How can I tell if the nail bed is damaged?

When I was a kid I used to scrape and clean the underside of my big toenails with an exacto knife (not smart). I never made the toenail bleed or caused any pain or anything, but after awhile the nail began separating from the nail bed until it reached about halfway down the toe. It has remained that way for years now.





So does this mean the nail bed received permanent damage? Will it ever grow back normally? FYI I am currently taking lamasil tablets and using prescription topical cream to kill fungus on both big toes, so I'm hoping the nail separation is due to this and not permanent damage.How can I tell if the nail bed is damaged?
Not sure about your main question but I had severe toenail fungus for several years. I used lamisil tablets which worked but it was too expensive, so I had to discontinue before getting the full treatment and the fungus returned.





My cousin told be about tea tree oil (an inexpensive topical treatment) and I started using it along with tea tree oil soap.





Within 3 months I was cleared up and it hasn't returned since. That was over 5 years ago. I still use the soap everyday and my toes have never looked better.





My 86 year old mother had the same infection on her finger nails and her physician told her there was nothing she could do. She was really upset because all the nails on both hands were ugly and lifting from the beds. On my recommendation she used tea tree oil and it's been gone for months now and her fingers look great.





You might want to consider trying it yourself...

nail polish