BLACK NAILS IN RUNNERS GENERALLY NOT A BIG ISSUE

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but if you run regularly, you can pretty much expect a blackened toenail or two at some point in time, Ronald Lepow, DPM, an assistant professor of orthopedic surgery at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston and a lifelong runner, tells SELF. “When you get your first one, it's kind of a sign that you've moved your training to a higher level,” he says.

 

Dr. Ronald Lepow

 

That’s because black toenails in runners tend to become more common the more you run, and the longer you go. People who run a mile or two at a time, and a couple of days a week, are less likely to experience them than those who train multiple days of the week, hitting at least a 5K (roughly 3 miles) per run, Dr. Lepow says. In most cases, black toenails in runners are not something to worry about, and for some people, it just comes with the miles (some runners even consider it a badge of honor to get their first one), but they can be annoying and unsightly when flip-flop season rolls around. 

 

Source: Christa Sgobba, SELF [1/13/20]

Courtesy of Barry Block, editor of PM News