Losing a fingernail/toenail

[Hay Dude]

Most of us have been there. The ugly painful process of crushing a fingernail or toenail. Is there anything that can be done? Mine is a crushed fingernail. Hoped it would survive, but alas I can see the end of the nail pulling- away from the quick. Last one took about a year.
My son has 2 crushed big toes from D-1 defensemen stepping on his feet. Team trainer offered little help.
Anything helpful in speeding the process of getting the new nail?

 

[MossRoad]

No.

 

[MoKelly]

Never thought this would be a tractor forum question but-

MoKelly

 

[Hay Dude]

Rural living was best forum I could find. Please move to better forum if there is one.

 

[RickB]

Been a long time since I lost a nail, but I remember the pain well. Wishing you the best results possible.

 

[2LaneCruzer]

Toe nail story:

When I was about 4 years old, I had a habit of carrying a bucket around in the yard (don't know why, but I was an only child, about 10 miles from civilization). Ended up dropping it on my toe, and turning it black. It hurt so bad, I cried for a couple of hours or more. When Dad got home, he and Mom held me down and he drilled a hole in the nail with his knife. It let the blood out, relieved the pressure and therefore the pain. I went right to sleep.

The only time I have seen these things heal up very fast, is when the doc took the old nail off.

 

[oosik]

About eight months ago I accidentally kicked a wall. Playing soccer with Brownie. Blood squirted everywhere. Nail on big toe is vertical - rather than horizontal. So after realizing it's not going to fix itself. Push the toenail back down - wrap tightly with folded paper towel - wrap with elastic bandage. Change bandage once per week. After a month or so - toe nail comes off when I redo bandage. There is a brand new toenail. About a third of the way to being a full sized nail. I think I may have been lucky.

We play soccer outside now.......

 

[PILOON]

Toe nail story:

When I was about 4 years old, I had a habit of carrying a bucket around in the yard (don't know why, but I was an only child, about 10 miles from civilization). Ended up dropping it on my toe, and turning it black. It hurt so bad, I cried for a couple of hours or more. When Dad got home, he and Mom held me down and he drilled a hole in the nail with his knife. It let the blood out, relieved the pressure and therefore the pain. I went right to sleep.

The only time I have seen these things heal up very fast, is when the doc took the old nail off.

Yes, I always knew the trick was to drill an escape hole.
Have seen some actually use a power tool to do so.

 

[Jstpssng]

The best, least painful way that I've had it done was by a doctor... he heated a paper clip red hot on a bunson burner, and melted a hole in the nail. I rarely have a paper clip when I need it and don't own a bunson burner, so on the rare occasion I jam a nail, usually end up using a knife.

 

[Hay Dude]

I'm past the "pain stage". I'm in the beginning of the "falling-off stage".
I crushed my fingernail pulling a vine from a mulching head on a skid steer. Got my finger between a mulcher tooth and the head shield.
I also crushed a finger in my 20's in an "iron man" contest. I had to raise a 200-ish lb log over my head, which I did successfully. Stupidly, I tried to set it down instead of throwing it and beating my chest, like the other contestants lol, and I crushed my universal greeting sign on my right hand. And of course, next day was arm wrestling
Still looks kinda mangled 30 years later.

 

[jmc]

Yes, I always knew the trick was to drill an escape hole.
Have seen some actually use a power tool to do so.

A guy told me he drilled his smashed fingernail on a drill press and when the twist drill broke through the backside of the nail, it caught (as they often do) and sucked his finger tip up the twist drill, way deep, maybe through.

I've done the paperclip trick and it's slick. A match would probably heat it. I used a gas stove burner. Great way to perforate thin plastic too.

 

[MossRoad]

Rural living was best forum I could find. Please move to better forum if there is one.

It's fine here. I'm sure many folks have lost a nail.

 

[Jstpssng]

It's fine here. I'm sure many folks have lost a nail.

I usually find them in a tire though. (shameless play on words)

 

[dodge man]

I lost my big toenail at least once. I remember it being very tender underneath after it fell off. I can’t remember if I put a bandaid on it to help protect it.

 

[wolc123]

Harbor freight sells a tiny set of drill bits that comes in a small aluminum can that doubles as a chuck. I have used that probably half a dozen times, immediately after smacking a finger, and it has saved the nail every time. Unlike a risky power drill, you turn this by hand, thru the nail near the base.

The best part is, the intense pain that you feel, after smacking your finger, goes away the instant the drill breaks thru to relieve the pressure. The second best part is you usually get to keep the nail.

 

[not2old]

I've lost a few, years ago. While it was growing back I went to a spa and had an acrylic overlay installed. Another visit half way through and then again at the end to remove it. It helped a lot to prevent problems with it while working.

 

[MossRoad]

I was plagued with ingrown toenails on my big toes for over 10 years during high school and beyond. They tried digging them out, cutting the ingrown side completely off, pulling the whole nail completely off, and letting them grow back. Probably over a dozen times. They only hurt for a couple days and keeping a bandaid with some Neosporin on it helps. After a few days, it's then just a matter of waiting 6 months to a year for it to grow back. No different than knocking them off by accident, which I've also done on my hands and feet. My left one finally grew back normal, but my right one continued for another 10 years. So I finally had them remove it and surgically remove the matrix that grows new nails. So I have no toenail on my right big toe for about 25 years and if feels great! No more problems. When I'm at the pool, and a little kid notices it, and asks what happened, I tell them a raccoon chewed it off.

 

[MossRoad]

As for smashed nails and blood pooling under them, yes, the pain is heavy for such a small boo-boo. My sister took a heated paper clip to one of her own when she was young and showed me how to do it, so that's always been the solution in our family. It relieves the pressure, which is nice, but 9 times out of 10, you're gonna loose the nail.

 

[wolc123]

As for smashed nails and blood pooling under them, yes, the pain is heavy for such a small boo-boo. My sister took a heated paper clip to one of her own when she was young and showed me how to do it, so that's always been the solution in our family. It relieves the pressure, which is nice, but 9 times out of 10, you're gonna loose the nail.

Probably loose it because the heat cauterized the bleeding and stops the drainage. A cold, smaller drill probably gives you a better chance of saving the nail.