My nail is coming off!

choccyface2006 · 18 March 2007 at 12:37AM

About 2 months ago I was looking for something under my bed as I pulled out my storage box, I trapped my thumb nail against the bedframe and a sharp pin like object (not sure what) went through the nail making a hole through to the nail bed.....well I was in agony and the air was blue :mad: :mad: :mad: and I didn't dare look, I felt sick it was so painful. It throbbed for ages and bled through the nail for days before bruising up.

Since then it has had a large pale white blotch on the nail, abit like an air bubble and two very white patches and of course I still have the hole although my nail had grown so its moving up. Yesterday though I noticed that all around the air bubble was raised and jagged, and separating from the rest of the nail and its now catching on everything, quite sore and only just hanging on on one side.

If it come off, I will lose at least half my thumb nail and have a raw nail bed underneath, is this likly to get infected? Should I be trying to prevent my nail from coming off altogether? If/when it does come off is it best to keep it covered or uncovered, will it dry out and heal by itself?

Thanks

Sarah x

Jock_in_a_Frock · 18 March 2007 at 12:42AM

Suck your thumb at all times.

Justie · 18 March 2007 at 9:47AM

the nail bed underneath will have dried out already (hence the nail is coming away where the air bubbles were) and there should be no risk of infection. I would trim the nail as best you can (use clippers rather than scissors) so that it doesn't catch and tear it. If it's part way down the nail still then you might need to get a manicurist to sort it out for you. Take care of the cuticle and eventually the nail will grow up and should be back to normal. The 'live' nail is what's growing under your cuticle so that's the bit to nourish what's covering the tip of your finger is there to to protect the vulnerable finger tips from just such a thing as you've described so it's designed to do what it's done.

Horasio · 18 March 2007 at 11:43AM

I knocked my nail once and eventually it all came off.

I find if you injure yourself it happens and a new one should grow thro' underneath

choccyface2006 · 18 March 2007 at 11:48AM

Thanks for the replies, its going to be uncomfortable for a while when it does come off, I will trim it as best I can Justie, thanks for all your advice.

Sarah x

laurajayne · 18 March 2007 at 6:35PM

I basically did the same last year...arrived at my holiday villa, and immediately trapped my fingers in the blooming door :mad:

Eventually the nail that was trapped in the door broke in half, and started coming off, in the end I just had to rip it off cos it was catching on everything and was nearly off anyway. However the nail had been growing, and now I have a (almost) perfect nail, just has a little dent about halfway down.

Just try not to do silly things with it, and you should be fine. It's a little uncomfortable having the part where the nail would be exposed, but other than that, it's fine. I'd recommend getting rid of the part thats hanging off as best/soon as you can, I think that's worse than waiting for the new nail to grow.

choccyface2006 · 19 March 2007 at 11:56AM

Well I have trimmed down the jagged bits and it feels better already, I think it will still come off but at least its not catching all the time now.

Sarah

Penny_Watcher · 19 March 2007 at 12:13PM

choccyface2006 wrote: »

Well I have trimmed down the jagged bits and it feels better already, I think it will still come off but at least its not catching all the time now.

Sarah

Ewwwww!!!!! :eek:

:rolleyes:

:rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:

Thanks for that - was just sitting down for my elevenses........................

But seriously, trim off what you can and wear a sticky plaster during the day to protect the end of your finger and stop the jagged bits catching.

I once took the side of my finger off on a bacon slicer (apart from a flappy bit still holding it on.) After stitching etc the nail on the reattached half eventually came off and I wore a band aid for a couple of weeks for protection. Everything grew back as it should and looks fine now apart from a faint scar on the side of my finger.

Claim to fame No. 17 - I have stitch scars under my finger nail.

Justie · 19 March 2007 at 12:48PM

oh that's gonna take a long time to grow out! I'd second Penny Watcher's advice on the plaster it'll stop you from catching it and getting stuff underneath it. Keep trimming it as it comes loose and you may lose half the nail as it grows up but it will regrow.

Take really good care of the cuticle as that sort of damage will have resulted in trauma further down the nail and it'll need all the tlc it can get - there are cuticle nourishing oils you can get that may help and if you massage a couple of drops in every night it'll help the new nail that's growing underneath. You'll still have a bit of an indentation in the nail for a while even when healthy nail regrows I'm afraid.

eyelinerprincess · 20 March 2007 at 1:49AM

ouch!

Deffo put a plaster on it to stop it catching. I broke my finger once, and the way I landed (hand sliding across the pavement, knuckles downwards), my nail started to come off, but because it was all horrible and bloody, I had to have a load of gauze around it.

Psykicpup · 20 March 2007 at 7:07PM

I had a similar thing after raching into a bag & the prong of a comb sliding up betwwen finger & nail to about 3/4's of the length owwwwwwwwwww
I will come off i'm afraid but will grow back just fine!
good advice to keep it trimmed (both directions lol) to stop it catching & maybe keep it covered too just dont let it become 'damp' under the plaster - that could cause a fungal infection! - check with your chemist for best thing to use

My nail is coming off!

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