Patient: One of these, like, bumps like you said that I have or is it just from-- it'll go away on it's own?
Toe Bro: Probably not. The reason - this is from years of the joints being rubbed up against the shoe
and it's formed almost like a scar.
So we can scrape down or file down the callus
but usually, if the skin has become scarred, it changes, it becomes thicker and they'll keep reoccurring.
P: Oh, okay.
TB: So very important that we're always buffing these down with an emery board on your own
just so it reduces the chance of it coming back.
P: Okay, that doesn't bother me that much. It's my toe, really. [laughs]
TB: But, again, I think these are all signs that you have them both that you have more pressure on these toes and that's what's changed this toenail.
So it's pretty cool that we did the virtual consult and now you're here
but I'm just going to, again, explain to the camera that this toenail
is really just a damaged toenail.
TB: Years of pressure, banging, trauma, stress has made the nail thicker.
It's almost scarred the nail bed so it's not allowing the nail to reconnect
and that's why it has grown almost layers. It'll grow forward,
then it kind of reaches the damaged part, it kind of separates, then the next new nail grows in
and that's why it's kind of growing in stages.
P: Yeah, like, it's almost like it's getting weaker, breaking, then starting again, then breaking again.
TB: Yes, so what I expect to find is that only the back nail is attached
and this whole front part is completely lifted so--
P: So how much do I have left then?
TB: You're probably gonna have maybe a third or half of the nail.
P: Okay.
TB: But the reason why we're going to do that - there's really only two options: one
is we kind of, again, trim the nail back, file it thin,
you know, when the spa opens next door, the nail salon, then we can put that medical grade artificial nail on,
the nail reconstruction, it'll look like a nice full nail-- nice and smooth.
But, for now, we're just gonna trim it back conservatively
or your only other option is to remove the toenail forever.
P: No. [laughs]
TB: Exactly. [laughs] That's why, for today, we're just gonna clean it up so at least it's not as thick,
you can buff it down yourself until we can put that nail reconstruction on there.
P: Okay. TB: Okay?
P: Like, in the future, I could get it removed if I [inaudible] but, right now, I'm 21 and I care.
TB: No-- I know, I know. So what we're gonna do--
I know you're really worried about pain. You just relax, nothing should hurt
because it's really just a normal nail, it's like we're cutting a normal nail; it's just a little thicker.
P: It's just sometimes when we do cut it though, it gets a little bit sensitive because I don't know if it's just cause the nail clippers or--
TB: It-- It can be, so we'll go nice and slow.
But see, I use the big guns.
P: Yeah, the nail clippers we have, the regular ones and then the toe nail ones, they don't sound like that.
TB: [laughs]
P: But my nails, they fly across the room.
TB: I know, that-- P: It's, like, we have to wear goggles. We're scared that we're gonna get stabbed in the eye by accident.
TB: Oh, as a students, that-- that happens.
P: It does?
TB: Oh, yeah. [laughs] But then you learn you got to put the finger there
so it doesn't fly off.
But this nail's very thick.
P: Yes.
TB: But that's what happens. So you'll have too much pressure on skin, we get thick skin, callus.
When we have too much pressure on nail, it's the same reaction - we get a thick nail.
P: Like, this would have been almost impossible for me to, like, do this on my own, there's no way.
TB: How many times did you see a doctor for this?
P: Once.
TB: And--
P: And they, like, they're like, "oh, it's a fungus!"
and they're, like-- then they gave me drops, they told me that they were going to send me someone to get it shaved down so we could start the drops
and she never did.
And then that's why I called the other doctor
and he--
then he told me it's a fungus and that's why I told you he got mad at me.
And I'm like, "okay, thanks, that makes me feel great."
TB: What-- why did they get mad at you?
P: They told me, "oh, you're irresponsible," and everything and I'm like, "like, relax, I'm on pain, like, this isn't you,
you're not my parents." I don't even-- I didn't know this doctor because my doctor is out of the office because of the virus.
TB: Hm-hmh.
P: So someone else that didn't even know what I looked like or who I was
and he wasn't very nice.
And made me-- he made me upset more than anything
but...
TB: And then how did you find me online?
P: Oh. [laughs] I was trying to look up pictures of, like, fungus cause I was, like, I was crying cause I was still upset
and I was, like, trying to think of, like-- like, "is there another way where I don't have to get it removed?"
Because the guy told me, like, "there's no other option, you have to get it removed, both of them."
And then I came across a picture of you removing, I think it was a really bad toenail fungus
and then I clicked on it and it brought me to your YouTube channel and the video and I didn't realize that I was going on a video
and I saw you, like, doing, like, doing this to someone else but it was fungus though.
And then I tried to look at other videos to see if I could see anything like my toe and I didn't,
not exactly the same so that's why I decided to, like, go on your website and try to have a video conference with you.
Like, at first, I thought you were from the States so I was, like, "oh, I'm not gonna-- he won't be able to help me,"
and then, all of a sudden, I saw you were from Mississauga so I was, like, "oh! I can have help?!"
TB: [laughs] P: "It's a miracle, it's destiny!"
So that's how I found you from my-- I had, like, a little bit of a meltdown when I found you, so... TB: Aww.
Were you happy after the consult?
P: Yes! Very happy. My toe looks so ugly.
TB: But we're gonna make it look much better so the tricky part is always finding out how much of the nail is still attached
so that's why I'm in no rush, we're going nice and slow
and it looks like a lot of it is attached still.
P: Really?
TB: Hm-hmh.
P: Yay! I guess my toenails is kind of strong.
TB: It is very strong. [laughs] P: [laughs]
TB: And so what will happen-- I'm just basically gonna take off these ridges, buff it down so it's thinner and smoother
and then basically, like I said, when the nail salon is open, we can create a fuller, smoother, flatter nail
appearance and that would stay on for much longer time because it is medical grade, it will be safe, it doesn't affect anything.
P: And will I get that redone every, like--
TB: Every few months we file back the top as the new nail goes in and then redo it.
P: Yay. I'm-- I'm so excited for that. [laughs]
TB: I know, I know, it's-- it's-- we're waiting for the A-OK to open that next door.
P: I'm really excited for that.
TB: So, you okay?
P: Yep.
TB: Nothing's hurt so far?
P: No.
TB: So I'm doing it wrong. P: It feels funny but, like, it's fine.
Is that just, like, dirt and dry skin?
TB: Exactly.
P: I think that's why the doctor thought it might be fungus because you could see on the side the dirt.
TB: Yes. P: But I'm, like, "that doesn't look like the other pictures of fungus that I saw in the Internet--"
TB: No. P: "--this doesn't look anything like it."
TB: You were right. So what happens - because the nail's thicker but detached, it's building up the dead skin that gets shed
and because it has nowhere to go, it's trapped. That's what's building up all this debris.
A lot of people would think it's fungus but when we look, I can see the nail's really one uniform color.
It's not spotty, it's not green, it's not yellow.
Overall, it looks pretty good.
P: Yay. Okay.
TB: So...
P: Well, it might be a little discolored in some spots because I was putting nail polish on it for so long to cover it up
because I was, like, I felt like no one else had toes like me so even when it was so minimal, I was still just covering it up with nail polish
so people wouldn't notice, I would just do dark nail polish.
And I took it off in September for the first time, actually. My doctor told me to or else I would still be wearing nail polish now.
TB: Oh, sorry. P: It's okay.
TB: And the battery is definitely going to die.
I couldn't find my charger unfortunately.
So same thing - we're gonna go nice and slow.
P: That sounds terrifying.
TB: It's just a thick nail that wants to fly away.
And that's why you need the strong clippers to--
to get this down. This one looks a lot more lifted than the other one.
P: Yes. I think-- I think I mentioned in the video chat, I think the kids that I work at day care, they might have ran that one over
a little bit, that's why I was saying it looks-- it seems more crooked
so I was, like, I don't know if they ran it over with a bike or they stepped on my foot too many times
and then it just maybe cracked inside and then it just started to bend, I don't know but...
TB: Yeah, there's just been a lot more damage so you're not gonna have as much nail on this one versus that one.
P: That's okay.
TB: But, again, once it comes to the reconstruction of the nail, that's what's gonna make it look
a lot more normal and people will not really even know the difference.
P: Well, I already told my co-workers I'm getting this done.
She didn't even know I had this problem cause I always had nail polish.
You know, it's just, like, not black nail polish but dark enough that people can't see.
TB: Okay, so I'm just gonna trim this one back.
P: Ew...
TB: I know.
And all this is just dead skin.
P: I was gonna say, I hope it's just dirt. [laughs] TB: It is, it is.
P: I can't believe, like, if I didn't find you and I got my toenails removed, I don't know, like, and they'd grow back again, I don't know,
would I be allowed to sue the other doctor?
For giving me a false diagnosis. [laughs]
TB: It'd be very tough but the truth is, yeah, if we just remove them surgically, it will grow back the exact same way
so you have to remove them forever.
P. Yeah, there's-- like, I'm not doing that right now. Not-- not at this age, I don't want to do that.
Oh, you're right, I'm missing so much toenail. TB: [laughs] You are.
P: Like, what is this?
TB: Yeah, that-- that indentation, it might come up a little bit since there's no more toenail pressing but it might always be a little bit indented.
P: Okay.
TB: But we can see the difference on how those nails look after everything's been cleaned up.
How do they look to you?
P: Much better
and healthier, believe it or not.
TB: So this one - only half of the nail was actually attached, the rest was completely lifted exactly like I told you.
This is a good example where the nail reconstruction is gonna be really nice
to create the look of a full nail.
It'll be safe, it'll be niceand smooth and as that new nail grows in, that's gonna be ridgy all over,
we just keep coming in, buffing it down, smoothing it out and reapplying that and this is our conservative treatment.
P: Okay.
TB: So you should be much happier now with these nails.
P: I am. TB: Less maintenance. You're still gonna have them and, again,
in a month or so, when we come back to do the nail reconstruction-- oh, it's gonna be a good nice little after video.
P: I'm excited. I'm very excited.
TB: And no pain.
P: No pain.
TB: Awesome. Very happy.