Should I pull my broken toenail off?
If you have a damaged toenail, you might be tempted to remove it yourself. But while damaged toenails sometimes fall off on their own, it’s not a good idea to force that process. Removing a damaged toenail yourself could lead to serious complications that end up making matters worse.
What happens if you pull a toenail off?
Detached toenails are usually safe to remove, and they will typically grow back within a year and a half. A detached toenail can result from an injury or infection. Fungal infections or injuries may require additional medical attention to help ensure the toenail grows back properly.
What do you do if your toenail breaks and it bleeds?
Broken nail and bleeding
- Take off any rings, bracelets, or other jewelry from your hands and arms.
- Wash the injury with clean, warm water.
- Gently pat the area dry with a clean towel.
- If desired, apply some antibiotic ointment to the injured area.
- Wrap a bandage or gauze around the nail and secure with medical tape.
How long does a ripped off toenail take to heal?
The wound should heal within a few weeks. If completely removed, fingernails may take 6 months to grow back. Toenails may take 12 to 18 months to grow back. Injured nails may look different when they grow back.
What do you do when your half your nail rips off?
How is it treated?
- File any sharp edges smooth, or trim the nail.
- Trim off the detached part of a large tear, or leave the nail alone.
- 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.
What to do if entire toenail falls off?
Clean your toe, making sure you remove any debris, and apply an antibiotic ointment. Cover the area where your toenail fell off with a bandage. Seek immediate treatment if your entire toenail falls off or the area around your toenail won’t stop bleeding.
How do you treat a ripped toenail?
How do you treat a ripped off toenail?
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.
Can a ripped off nail reattach?
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 for a fingernail and up to 18 months for a toenail to grow back.
How do you repair a damaged nail bed?
A person can often treat a minor nail bed injury at home by:
- removing all jewelry.
- washing the injured area gently with fragrance-free soap.
- bandaging the injury gently, if there is an open wound.
- applying an ice pack for about 20 minutes at a time.
- elevating the injured hand or foot.
Is it OK to take off a broken toe nail?
For the half-broken or cracked nails, you should not remove it without any medical advice, as it may instead, lead to an infection. Surgical nail removal is usually needed for entirely deceased nail or pit nail which causes painful effect on your nail bed.
What to do with a torn toenail after surgery?
Deal with the nail that’s left. Some nail avulsions are minor, leaving most of the nail attached, whereas others can take off an entire toenail. After your injury, properly care for the portion of the nail that’s left over to get your healing off on the right foot. Whatever is still attached, leave it attached.
Is it bad if your toenails fall off?
Physically, a detached nail of your finger or toe is scary. Some people even think that this nail is not going to regrow. In fact, despite the pain, it might cause, a nail injury may heal completely without any specific treatment. Some other nail injuries, however, might require further medical care.
How to tell if you have a torn toe nail?
The tear isn’t too far down toward your foot, and the nail is still attached to the nail bed. Any bleeding stops quickly. You have little, if any, blood pooling under the remaining nail (it will look like a blue-black spot), and it doesn’t hurt much. The toe itself looks normal. If it’s painful, soak your toe in cold water for 20 minutes.