Nail surgery after sporting injury: A balance between healing and return to play

People who exercise and participate in sports regularly frequently inquire about damaged nail surgery in London due to sporting injuries. Toenails bear the force of repeated impact in sports like running, football, and tennis. Such trauma may cause the nail to become lifted, split, or even embedded in the skin, producing pain, infection, and persistent shoe-wearing difficulty.

While it is usually the last resort, in some situations, surgery is the optimal solution to the problem and enables proper healing, but the process of recovery must be properly managed to balance healing with safe return to sport.

When Is Surgery Required After An Injury?

Not all sporting injuries need to be operated on. Most torn nails will grow back eventually if they are protected and cleaned. But when the nail is badly split, constantly ingrowing, or is chronically infected, surgery is probably the best bet. In these situations, most probably the whole of the nail is removed under local anaesthetic. This removes the pain and infection source and enables healthy growth to return.

It should be mentioned that in most severe cases, the entire nail is removed, particularly if the damage is severe or tends to be recurrent. Though most of the nails grow back again, patients should be aware that there is a chance of future recurrence of ingrown nails.

The Healing Timeline

Healing following nail surgery usually requires up to twelve weeks in the event that the entire nail has been removed. In this time, the sportsman must abstain from high-impact activity with the potential to violate the dressing, cause infection, or impair healing. Premature return to training will negate the effects of surgery and lengthen the recovery process.

At Harley Street Nail Specialist Clinic, we offer an explicit aftercare plan, such as dressing changes and follow-up visits, in order to ensure that the wound heals in a safe manner. We also advise patients on what type of shoe to wear and when light exercise can be gradually reintroduced.

Safe Return to Sport

Resting and returning to play in balance is crucial. We instruct our patients to consider recovery in stages:

● Phase one: Rest, elevation, and gentle dressing changes.

● Phase two: Minimal mobility once tenderness decreases, but no running or impact.

● Phase three: Phased return to training, with low-impact activities to begin.

Each athlete's rate of healing is unique, but with proper aftercare guidelines and respect for the body, most patients are able to return to their sport with little long-term complication.

If you’re dealing with nail trauma and want to explore damaged nail surgery in London, book a consultation with Harley Street Nail Specialist Clinic. We’ll assess the extent of the injury and create a treatment and recovery plan that supports both your healing and your sporting goals.