[MUSIC PLAYING]
Hi.
How are you?
I'm here to see Dr. Brad.
RECEPTIONIST: Sign in for me, please.
Thank you.
My name is LaShonda.
I'm from White Plains, New York.
My toenails look ugly.
I feel like they're so thick that they
kind of go through my shoe, like, they
open a hole in my shoe.
So it's kind of embarrassing.
I'm hoping that he tells me that there's some way to repair
my nails like a normal toenail.
That's all I'm looking for, just a normal looking toenail.
- How's it going, LaShonda? - Hi.
How are you? - I'm well, thank you.
So thank you for coming in.
How can I help you today?
Well, I've been having some issue with my toes.
OK.
You came to the right place.
[LAUGHS]
I'm the toe man right now.
Yeah.
The big toe-- if somebody steps on it,
it feels like a truck ran over my foot.
Wow.
When you're experiencing the pain,
what does it feel like, like a pin?
Pressure and feeling like someone's
stabbing me with a knife. DR. BRAD: Wow.
Yeah.
I went to a podiatrist previously.
And when he cut my nails, I think
the way he was clipping it, I think when it grew back
it started curving it more. - Sure.
LASHONDA: So I think he might have cut it incorrectly.
I feel like there's no hope.
Well, you're here to find out. Right?
LASHONDA: Yes.
OK, good.
So what I'd like to do is just take off your slippers
and see how it's looking.
LASHONDA: Mm-hmm.
[SOMBER MUSIC]
DR. BRAD: OK.
These nails are extremely curved, kind of like ingrowns
but it's the whole nail.
They kind of look like a shell that's just pinching her skin,
almost like a clamp on your toes,
creating pain every step she takes.
Does it hurt when I press them?
That one is the-- oh, my god. That's the worst.
DR. BRAD: That's murder.
Yeah.
So look, you know, what you have going on right now,
it's called a pincer toenail.
OK?
LASHONDA: Mm-hmm.
DR. BRAD: A pincer nail curves down the side,
and kind of pinches that skin underneath.
The skin grows up in, the nail pinches it down,
and you get all this pain.
LASHONDA: Yeah.
DR. BRAD: Pincer toenails-- one, it can be just genetic,
that's how your nails grow.
LASHONDA: Mm-hmm.
Two, it can be because it's the way you cut them.
And then the nail kind of just grows into that kind
of, like, pyramid shape.
Oh, OK.
DR. BRAD: These are your big toenails that have it the most.
So what I want to do for you today is I
want to cut all the toenails so they don't hurt you.
But the big toenails, that's a different story.
I'm actually going to remove the toenail.
OK?
OK.
DR. BRAD: It's called a total nail avulsion.
How does that sound? - Painful.
DR. BRAD: Yeah. - [LAUGHS]
DR. BRAD: You're in for it?
Well, it's not going to be pleasant.
But I can tell you that, you know,
the lidocaine is going to do wonders for you.
OK.
All right?
If you're OK with all that, I'm going
to start with your other toenails
and then we'll work our way to the big ones.
How does that sound?
That sounds good. Yes.
DR. BRAD: Good.
Let me start with the little toes.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
The first thing I want to do is trim LaShonda's
other nails nice and smooth.
All right, good.
So your toenails are done.
So the next thing we're going to do
is we're going to numb up the big toes.
Please make sure you numb it up really, really good.
DR. BRAD: Yeah.
So we're just going to put a little alcohol pad.
We are going to do a little injection in 5, 4, 3, 2, 1.
Pinch.
One down, one to go.
OK.
Ow, that burns.
LASHONDA: That needle felt like a heat,
and just like somebody was just sticking a knife
through the side of your toe.
Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow, ow.
That hurts. DR. BRAD: OK.
You're doing good.
I felt like I'm going to pass out.
[LAUGHS] Ow.
DR. BRAD: OK.
You're done.
LASHONDA: Yeah. - I know.
I'm sorry.
LASHONDA: Ow.
Oh, my god, that was painful.
OK.
So what we're going to do next is we're just
going to free up the borders.
If you feel anything, you just let me know.
I'm going to remove her pincer nails with a freer elevator.
And that's just something to carefully get under those nails
so they pop off nice and smooth.
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
I'm trying not to look 'cause--
- No, don't. - --I don't want to pass out.
Yeah, don't. You don't have to.
DR. BRAD: There are always another level of challenge
when you're trying to remove a pincer nail.
Because they're so tight and pinched with the skin,
that I really have to dig my freer elevator
underneath and lift them up.
OK.
We're going to remove the first one.
All right.
Good news is, the first one is done.
You can really see how that nail was pinching your skin.
LASHONDA: Yeah.
DR. BRAD: OK?
Almost like a shark tooth.
[LAUGHS]
DR. BRAD: Seriously.
All right, same thing as the other foot.
All right.
I got my eyes closed.
[GROANS]
DR. BRAD: Look, just that little instrument
you can stick in the tip of it and I
can hold it with just that.
LASHONDA: Yeah, I know.
DR. BRAD: Wow.
It's looking great right now, nice and clean.
I'm hoping when it's all done and it grows back that it
looks nice, that it's flat.
DR. BRAD: LaShonda's toenails will definitely grow back.
Now it's just a wait and to see if they're
going to grow back straight.
But I know that right now she's going to be pain free.
Just because it's fun, we will do a smiley face for you.
OK?
LASHONDA: I am very happy I came to see Dr. Brad
today to get my toenails removed.
And I'm just hoping and keeping my fingers
crossed that my toenails grow back
normal, no more pincer nails.
Now, if I come back it's going to have some eyebrows
like this if it hurts.
[LAUGHTER]
It's going to be mad at me. LASHONDA: Yeah.
That's OK.
I've been there.
LASHONDA: Thank you.
DR. BRAD: All right.