Torn or Detached Nail | Kaiser Permanente

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Overview

It can be very painful to tear or rip your nail from the nail bed. A nail may separate from the nail bed (detach) for many reasons, including:

• Injuries.
  • Separation caused by injury is common in people who have long fingernails. The nail may pry away from the nail bed when it is hit or jammed.
  • Severe or repetitive toe stubbing may cause a toenail to detach. This is also common in athletes who wear shoes that aren’t roomy enough.
• Fungal nail infection, which occurs when fungi invade a fingernail or toenail and the skin underneath the nail (nail bed). Toenails are more commonly affected than fingernails, and symptoms include cracked, yellow, discolored, streaked, thickened, or spotted nails.
• Skin conditions, such as psoriasis.
• Chemicals, such as acrylic-based gel polishes.
• Medicines, such as chemotherapy or antibiotics.
• Severe illnesses.

After a nail separates from the nail bed for whatever reason, it will not reattach. A new nail will have to grow back in its place. Nails grow back slowly. It takes about 6 months or longer for a fingernail and up to 18 months for a toenail to grow back.

How can you treat it at home?

Home treatment often helps relieve pain, promote healing, and prevent infection. Treatment may involve removing the nail, keeping the area dry to prevent infection, and waiting for a new nail to grow. The infection or skin condition that caused the separated nail will also need to be treated.

• File any sharp edges smooth, or trim the nail. This will help prevent catching the nail and tearing it more.
• Trim off the detached part of a large tear, or leave the nail alone.
  • Cover the nail with tape or an adhesive bandage until the nail has grown out enough to protect the finger or toe.
  • If you trim off the detached nail, you will have less worry about the nail catching and tearing.
  • If you leave the detached nail in place, it will eventually fall off when the new nail grows in.
• Use scissors to remove the detached part of the nail if the nail is partly attached.
• Soak your finger or toe in cold water for 20 minutes after trimming the nail.
• Apply a thin layer of petroleum jelly, such as Vaseline, and cover the area with a nonstick bandage.

To prevent infection:

• Soak your foot or hand in a solution of 1 tsp (5 mL) of salt dissolved in 4 cups (1 L) warm water for 20 minutes, 2 or 3 times each day, for the next 3 days. Reapply petroleum jelly, and cover with a fresh adhesive bandage.
• Keep the nail bed dry, clean, and covered with petroleum jelly and an adhesive bandage until the nail bed is firm or the nail has grown back. Apply a new adhesive bandage whenever the bandage gets wet.
• Watch for signs of infection such as increasing heat, redness, pain, tenderness, swelling, or pus.
• Remove an artificial nail if it separates from the nail bed. If you leave it on, the long, artificial nail can tear the nail bed.

Have a doctor trim your nail if you:

• Aren’t comfortable trimming the nail yourself.
• Have diabetes, peripheral arterial disease, or an immune system problem. These problems may cause reduced blood flow and loss of feeling in the feet. Untreated nail injuries can lead to infection, foot ulcers, and other serious problems.

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3 Ways to Improve Nail Health

A broken fingernail happens when part of your nail gets torn, chipped, split, smashed, or broken off. This can result from your nail getting caught on something or being involved in some kind of finger trauma.

Serious breaks can also injure the nail bed and nail matrix, where the cells that make up the nail are produced.

Let’s go over what you can do to minimize pain and discomfort if you break a nail, and how you can keep it from happening again.

There’s plenty you can do at home to take care of a broken nail right away without a trip to the doctor or emergency room.

Fingernail glue

In some cases, you can use fingernail glue (typically used to attach fake nails or tips) to reattach the broken part of your nail.

1. Wash your nail with clean, warm water and dry with a clean towel.
2. Soak the nail in warm water so it softens.
3. Squeeze a small amount of nail glue onto the area where the nail broke off, and spread the glue out so that it forms a thin layer.
4. Press the broken piece of nail gently but firmly onto the area where it broke off for 30 to 60 seconds until it stays attached.
5. Remove any extra glue with a Q-tip or cotton ball.
6. Use a file or buffer to make the smooth out the nail.
7. Apply a thin layer of protective coating (such as a clear, base coat of nail polish) once the glue has dried.

Tea bag

1. Wash your nail with clean, warm water and dry off with a clean towel.
2. Cut out a tiny piece of a clean tea bag big enough to cover the broken area of your nail. Coffee filter material also works!
3. Put a thin layer of nail glue or super glue across the broken part of your nail.
4. Using tweezers, lay the tea bag material down flat on your nail and fold part of it under your nail tip.
5. Put another layer of glue over the tea bag material.
6. Once the glue’s dry, buff the nail until it looks natural and apply a protective coating.

NOTE: If you continue to apply glue and buff the affected nail each week, the tea bag may eventually be buffed off. In this case, you’ll need to apply another piece of tea bag until the part of the nail that’s torn grows out.

Tape

1. Cut out a tiny piece of clear tape, such as Scotch tape or gift-wrapping tape, big enough to cover the broken area of your nail.
2. Using tweezers, attach the tape to your nail so that it covers the entire torn or broken area. Press it down gently to make sure it’s firmly affixed to the nail.
3. Use a pair of nail scissors to trim off any leftover tape around the nail.

Broken nails can cause a nail bed injury. In some cases, the nail can get completely torn off, crushed, pinched, or blood can pool beneath the nail. This is known as a subungual hematoma.

Nail bed injuries are far more serious than typically fingernail injuries. This is because they can harm the nail matrix from which nails grow. If not treated properly, the nail may stop growing back from the nail matrix.

The first thing you should do in this case is seek immediate medical attention to prevent infection or further injury. But here’s what you can do if your nail bed is injured and you can’t get to the emergency room right away:

1. Take off any rings, bracelets, or other jewelry from your hands and arms.
2. Wash the injury with clean, warm water. Don’t touch the injured area directly so that you don’t cause any extra pain or injury.
3. Gently pat the area dry with a clean towel.
4. If desired, apply some antibiotic ointment to the injured area.
5. Wrap a bandage or gauze around the nail and secure with medical tape.

Chips are much less serious than a tear or break, and they’re easily taken care of at home.

• If the nail is chipped at the tip: trim the rest of the nail tip down until the entire tip is even.
• If the nail is chipped below the tip: trim the nail down and apply a small piece of tape, glue, or tea bag material on top of the chip to help it grow back evenly.
• If the nail is chipped on the side: wash the area with clean, warm water, gently pat dry, apply an antibiotic ointment, and cover with a bandage or gauze and medical tape.

Here are some tips to keep your nails from breaking or getting injured:

• Wash your hands frequently and keep them dry.
• Don’t bite or pick at your nails or rip off hangnails.
• Don’t stay in the bath or shower for a long period of time.
• Trim or clip your nails regularly to keep them short. This can prevent them from snagging, and prevent dirt buildup underneath the nail.
• Wear gloves or other protective gear when working with your hands.
• Use only your own nail clippers.
• Get your nails done at a salon that’s clean, well-reviewed, and has a state cosmetology board license.
• Don’t get fake nails or use nail polish remover very often. This can wear away or weaken your nail.

Your fingers are involved in all sorts of daily activities, so there are plenty of ways your nails can break. Here are some common causes of nail breaks:

• constant exposure to moisture, which can soften and weaken the nail
• nail weakness or brittleness from age or malnutrition
• injury or weakness from fake nail glue
• habitual biting or picking at nail chips or tears
• getting your finger crushed in a door
• getting a small chip or tear snagged on a piece of clothing or other object, which can chip or tear the nail even more
• infection caused by an ingrown nail from improper trimming
• having a condition like psoriasis or a nail deformity, which can affect nail material

Nail injuries are common and can usually be remedied at home.

If the break involves a large part of the nail or affects the nail bed, you’ll need to get it fixed as soon as possible. You want to prevent total loss of your nail and complications that can occur as a result, such as infections or ingrown nails.

See a doctor if you see any bleeding or have any intense pain or discomfort from the injury or an infection.

Nail injury – types, signs, methods of treatment and prevention

March 27, 2023

Nail injury is a common phenomenon familiar to every person since childhood. Most often, injuries to the tips of the fingers and toes occur between the ages of 3 and 30 due to inattention, carelessness and haste. At a more mature age, people, remembering the pain that is difficult to bear, characteristic of even minor damage to the nail plates, become more careful and accurate, but it is impossible to completely insure yourself against injuries.

Traumatic situations occur everywhere: in everyday situations, at work, in city and personal transport, during leisure, while traveling. In most cases, minor bruises, cuts and pinching do not require special treatment and disappear on their own, however, if after a mechanical injury there is a hemorrhage in the subungual space with the formation of a hematoma or the plate has come off the nail bed, you should consult a doctor.

Types of nail injuries

There are two types of nail plate injuries:

Acute

Occur as a result of short-term mechanical impact – impacts, pinching, cuts

Chronic

Characterized by a weak but long-term effect as a result of illiterate nail care, nail biting, use of low-quality varnishes and coating removers, overwearing gel coatings, incorrect removal of gel polish from nails, use of aggressive detergents without gloves, wearing tight shoes

All types of injuries are divided into isolated – in cases when one damage is formed on the finger in the periungual space, and combined – if several types of wounds are present at once.

Causes and symptoms of nail injuries

• Contusion with a sharp blow to the nail plate, as a result of which the plate is preserved, but blood vessels burst in the subungual space, which leads to the formation of blood clots. The nail acquires a characteristic purplish-blue hue, then turns blue or blackens. The injury is characterized by intense pain, swelling and local temperature increase.
• Pinching or crushing injuries characterized by symptoms similar to bruising of the nail. A hematoma occurs in the subungual space, leading to discoloration and loss of the nail. They are often chronic if they occur on the big toes as a result of wearing tight shoes.
• Ragged wound with jagged edges – a consequence of careless handling of cutting instruments. It is characterized by bleeding, detachments, scalping of the skin, damage to blood vessels, nerve endings and / or muscles are possible.
• Partial or complete traumatic separation of the nail plate from the bed when heavy objects fall on the hand or leg or contact with moving mechanisms.
• Open or closed fracture of the distal phalanx of the finger resulting from impact on a hard surface or as a result of a fall. There are intra- and extra-articular (transverse, longitudinal, comminuted) fractures of the distal phalanges. Characterized by deformity of the finger. Require surgical intervention.
• Injuries resulting from poor quality manicure or pedicure.

First Aid

In the event of serious injuries, the victim must be given first aid and an ambulance called!

1. The person should be seated or laid down, as there is a risk of fainting as a result of pain shock.
2. Remove from the hand all objects that interfere with normal blood circulation – rings, bracelets.
3. Wash the injured limb in cold running water with detergent disinfectants to remove impurities and slow down the development of edema.
4. Stop bleeding, if any.
5. Treat the wound with antiseptics – hydrogen peroxide, chlorhexidine, an alcohol solution of boric acid or chloramphenicol. Treat the edges of an open wound with iodine.
6. Fix the injured limb in a vertical position.
7. Offer analgesics or other pain relievers. It is necessary to clarify with the victim whether he has allergic reactions to any medications.
8. Apply ice to the injured finger by wrapping it in a tissue. This will help relieve swelling and stop bleeding. Exposure time – no more than 10 minutes.
9. In case of partial or complete detachment of the nail, deformation of the distal phalanx, do not attempt to tear the plate from the nail bed or give the phalanx a natural look.
10. Make a soft, non-traumatic dressing with a sterile bandage or gauze. Do not use adhesive tape to fix a detached nail fragment.
11. It is advisable to offer the victim sedatives to reduce the risk of a heart attack.
12. Wait for the ambulance. If necessary, accompany the victim to the emergency room.

When to call an ambulance

An ambulance call is required in the following cases:

• if a child’s finger is injured;
• if the subungual hematoma occupies more than half of the surface of the nail;
• there is a deep open wound requiring dressing and suturing;
• fails to stop bleeding for more than 5 minutes;
• with partial or complete detachment of the nail from the bed;
• with a noticeable deformity of the phalanx of the finger;
• with rapid and severe spread of edema;
• for partial or complete amputation of the fingertip;
• if the injury resulted from an animal or human bite;
• if the victim has chronic diseases – hemophilia, diabetes, oncology and others.

Treatment of a nail injury in a hospital

Depending on the nature of the injury, the following manipulations are performed in the hospital:

• examination of the injured limb, measurement of blood pressure, blood sampling for tests;
• X-ray if a fracture is suspected;
• application of a tourniquet for an open wound;
• local anesthesia and anesthesia of the injured finger with lidocaine or other anesthetics;
• drainage of blood and pus in the form of a puncture of the nail plate in case of injury;
• complete removal of the plate if damage to the nail bed is suspected;
• cleaning the wound from fragments of the nail and particles of damaged skin;
• prescribing antibiotics to prevent infection.

How to treat a damaged nail after surgery

Injury to nails and fingers does not require a long stay in the hospital, so the patient goes home after the manipulations, having received recommendations for further treatment, which must be strictly followed. ! They consist of the following procedures, which the patient can perform with the help of qualified medical specialists in medical institutions or independently, at home:

Wound treatment with antiseptic and wound healing agents twice a day and dressing change.

Timely intake of prescribed antibiotics. It is not recommended to replace drugs on your own, skip or ignore treatment.

Regular visits to a specialist specialist to monitor recovery processes.

Self-treatment of a nail injury

Nail injuries often occur during manicure when processing plates, cuticles, pterygium with sharp instruments or due to improper operation of the device. The need to call an ambulance and deliver the victim to the emergency room is usually not required. The cabin must have a full set of medical supplies and medicines for first aid. The manicurist must be able to provide first aid to the victim – treat the injury site with an antiseptic and painkillers, stop the blood if there is an open wound, apply an ice compress to the site of a bruise or cut, wrap the ice with a napkin or gauze, apply a bandage.

Nails are often injured when:

• use of files and cutters for natural nails that are not correctly selected in size and abrasiveness;
• the use of metal cutters for removing gel polish or varnish;
• excessive removal of the keratin layer before gel polish or extension;
• intensive filing of artificial nails together with a natural layer;
• mechanical removal of artificial nails or gel polish from natural plates.

Methods for correcting injuries that occur during manicure

In salon conditions, microtraumas resulting from improper treatment with abrasive agents are corrected with the help of leveling and strengthening coatings – gel, biogel, acrylate, rubber base. The master must strictly adhere to the recommendations of manufacturers regarding the use of tools and materials in order to avoid situations that lead to damage to the nails of clients. The gel polish can be easily removed with the help of removers or ceramic cutters with a blue notch. Sawing is carried out with light, even movements without pressure at a speed of 6000-10000 rpm.

If nails are damaged as a result of inept manicure at home, treat the injured surfaces with antiseptics, take painkillers and consult a podiatrist.

Nail restoration

Injured fingernails grow back within 2-4 months and up to 6 months on the soles of the feet, depending on age. In the elderly and patients with systemic diseases, this process is slower.

In the salon, 9 procedures are recommended to accelerate the growth of nails0003

Paraffin wraps of paraffin wraps

Application of IBX varnish or “smart enamel” applying IBX varnish or “smart enamel”

Laminating of deformed plasties of deformed plates

if the growth zone is damaged by prosthetics of the nail.

For successful restoration of nail plates after injuries, it is desirable to carry out caring procedures at home using baths with gelatin, sea and Tibetan salt, decoctions of medicinal plants – sage, chamomile, yarrow. It is worth undergoing a course of collagen treatment, taking vitamin and mineral complexes containing calcium, magnesium and silicon.

Prevention of nail damage

Nail damage is almost always accidental. It is difficult to prevent them, but the following precautions should be taken:

• do not grow nails that are too long, if at work and at home there are often situations that can lead to a traumatic fracture of the nail and even a fracture of the distal phalanx;
• wear gloves when using aggressive detergents and gardening;
• handle heavy objects, cutting and carpentry tools with care;
• Exercise caution when opening and closing doors, windows, drawers at home, in cars and on public transport. You should be especially vigilant if there are children nearby who can insert their fingers into the gaps formed;
• get rid of the habit of biting nails;
• do not use nail extension services in dubious establishments;
• do not try to remove the gel polish coating yourself or get rid of artificial nails with improvised means;

Help with thermal, chemical and physical injuries of the nail – Podology Center PODOLAB

A nail injury is an injury in which the integrity of the soft tissues of the nail is violated under the influence of external factors.

Signs of injury to the nail

The nail after injury has visible changes.

• Hematoma (bruise) under the nail.
• Throbbing pain present.
• Blood accumulates between the nail bed and the plate.
• A crushed nail gradually changes color from red-black to blue-yellow.
• Edema, hyperemia of this area and fever.
• Lacerated wound.

When the nail is torn or pulled away from the nail bed, there is severe pain and bleeding.

The process of restoring nail plates in lacerations as a result of excessive length of extended nails.

First aid is important in the event of a nail injury. The specialists of the podology center will help you with this with the help of atraumatic treatment of the injured fingernail and toenail.

Cause of nail injury

Most injuries occur accidentally at home, at work, in people leading an active lifestyle. Traumatization can be both on the nails on the hands and on the legs.

Depending on the type of damaging factor, nail injury occurs:

And also:

• Onychophagy is the habit of biting nails, which leads to chronic traumatization of both nails and the skin around.
• Combined when several of the above factors are combined.

First aid for nail injury

• It is important to see a doctor as soon as possible and not self-medicate. If a fracture is suspected, x-rays are taken;
• The doctor will clean the wound of contamination with an alcohol-free antiseptic. Stop bleeding;
• For hematoma, the nail plate is punctured and blood is drained to alleviate the condition and eliminate pain;
• When the plate is torn off the bed, the unstable part of the nail is cut off and a protective dressing is applied.

If all recommendations of a doctor or podiatrist are followed, nail restoration will take 6-9 months. If the injured nail is run, it can lead to its abnormal growth and further deformation.

At the PODOLAB Podiatry Center you can get help with injuries, burns and hematomas of the nails on the hands and feet.

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The process of restoring the nail plate after a bruise.

The process of restoring the nail plate after a sports injury

Athlete’s nails are injured as a result of excessive stress during training.

At the PODOLAB Podiatry Center you can get help with injuries, burns and hematomas of the nails on the hands and feet.

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Treatment of a nail injury with an individual approach

A professional football player came to the center with a subungual hematoma, which he received during training. The finger hurt a lot. And the next day the guy has a match.

Subungual hematoma is a consequence of a mechanical injury to the nail apparatus, in which blood accumulates under the damaged nail plate. The nail plate holds the spilled blood in the nail bed. The blood clot does not penetrate into the nail plate itself, remains under it.

We were faced with 3 tasks

1. A football player needs a nail. If the plate is removed, then he will not be able to kick the ball. Therefore, careful treatment is needed without additional trauma to the soft tissues of the nail bed.
2. Relieve pain.
3. Release blood.
   We made a perforation in the nail plate – a small hole. Through which the accumulated blood came out.

We used a burr to make a small hole, bleed and debride between the nail and bed.
Before manipulation, the injured nail is treated with a skin antiseptic. Next, the nail plate is perforated using sterile instruments. Through the hole formed, blood is removed by squeezing the finger. The cavity under the nail is washed with Prontoman spray. An unloading bandage with the drug is applied.

After this treatment, the intensity of pain, discomfort and feeling of fullness in the nail immediately decreases.