Help a Toenail Grow Back Quickly
You've lost a toenail, and you want it to grow back as quickly as possible. You'll need to protect the exposed skin and moisturized. You can moisturize your toes with olive oil, orange juice, green tea, and other solutions. There is also some evidence that biotin supplements and certain other vitamins can stimulate (or stabilize) hair and nail growth. Read on for simple home tips that may help your toenail grow back more quickly!
Contents
Steps
Protecting the Nail
- Be patient. You may be able to somewhat speed your nail growth with soaks and vitamins, but you'll still need to wait for the nail to restore itself. If you stub your toe and the toenail looks funky, don't worry: it will grow back. It just takes time! Don't disturb the nail, and don't chip at it. It may be tempting to pull off unneeded bits of nail – but you shouldn't mess with it unless it's a hangnail or an ingrown toenail.
- Protect your nail. If the skin underneath your nail is exposed, it's a good idea to put on a band-aid during the day and let it breath during nighttime. The band-aid can help prevent infection, and it may keep the sensitive skin from rubbing painfully against socks and shoes.
- Wear shoes that fit. If you try to wear shoes that are too small (especially high heels), you can easily bruise your toenails. Your toes will only have a small space to move during a long period of time, which can slow the process of regrowing the nail.
- Also refrain from making sudden stops. When you're done running, for instance, steadily slow to a walk so that you don't pitch forward, and your toes don't hit the tips of your shoes.
- Consider getting an acrylic overlay. If you can't wait, visit a nail tech and have them do an acrylic overlay on your broken toenail (which usually costs no more than $3-$5). This is similar to an acrylic fingernail – there must be at least a small amount of toenail for the acrylic to adhere to. While this won't make your real nail grow any faster, it will camouflage the broken toenail while it grows back. You can polish and pedicure this acrylic overlay just like a normal toenail, and nobody will know the difference. If you do decide to go with an acrylic overlay, make sure to remind your nail technician that it's there before they perform any services on you!
Soaking and Supplementing Nail Growth
- Dab the nail with olive oil, coconut oil, or flaxseed oil. This can help moisturize the skin so that the area heals more quickly. Dip a cotton swab in the oil, then dab it against the part of your toenail that has grown out. Alternately, fill a small bowl with olive/coconut/flaxseed oil, then soak your toe in the oil for 10-15 minutes. Be aware that this latter method may not use the oil as efficiently.
- Wear open-toed shoes (or no shoes) for an hour after application, or until the oil has soaked into the skin. The effect will be stronger if you give your skin time to absorb the moisture.
- Soak your feet in green tea. First, fill a large bowl with warm (comfortable, not hot) water. Add 1-3 green tea bags, and let the tea steep for at least five minutes. Place the bowl on the floor in front of a comfortable chair within reach of your feet. Sit in the chair, make yourself comfortable, and then place your feet in the bowl. Sit for about fifteen minutes—or until the water cools down—before taking your feet out.
- Consider keeping a towel nearby to dry your feet afterward.
- Repeat every 2-3 days while your nail is growing back. The green tea should soothe your skin and stimulate your nail growth.
- Use orange juice. Soak your nails in fresh orange juice for 10 minutes each day. Afterward, rinse your nails off with warm water, pat dry, and apply moisturizer. Repeat this process once a day until your nail has grown back.
- Try taking a biotin supplement. Hair and nails may grow much more quickly when you take biotin as a dietary supplement. Indeed, weak and slow-growing nails are often linked to a biotin deficiency. You can also increase your daily biotin levels by eating gelatin, which is a natural source.
- Beware: gelatin and supplements containing gelatin are known to increase urine oxalates, which might increase the risk of kidney stones in some people.
