Ok. This sounds silly but... I've always had awesome help from you folks...

About 2 months ago I smashed my pinky nail. Half of it black/blue the other half fine. Thought it was going to be ok and I wasn't going to lose the nail. But today, yup you guessed it. I snagged it on the edge of something and --- Riiiiiiiiiippppp!. Now here's the question. It is still on there... one side is connected (the non black/blue) and the other side is off... Lots of scab and crap under there. VERY gross.

What do I do? Rip it off? Leave it? Logic tells me I need to clean under it??? What is under that nail that is there now? I haven't had the guts to look yet. Right now I've got a Band-Aid on it... but I know sooner or later I gotta man-it-up and deal with it...

What to do?

Thanks,

Pete

Don't cha just hate that! My heart goes out to you. First things first, make a drink and when you get ready, get a pair of nail clippers and trim off the nail on the dead side get as close to the good side as you can. All the gunk under your nail is dried blood and scab where the nail has separated from the nail bed. It might be easier if you soak the nail in warm water for about 10 minutes to soft up the nail- that will also loosen some of the dried blood. If you ever do that again, just take a small nail or very tiny drill bit and make a whole in the nail so the blood has some place to escape and you won't loose the nail on your finger. Learned that from my dad who worked on cars alot and was forever hitting the nails on his hand vs. the "nail on the head."

If it won't come off easily, I would bandaid it and try again in a few days. It'll come off soon -- best to wait 'til it's ready.

Carve a groove in it and pour blackpowder into the groove, then light it and then pull it out real fast.

B

Bot- thats how they used to cauterize wounds (like severed limbs) in the Civil War.

He remembers...

no kidding, in the 70s, we were driving through canada, and my dad smashed his thumb in the door of an olds 98 wagon. we were 100 mi or so from a hospital, and he heated up a paper clip with a lighter and made a hole in his nail to relieve the pressure. still gives me the winces when I think about it.

Just rip it off, then get some disinfectant and clean under it real well.

__________________
1999 SL500
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200

Yeah, my Mom gave us that treatment. It works to relieve the pressure but yeowzuh! One treatment and you NEVER tell Mom about the next time. I asked a doctor about it many years later and he said it isn't a good idea because it opens the damaged tissue to infection. His remedy was to just let the sucker grow out and deal with the pain.

Will you scream for him?

An old-timer told me the "poke a hole" method... but you are right... opens up things to LOTS of infection and such... I just went for a swim... and I'll dress it up before bed.

Thanks for the help. Actually right now it doesn't hurt a bit, but I know once it falls off it's gonna. I hope it falls off in the shower or something by itself.

Thanks again,

Pete

Dont be a wuss, grab that sucker and yank!

__________________
1999 SL500
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200

Once it's off, it'll feel absolutely fine.

My advice is put a band aid on it and leave it be. I have done this to many nails and they always grow back just fine.

-shudders-