Isla Bennett
A fingernail can fall off due to injury to the nail matrix, large amounts of blood under the nail bed, or infection in the nail bed. If the nail bed is infected, a doctor might have to remove the nail by force, a procedure called nail evulsion. If the nail is torn or detached, it can be cut down and protected with a bandage until the new nail grows in.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| How does a finger nail fall off | If you leave the detached nail in place, it will eventually fall off when the new nail grows in. In some cases, like if the nail bed is infected, the doctor might have to remove the nail by force. Injury to your nail matrix is the tissue at the base of your nail where nail growth happens. |
| How to treat a detached nail | 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. Soak your finger or toe in cold water for 20 minutes after trimming the nail. Apply a thin layer of petroleum jelly, such as Vaseline, and cover the area with a nonstick bandage. |
| How to treat a bruised fingernail | Don't pull it off. 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. 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. A lot of blood under your nail bed can be treated by draining accumulated blood by drilling a small hole in the nail plate. In Dr. Lain’s clinical experience, blood that encompasses more than 50 percent of your nail is a good sign you should hit up a doctor, but there are no official recommendations. You can play it safe and have a smaller subungual hematoma drained too. The key is to get it done within 24 hours, before the blood coagulates. |
What You'll Learn
Nail bed infection - nail removed by force
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. Then the doctor uses special tools to lift the nail on each side and peel the plate away from the nail bed.
If you have a torn or detached nail, you can cover it 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. If you leave the detached nail in place, it will eventually fall off when the new nail grows in.
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.
If you have a large subungual hematoma (a lot of blood under your nail bed), doctors will often drain accumulated blood by drilling a small hole in the nail plate. In Dr. Lain’s clinical experience, blood that encompasses more than 50 percent of your nail is a good sign you should hit up a doctor, but there are no official recommendations. You can play it safe and have a smaller subungual hematoma drained too. The key is to get it done within 24 hours, before the blood coagulates.
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Large subungual hematomas - blood drained by drilling
Large subungual hematomas are a sign that a lot of blood has accumulated under your nail bed. This increases the risk of your fingernail falling off. To reduce this risk, doctors will often drain the accumulated blood by drilling a small hole in the nail plate.
Dr. Lain states that blood that encompasses more than 50 percent of your nail is a good sign that you should visit a doctor. However, there are no official recommendations.
Injury to your nail matrix is also a cause for concern. The nail matrix is the tissue at the base of your nail where nail growth happens.
If you have a large subungual hematoma, it is important to get it drained within 24 hours to prevent the blood from coagulating.
Do not pull off a fingernail that has fallen off. Instead, cut it down and 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 is ready.
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Acute trauma - nail may turn black
If you experience acute trauma to your nail, it may turn black and seem like it's barely hanging on. 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. 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.
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. Then the doctor uses special tools to lift the nail on each side and peel the plate away from the nail bed.
If you have a lot of blood under your nail bed, doctors will often drain accumulated blood by drilling a small hole in the nail plate. In Dr. Lain’s clinical experience, blood that encompasses more than 50 percent of your nail is a good sign you should hit up a doctor, but there are no official recommendations. You can play it safe and have a smaller subungual hematoma drained too. The key is to get it done within 24 hours, before the blood coagulates.
If you have a torn or detached nail, you can 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. If you leave the detached nail in place, it will eventually fall off when the new nail grows in. You can 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. Apply a thin layer of petroleum jelly, such as Vaseline, and cover the area with a nonstick bandage.
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Injury to nail matrix - tissue at base of nail
An injury to the nail matrix is the tissue at the base of your nail where nail growth happens.
If you have an injury to the nail matrix, you should 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.
If you have a large subungual hematoma (a lot of blood under your nail bed), it can increase the risk of your fingernail falling off. Doctors will often drain accumulated blood by drilling a small hole in the nail plate.
If you have an infection in the nail bed, 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. Then the doctor uses special tools to lift the nail on each side and peel the plate away from the nail bed.
If you have a torn or detached nail, you can 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. If you leave the detached nail in place, it will eventually fall off when the new nail grows in.
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Detached nail - falls off when new nail grows
If you leave a detached nail in place, it will eventually fall off when the new nail grows in. Dr. Lain says, “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.”
If you trim off the detached nail, you will have less worry about the nail catching and tearing. 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. Apply a thin layer of petroleum jelly, such as Vaseline, and cover the area with a nonstick bandage.
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. Then the doctor uses special tools to lift the nail on each side and peel the plate away from the nail bed.
If you have a lot of blood under your nail bed, doctors will often drain accumulated blood by drilling a small hole in the nail plate. The key is to get it done within 24 hours, before the blood coagulates.
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Frequently asked questions
If you leave a torn or detached nail in place, it will eventually fall off when the new nail grows in.
A lot of blood under your nail bed and injury to your nail matrix are some of the reasons for a fingernail falling off.
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.
