so, therefore it’s important to take measures to keep black toenails from occurring.