Blake’s Skier Toe

      The falling off of Hunter’s big toe nail is a yearly tradition at this point. For the past three years this has been the case follow a day or two of skiing. His ski boots are notoriously harsh on the big toe.

      This year, Blake decided to try out Hunter’s boots for a day of skiing and will now suffer the same fate. He has black and blue big toe nails that are becoming increasingly sensitive and painful.

      This is a perfect example of subungual hematoma or “Skier’s Toe.” The combo of poorly fitted ski boots and jarring impacts on the ski slopes are the common culprits. Repeated trauma to the toe causes blood to pool up under the toe nail. This becomes more and more painful as pressure builds up with no where to go. Eventually, the toe nail will fall off on its own after several months, but to relieve the pressure early on “trephination” can be done.

      Trephination is putting a hole in the fingernail to allow for the drainage of blood underneath. In Blake’s case he chose to use a razor blade, but there are other options: paper clip, needle, etc… He sterilized the area as good as he could with 70% alcohol then proceeded to slowly bore into the center of his nail until fluid started oozing out. Pressure was instantly relieved and he was good to go!