Dorothy FarrarTorn nail
A torn nail is more of a cosmetic issue than a medical one. Here, either toenails or fingernails tear – at best in the white nail section, because then they can be easily removed. On the other hand, if the nail tears in the area of the nail bed, this can be painful for the patient.
What are torn nails?
Like hair and skin, human nails are made of substances such as keratin and calloused material. With the nail, however, the proportion of calloused material is higher because it has to be harder than skin.
In addition, the nails grow slowly but steadily because the body uses them as a way to get rid of dead callused material. Because a fingernail or toenail cannot grow indefinitely (although there are interesting Guinness World Records for nail length), it will eventually break or crack, allowing new nail material to grow. Breaking off the nail is not particularly dangerous, but tearing the nail can be uncomfortable.
One usually speaks of a crack when an unclean edge has developed and the layers of the nail become recognizable as a result. A broken nail is more likely to result in a clean break edge. The torn nail is not a problem, although unsightly, as long as the tear is in the white part of the nail. However, it can also happen that the nail tears into the nail bed, which is painful – and makes it difficult to remove the remains of the nail.
causes
Torn nails on fingers and feet are a normal occurrence. At some point, the long nail breaks or tears, because nails cannot grow forever. At some point they would be a handicap. Torn nails in particular are mostly related to the fact that on the one hand the nail structure was already weak and on the other hand the nail experienced a load that it could not withstand, or it got stuck and tore.
The risk of torn nails is further increased by the fact that there are already small cracks and nicks in the edge of the nail that have not been addressed. This can happen because the nail has not been properly filed or has simply aged and is becoming brittle and porous at the edges. If torn nails happen regularly, so that the frequency is perceived as annoying, it may also be that the nail structure is not sufficiently hard and resistant to withstand the stresses of everyday life. Frequent application of nail polish or the attachment of artificial fingernails can be a cause. Modern gel polishes in particular are suspected of damaging the nail structure.
Diseases
- For the time being
When to the doctor?
A torn nail usually heals on its own within a few days. However, if the nail tears at the beginning of the nail bed in several places at the same time or particularly deeply, medical assistance may be required.
The same applies if the nail grows crooked and thus bores into the nail bed or the fingertips. If there is severe pain in the area of the torn nail, there may be an infection in the wound – the doctor can speed up healing by administering suitable medication and treatment under local anesthesia. If there is a suspicion that bacteria have gotten into the wound, a doctor must be consulted.
There may be nail weakness, which sometimes has serious causes such as mallet fingers, diabetes or Raynaud’s syndrome, and therefore urgently needs to be examined by a specialist.
In principle, however, torn nails heal without much medical help, although larger wounds must generally be looked at by a professional in order to avoid enlarging the tear and possible infections. Patients with hemophilia or specific phobias, such as haematophobia, are advised to consult a specialist under the supervision of a therapist.
diagnosis and course
A torn nail does not usually develop into a medical problem. Rather, it is cosmetically unpleasant and annoying. However, it can be a bit difficult if the nail is only partially torn close to the nail bed or into the nail bed – and only partially. Then there is still a nail residue that must be removed. In the case of torn nails in the area of the nail bed, slight bleeding under the nail can also occur, but this is not severe and stops quickly. This area is not particularly well supplied with blood and the bleeding is stopped immediately by the nail lying on it, like a pressure bandage. If the torn nail caused you slight pain, it will soon go away and the nail will grow back,
complications
A torn nail is initially more of a cosmetic problem. If the nail is only torn in the white part of the nail, it can be clipped and filed into a secure shape without complications. This can look different if the tear happened further down and is near the nail bed. If the crack extends into the pink part of the nail, there is a risk of a small wound. Such a torn nail wound is difficult to clean – the naturally occurring dirt under the fingernail can be enough to trigger a wound infection .
A torn nail can also cause bleeding near the nail bed, but this usually stops quickly. After all, they are below the fingernail, the surrounding healthy nail acts like a pressure bandage. The blood clot, which is usually hardly recognizable, coagulates quickly, but quickly turns dark and can then often be seen clearly under the nail. It can only be removed when the nail has grown back enough for the affected area to merge from the nail bed into the white part of the fingernail. Depending on the type of tear, if the torn nail is not clipped and filed, it could tear further or get caught in clothing and be torn off. This usually results in far worse injuries.
treatment and therapy
A torn nail usually does not require treatment or a visit to the doctor. If the nail is completely torn off, the broken area can be trimmed or filed, making sure the edges are clean. That way he doesn’t tear any further. Unclean breaks must be removed, even if the torn nail becomes even shorter as a result. However, if the crack happened very close to the nail bed or just separated part of the nail, then action is required – but everyone can do this themselves at home.
A torn nail that has been completely removed only needs a short examination of the nail bed. Sharp-edged edges of the nail that is still standing are treated with scissors and a file. Any light bleeding and pain will go away on its own. If the nail is still hanging close to the nail bed or has torn into the nail bed, it is advisable to first separate the entire nail as close to the line between the pink and white nail sections. If the piece that is still hanging gets stuck again, it can otherwise hurt a lot.
The remaining nail is then carefully trimmed down as far as possible with scissors or a nail file so that no hanging nail pieces or sharp edges remain. The result may be uneven as long as nothing can stick or cut into it. The nail grows back, so a cosmetic correction is possible at any time afterwards.
outlook and prognosis
A torn fingernail or toenail has an excellent prognosis in the vast majority of cases. Even without additional measures on the part of the person concerned, the nail heals as the torn area gradually grows out and possible accompanying symptoms such as pain or slight bleeding or inflammation usually subside quickly and without further complications.
A slightly worse prognosis is possible if a torn nail is associated with severe inflammation of the nail bed or the surrounding skin. This can be caused by contamination of a tiny wound in the affected nail region. General wound healing disorders, which can occur particularly in diabetics in the area of the feet, are sometimes associated with a somewhat poorer chance of rapid healing.
The prognosis for the torn nail may also be linked to the behavior of the person concerned. A torn nail on the foot can heal more poorly if the respective toe is squeezed into a very narrow or pointed shoe. A torn nail in the hand area may heal more poorly if the person concerned tries to remove any protruding nail edges by constantly chewing on the nail. At the latest, if there is a clearly visible inflammation with swelling, reddening and possibly percussion pain, the doctor should be consulted in order to avoid further complications and a worsening of the prognosis.
prevention
Torn nails are unpleasant, but cannot always be avoided. They happen to men even less often than women, which is due to the fact that women in particular have longer nails. A long nail is always a risk as its structure will eventually weaken and it will either break or tear.
A nail shape that is as little edgy as possible, but also not too pointed, prevents the nail from getting stuck. A clean nail edge should always be filed, especially on the lower edges of the nail near the nail bed, otherwise this can lead to small cracks in the edge and torn nails as a result.
Also, treating nail hardener is not always the best choice. It is recommended if the nails are very flexible – but then they probably won’t tear either. Nail oil is recommended for frequent torn nails, because the nails are probably too dry and will eventually become brittle. Nail oil penetrates the nail structure making them more flexible and resistant to splitting, so they are also less likely to crack.
Hello and welcome to my Health Guide & Encyclopedia! My name is Dorothy Farrar, and I'm the founder and main author of this platform.
My passion for health and wellness started at a young age when I became interested in the connection between the food we eat and the way we feel. This fascination led me to study nutrition and dietetics in college, where I learned about the importance of a balanced diet and the impact of various nutrients on the body.