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DANCING subjects the toenails to quite a bit of trauma. This often results in conditions such as ingrown toenails, infections, bruising, thickening and fungal infections. Sometimes the nails can drop off altogether. Prevention is best but sometimes problems still occur, requiring a visit to a podiatrist.

Dancing on pointe places tremendous pressure on the end of the toes, and the last thing a dancer needs are long toenails. Cutting toenails correctly is vital but trimming them too short or square as most textbooks recommend will only cause problems. The nail may flare out at the sides and become fan shaped, cutting into the surrounding skin.

This can cause infections to develop.

The nail can also become ingrown.

Some people are more predisposed to developing ingrown toenails as they have bed. Padding can relieve the pressure, but most likely a podiatrist will reduce the size of the nail. This can be a permanent treatment. However, it is a myth that ingrown toenails can be prevented by cutting a V in the top of the nail. If you notice an ingrown toenail beginning, keep it dry and see a podiatrist as quickly as possible. Don’t try to treat it yourself as you may cause more damage. If theproblem is dealt with early enough, it may only require one treatment. Left untreated, excess skin (hyper granulation)
might develop, causing the ingrown nail to become deeper, more infected and harder to treat – possibly even surgery.

If the nail bed has been badly damaged, such as through great trauma, the nail may fall off. Unfortunately this kind of damage can’t be reversed. The nail will often grow back with extra thickness and may continually feel tender, as if bruised. This can affect the way you stand on pointe, causing faulty technique.

A podiatrist can reduce the thickness of the nail, the effect lasting six months.

Fungal infections cause nails to become discolored and flaky and can spread quickly from nail to nail and from person to person. Have your own nail clippers and don’t share with others even in your household. Remove nail polish regularly as water penetrates and sits between the polish and the nail. This stale water can harbour fungus.

Fungal infections are difficult to treat, so if you suspect you have a problem, have it diagnosed quickly. The podiatrist will file back the nail with an electric drill (burr the nail back) to get rid of as much infection as possible. An anti-fungal paint is then applied on a daily basis. The infection can’t be killed off completely, but it can be contained. This treatment is a long process and can take six to 12 months before a healthy nail will eventually grow back.

Thank you to Elizabeth Kiriakidis, consulting podiatrist for the Australian Ballet School, for her help in writing this article.

CARING FOR YOUR TOENAILS
• Use strong nail clippers. The cutting action of scissors damages the nail.
• Trim nails short but leave a small amount of white tip showing.
• Follow the shape of the nail, slightly rounding off corners.
• Smooth nails with an emery board, using downward strokes.
• Wash feet regularly, especially between the toes, and dry thoroughly.
• Have your dance shoes fitted correctly.

It takes the big toenail one year to re-grow from the base to the tip.

This article was first published in the February/March 2008 issue of Dance Australia

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