The small pieces of skin that form are called
Dry hands and nails lead to hangnails because the cuticles become more fragile, leading to the likelihood of a cuticle separation. You pick at or chew your nails. Picking at your nails or chewing your nails can lead to unintentional damage to the cuticles, leading to a hangnail. You wash your hands often.
To cut a hangnail safely, use clean fingernail clippers to cut the hangnail as close to the nail bed as possible. Cutting your hangnail back should be your first step when treating it. After you've cut the hangnail down in size, you can try a warm water soak or antibiotic cream to continue to treat the area.
Avoid the temptation to rip the little suckers off. Not only will yanking off inflamed tissue hurt, but you're also leaving your fingers prone to infection. "When you pull them off, you typically tear some of the normal surface skin that keeps out bacteria," says Dr. Jacobs.
Treatments. If you have an infected hangnail, do not attempt to rip or pull it off. If you pull on it, you may pull off additional skin that will open more inner skin layers to bacteria.
Do my nails have some sort of deficiency? While it's not necessarily the most likely cause, frequent hangnails could indicate a protein deficiency, says Stern. Your skin and nails are made up of protein—if you're not getting enough, your skin may crack and tear, leading to hangnails.
There are many cuticle creams in the market to help you keep your skin hydrated, but this is a cheap and effective way to keep hangnails at bay. Work a little Vaseline petroleum jelly into the cuticles twice a day. You will never have to worry about hangnails again.
The best way to do cuticle cleaning in your nail care routine is to very carefully slide the dead skin off with a cuticle pusher.
“Depending on where the particular piece of skin is located, it can feel like there is pressure built up under the skin, and picking it can seem like a way to relieve that pressure,” says Bowe.
Hangnail infections are common and will often heal without complication. Home remedies, such as warm water soaks and antibiotics, can be effective for most mild infections. More serious infections involving pus or abscesses may require medical attention.
Injecting a special enzyme, called collagenase, into the hard lumps and cords can soften and weaken them. At a second appointment within the following week, your hand is moved in a way to break up the cords and straighten your finger. This can reduce or even eliminate the contracture for several years.
Nail pitting is when small round depressions or notches appear in the nails. It's common in people who have skin disorders such as psoriasis and eczema.
Soak the affected finger in clean, warm water for 10 to 15 minutes. Massage vitamin E oil, petroleum jelly or mineral oil very gently to the area. Gently clip the hangnail with sterile nail clippers or cuticle cutters to prevent it from catching on anything and to reduce the risk of further infection.
The best treatment is to use a nail clipper or nail scissors to clip off the hanging skin directly at the base.
- A deficiency in B-complex vitamins, especially biotin, will produce ridges along the nail bed. - A diet lacking in calcium contributes to dry, brittle nails. - A lack of folic acid and vitamin C can lead to hangnails.
Lack of Moisture: Hangnails are more common in winter months because the cold weather causes skin to dehydrate quickly. The dryer your hands get the more likely you are to suffer from a hangnail. And it's not just the weather; any activity that dries out your skin will increase the likelihood of a hangnail.
Koilonychia is indented nails. Instead of growing straight, your nails look concave, like spoons. In many people, koilonychia is a sign of iron deficiency. Usually, you can get rid of spoon nails by treating the underlying cause.
Snip smartly: When hangnails do spring up, you can carefully snip them off. Be sure to only remove dead pieces of skin. Cutting too close to the flesh can worsen the problem and even lead to infections, if not just deep, painful hangnails. "Soak the finger in warm water to soften the skin, says Baart.
There are many blood vessels and nerve endings in this part of the nail. Hangnails also cause inflammation and swelling that may press on the nerve endings. As a result, it can lead to more pain and irritation. Additionally, you may also notice redness and swelling.