Can I remove my black toe nail pain free?

You want to remove your toe? or toenail? Must be toenail, but your question says toe in both the subject line and the details.

You say you “did it.” Can you tell us what you did?

This sounds like something that requires medical attention and not Internet advice. If you don’t like the podiatrist at your workplace (your workplace keeps a podiatrist on staff?), couldn’t you see another one?

Ooops, yes sorry. My toe nail. I did it at the gym, wearing trainers that were too small ( I’ve now replaced them). I work in a beauty salon, we also have Physiotherapists and a Podiatrist.

I hope you’re talking about the nail and not the toe itself. If the latter, it sounds like gangrene and is a medical emergency.

A black toenail as a result of some kind of crushing trauma (like dropping something heavy on it) is probably a subungual hematoma (images) – a collection of blood under the nailbed.

One treatment – which sounds like medieval torture but isn’t – is to heat a safety pin in a flame until it glows cherry-red (hold it with a pliers). Then, while still hot, plunge it through the top of the nail. This instantly creates a hole in the nail to allow the blood to escape & decompress the toe, causing instant relief from pressure – sometimes associated with a disgusting squirt.

Normally this doesn’t harm the living tissue underneath because the hot metal cools off quickly when it hits the moist underside of the nail, and of course anything that’s that hot is also sterile. The discoloration will still have to grow out over some months. This method usually works & carries little risk, though it’s not for the squeamish. Good luck!

@gasman Thanks, I think. I’m not squeamish. When you say ‘plunge’ though, that sounds worrying. I am tempted ro give that a go.

Well, “plunge” is maybe overstating it – how about “gently press?” Btw this works for fingernails too & is routinely performed in emergency rooms.

@gasman Gently press sounds good. I will try it tomorrow.

Once again, this is something that should be treated by a doctor, not by self-help. You have National Health Service in England, use it.

So far you’ve had stomach troubles, multiple mental illnesses that have gone un-treated, and now possibly gangrene on your toe

Please see a doctor!

@gasman My boyfriend tried to do it for me but he didn’t want to press it too deep. It hasn’t worked. It is starting to lift up on one side though. Many ideas?

@Kardamom I do not know why you keep insisting I haven’t seen a doctor for my mental illness? I have been seeing doctors and therapists since I were 17 and take proper medication for it, which in numerous threads I have to keep telling you. This thread is about a toe nail. Ok?

@Headhurts Well, toenails are thick & sounds like didn’t go all the way through. Try again in the same spot – plunge, not so gently! If it’s not too uncomfortable just leave it alone & it will eventually go away.

@gasman Thanks, it is quite uncomfortable. I will get him to have another go.

@Headhurts Hmmm. I just re-read some of your Q’s and according to you, yourself, you are not currently seeing a therapist, you have a lot of serious problems and those problems are interfering with your life in a big way, you’ve said that nothing (therapy or meds) has worked for you, yet you continue to ignore advice suggesting other/better ways for you to get help. It appears that you are not getting proper medication for your symptoms, since most of your Q’s are about your mental problems and some of the Q’s are practically the same question over and over. Also, you are an admitted self-medicator and you don’t seem to understand the ramifications of combining certain meds (in potentially too large of a dose) without discussing these things with your doctor. You have access to medical care, yet you want to pull off your possibly gangrenous toenail yourself, which could potentially lead to other medical problems. Why?

Here is Information about what to do about a black toenail. Do you really want help?

@Kardamom What is your problem with me? I am taking medication, high medication. I don’t think taking omega 3 without asking my doctors permission is really life threatening! I don’t want ti see the podiatrist at my work because we do not get on. Would you like to know anything else about my life or are you done? Again, this thread was not about anything other than my toe nail. Please, find someone else to stalk.

See a Doctor and get it properly treated!
A toe infection can lead to gangrene and having the toe or more removed surgically

@Tropical_Willie Thanks. It has been treated for infection at the time I did it. She said it would just grow out, but it has started to lift a little. I have done what @gasman suggested to relieve the pressure, that has helped a lot.

@Kardamom is one of the most helpful and attentive members of Fluther. She goes out of her way to find information for people and deliver it responsibly. Calling her a stalker is unkind and unwarranted.

@Jeruba What has my mental illnesses have to do with my black toenail. She brings it up every opportunity. It is upsetting and annoying. It is also preventing proper answers to the question I asked.