On my left foot, the nail on my big toe isn't attached to the nail bed on one corner. I believe the amount of nail not attached has gotten bigger over the course of a few years. I was thinking it was either due to trauma (playing a lot of soccer) or due to a nail fungal infection. I've recently started applying tee tree oil nightly, but I'm not sure if that's what I should be doing. Any input would be great! Here's a picture of the toenail. The part on the right is the part not attached. Thanks!
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How to get my nail to reattach to the nail bed?
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This looks like the beginning of a Nail Fungal Infection. It usually starts in one corner and looks exactly like this. The nail separates from the nail bed because the fungus eats part of the nail, and the part it can not eat builds up under the nail and lifts it off the nail bed. You must get a nail culture to ensure that it is a fungal infection and then have it treated. No home remedy will work, and usually topical medication will not work either. If you see Nail Fungus Medicine at the drug store, it NEVER says it treats NAIL FUNGUS, (which is what you want to treat), it states it treats fungus around, under and next to the nail. It probably also says in VERY small letters "This Product Is Not Effective on the Scalp or Nails".
More than likely you have a nail fungus or as it is called onychomycosis. Most common treatment is topical or oral prescription medication that can take upto a year to show good results. Laser therapy has been showing good results as well. Best option is to seek a certified podiatrist in your area.
If this problem is fungal ONLY, it may eventually adhere to the underlying skin, called the nail bed, as it grows out. However, if there is damage to the area the nail grows out from, called the nail matrix, the condition may be permanent. A simple test in a podiatrist office will clear up any mystery.
It appears to be a fungal infection of the skin as well as one of the nail. The soccer or blunt trauma to the nail will cause the separation and then the fungus sets up shop under the loosened nail. It will take some time to treat because a nail grows only 1 mm a month and may get worse before getting better. There a multiple treatment options for you however. You should set up an appointment with your Podiatrist to discuss multiple treatments that can be right for you. You also have to remember that you will have to disinfect your shoes as well, if it is a fungus. Good luck to you.
This appears to be fungal in origin. That being said, treatment with prescription antifungals may not address the separation of the nail from the nail bed. It is still worth treating both the likely fungal nail and probable adjacent athlete's foot. See your local podiatrist for definitive treatment.
This picture looks like a mild nail fungus infection (onychomycosis) is present. Tea tree oil and other over-the-counter treatments have some limited proven success, but other prescription medications have better clinical evidence of success. Part of what makes me believe there is not just nail separation from an injury alone is that there also appears to be an athlete's foot infection (tinea pedis - a fungal infection of the skin) present since there is some peeling / blistered skin around the nail. Your best bet for determining the most appropriate treatment is to see a podiatrist in your area for evaluation.
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