Nail Loss: Pain And Healing Explained

Yes, your fingernail falling off is a thing that can happen, so it’s good to be prepared. After an acute trauma, your nail may turn black and seem like it's barely hanging on. Please, please, don’t pull it off. You can cut it down, but let the injury grow out on its own. “Leave it alone, because there is new nail growing underneath,” says Dr. Lain. “The new nail will push up the old nail, and it will come off when it’s ready.”

Pain - nail injuries are painful and sensitive

Injuring your nail because of an accident is a painful and sensitive experience. The nail plate (the hard part of the nail that grows out) can crack and potentially fall off, and the nail bed (the skin underneath the nail plate) can bleed and bruise. After trauma caused by an injury, nails often become bruised, blacken, and may fall off.

If you leave a nail injury open to the air, it can get very dry and very cracked, and if it gets traumatized, it can affect how the nail grows. In some cases, like if the nail bed is infected, the doctor might have to remove the nail by force. This procedure is called a nail evulsion. First, they numb up your finger with a local numbing treatment.

Once the fingernail falls off, it’s a good idea to protect the sensitive skin of the nail bed with a Band-Aid. You can cut it down, but let the injury grow out on its own. “Leave it alone, because there is new nail growing underneath,” says Dr. Lain. “The new nail will push up the old nail, and it will come off when it’s ready.”

Blackening - nail trauma can cause blackening

Nail trauma can cause blackening of the nail. Injuries to the nail can be painful and sensitive and can crack and bleed. Nail injuries often affect the nail plate (the hard part of the nail that grows out), which can crack and potentially fall off, and the nail bed (the skin underneath the nail plate), which can bleed and bruise.

After an acute trauma, your nail may turn black and seem like it's barely hanging on. Please, please, don’t pull it off. You can cut it down, but let the injury grow out on its own. Leave it alone, because there is new nail growing underneath. The new nail will push up the old nail, and it will come off when it’s ready.

Once the fingernail falls off, it’s a good idea to protect the sensitive skin of the nail bed with a Band-Aid.

In some cases, like if the nail bed is infected, the doctor might have to remove the nail by force. This procedure is called a nail evulsion. First, they numb up your finger with a local numbing treatment.

If you leave it open to the air, it can get very dry and very cracked, and if it gets traumatized, it can affect how the nail grows.

Cracking - nail injuries can cause cracking

Injuring your nail because of an accident can be very painful. It quickly turns into a throbbing, painful, and sensitive mess that might even crack and bleed. It’s bad but not the end of the world. But having a nail blacken and fall off? Horrifying!

Most fingernail injuries affect the nail plate (the hard part of the nail that grows out), which can crack and potentially fall off, and the nail bed (the skin underneath the nail plate), which can bleed and bruise. So when we’re discussing a nail bruise, we’re really talking about a nail plate bruise.

If you leave it open to the air, it can get very dry and very cracked, and if it gets traumatized, it can affect how the nail grows. In some cases, like if the nail bed is infected, the doctor might have to remove the nail by force. This procedure is called a nail evulsion. First, they numb up your finger with a local numbing treatment.

After an acute trauma, your nail may turn black and seem like it's barely hanging on. Please, please, don’t pull it off. You can cut it down, but let the injury grow out on its own. “Leave it alone, because there is new nail growing underneath,” says Dr. Lain. “The new nail will push up the old nail, and it will come off when it’s ready.Once the fingernail falls off, it’s a good idea to protect the sensitive skin of the nail bed with a Band-Aid.

Bleeding - nail injuries can cause bleeding

Yes, your fingernail falling off is a thing that can happen. After an acute trauma, your nail may turn black and seem like it's barely hanging on. Please, please, don’t pull it off. You can cut it down, but let the injury grow out on its own. “Leave it alone, because there is new nail growing underneath,” says Dr. Lain. “The new nail will push up the old nail, and it will come off when it’s ready.”

Most fingernail injuries affect the nail plate (the hard part of the nail that grows out), which can crack and potentially fall off, and the nail bed (the skin underneath the nail plate), which can bleed and bruise. So when we’re discussing a nail bruise, we’re really talking about a nail plate bruise. Injuring your nail because of an accident sucks. It quickly turns into a throbbing, painful, and sensitive mess that might even crack and bleed. It’s bad but not the end of the world. But having a nail blacken and fall off? Horrifying!

If you leave it open to the air, it can get very dry and very cracked, and if it gets traumatized, it can affect how the nail grows, says Dr. Lain. In some cases, like if the nail bed is infected, the doctor might have to remove the nail by force. This procedure is called a nail evulsion: First, they numb up your finger with a local numbing treatment.

Infection - nail beds can become infected

Nail beds can become infected and this can be very painful. If you have an injury to your nail, it can quickly turn into a throbbing, painful, and sensitive mess that might even crack and bleed. In some cases, like if the nail bed is infected, the doctor might have to remove the nail by force. This procedure is called a nail evulsion. First, they numb up your finger with a local numbing treatment.

If you have an injury to your nail, it can quickly turn into a throbbing, painful, and sensitive mess that might even crack and bleed. Most fingernail injuries affect the nail plate (the hard part of the nail that grows out), which can crack and potentially fall off, and the nail bed (the skin underneath the nail plate), which can bleed and bruise. So when we’re discussing a nail bruise, we’re really talking about a nail plate bruise.

If you have an injury to your nail, it can quickly turn into a throbbing, painful, and sensitive mess that might even crack and bleed. Most fingernail injuries affect the nail plate (the hard part of the nail that grows out), which can crack and potentially fall off, and the nail bed (the skin underneath the nail plate), which can bleed and bruise. So when we’re discussing a nail bruise, we’re really talking about a nail plate bruise.

If you have an injury to your nail, it can quickly turn into a throbbing, painful, and sensitive mess that might even crack and bleed. Most fingernail injuries affect the nail plate (the hard part of the nail that grows out), which can crack and potentially fall off, and the nail bed (the skin underneath the nail plate), which can bleed and bruise. So when we’re discussing a nail bruise, we’re really talking about a nail plate bruise.

If you have an injury to your nail, it can quickly turn into a throbbing, painful, and sensitive mess that might even crack and bleed. Most fingernail injuries affect the nail plate (the hard part of the nail that grows out), which can crack and potentially fall off, and the nail bed (the skin underneath the nail plate), which can bleed and bruise. So when we’re discussing a nail bruise, we’re really talking about a nail plate bruise.

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