Did you….did you just lose a fingernail? Did it just rip apart and fall off? OMG! I can’t imagine how painful that must have been for you. And, now you must be wondering how to get nail to reattach to nail bed? It’s natural that you want to know how to get out of this agonizing situation.
So, fingernails and toenails are made up of protein and fat, just like hair. A nail protects the nail bed. But, nails–particularly fingernails– are quite prone to trauma or injuries. I mean, do you remember that moment when you were walking in the house and got your toe stubbed on a table? Or the time your fingernail got jammed? No, I’ve no intention of stirring up painful memories. I’m just trying to make you understand how vulnerable your fingernails are to damage.
In addition to that, there are several reasons for a nail to detach from a nail bed. And, whatever the reason, the nail is not going to reattach. Instead, a new nail will form in the place of the old one. Nails take a considerable amount of time to grow. Basically, they grow slowly, If you’ve lost a fingernail, it will take around six months to grow back. Toenails grow more deliberately than fingernails, so it will take around 18 months for the toenail to grow back fully.
I’m so sorry to be the bearer of this news. But, sometimes, you just have to tell yourself that it is what it is and move on. Yes, your nail fell off. And yes, there’s nothing you can do to reattach it to your nail bed. But, there’s definitely something that you can do to take care of your detached nails at home. There are certain medicines that you can take. So, keep reading this article to learn how to care for a detached nail.
Here’s How To Get Nail To Reattach To Nail Bed! Causes And Care Tips For A Detached Nail!
Did you have long and beautiful nails? You were planning to do your nails a clear pink while watching gossip shows like Gilmore Girls on a weekend. But oh no, your fun plan fell off along with your nail. And now, you’ve landed up with a detached nail bed.
You must have so many questions burning to be answered about your situation!. Well, I’ll try to answer all of them in this article. So, keep reading!
1# What Causes A Detached Nail Bed?
It can be dreadfully painful to have your nail tear or rip apart, i.e. detach from your nail bed. There are several reasons why this can happen. Some of them are listed below:
Nail injuries.
- These kinds of injuries are especially common in people who have long nails. The nail can detach from the nail bed when it gets hit with something or gets jammed.
- If you have gotten your toe stubbed severely, it might cause the toenail to detach.
- Repetitive toe stubbing is also one of the reasons for toenails to detach. It is most commonly seen in athletes who wear tight shoes.
- Fungal nail infections can also cause the nail to get detached from the nail bed. This kind of infection occurs when fungi invade the skin underneath your fingernail or toenail, i.e. the nail bed.
- Fungal infections are most commonly seen in toenails. Because toes are mostly covered with shoes and socks. This creates a moist and warm condition which is excellent for fungus to thrive.
- When your nail gets infected with a fungal infection, it becomes yellow, thickened, discolored, or spotted.
- Several conditions like Psoriasis also cause the nail to detach. Psoriasis is basically a skin disease, but it can infect nails too.
- Certain chemicals, like the ones found in soaps, can contribute to nails getting detached.
- Chemotherapy or antimalarial medicines are a likely cause too.
- Besides, severe illnesses or malnourishment can cause your nails to fall off.
2# Home Care Methods For A Detached Nail
There are some home care methods that you can use to care for your detached nail. These methods are as follows:
- Keep the hand with the injured nail at an elevated angle. This will help you reduce inflammation and swelling. It will also help in lessening the pain.
- Ice helps well with nail-related injuries. So, use an ice pack for up to 20 minutes. Keep doing this after every 3 to 6 hours during the first 24 to 48 hours of your injury. Ice will help in easing out the pain and the swelling. Because ice will numb the injury.
- It’s easy to make your ice pack at home. All you’ve to do is to put ice cubes in a bag that can seal at the top, like a zip-lock bag.
- Then, cover the bag of ice in a clean and thin towel or a cloth.
- You may be tempted to skip the previous step. But don’t. Putting ice cubes or an ice pack directly on the skin is inadvisable. Although, the ice pack can be put directly on a wrap, cast, or splint. But, as the ice metals, do not let it wet your wrap, cast, or splint.
- The nail bed is a soft, moist, and sensitive area. This makes it susceptible to infections, particularly the fungal ones. Because fungus thrives in moist conditions. So, make sure to keep the injured nail protected the first 7 to 10 days after the injury.
- This time period will allow the nail to dry out and become hard.
- You can also keep the nail covered in a bandage. I prefer using a nonstick dressing or a bandage without adhesive for the purpose.
- When you cover an exposed nail bed with a dressing, it can potentially stick to it and become difficult to remove. Especially if it is left for longer than 24 hours. That’s why a nonstick bandage is advised. Still, make sure to change your bandage every 24 hours. You can skip doing this if you’re advised otherwise.
- Soak the dressing while holding it under warm water to remove your bandage easily.
- Gently pat the wound dry.
- Then, take an antibiotic ointment and apply a layer of it over your injury.
- Now, you can put on a new dressing or a fresh bandage.
- After using an antibiotic ointment with a nonstick dressing, cover the wound with an outer dressing.
- This should prevent the bandages from sticking.
- If you got an X-ray done that showed that you have a fracture, it will take around four weeks for the injury to heal. Until then, protect the wounded area with a splint or tape. This will ensure safe healing.
- If you’ve been prescribed antibiotics to prevent infection, then take them as directed by your health care provider.
3# Mecinial Remedies For A Detached Nail
There are some medicinal remedies you can try for a detached nail. They are as follows:
- You can try taking some over-the-counter (OTC) medicine to lessen the pain and the swelling.
- But, if you have been prescribed a different medicine by a health care provider, consume that as directed.
- Before taking any medicines, mention chronic medical conditions like diabetes and liver diseases to your health care provider if you have any of these.
- Also, emit about stomach ulcers if you’ve ever had those or digestive bleeding to your doctor.
- If you’ve been prescribed a course of antibiotics, do take them as and when they’re suggested. Do NOT stop taking them even if your wound has considerably healed and has started to appear better.
- Visit your doctor for follow-up care, or do as advised.
- If any X-rays of your hands were taken, then you will be informed about any new findings that may impact your wound or health.
4# When To Seek Medical Advice For A Detached Nail
So many of us try to first treat our injuries at home before going to a doctor. You, too, might have tried to do something about your detached nail bed at home using the methods mentioned above. But if you notice any of the things mentioned below, then you need to see a doctor right away:
- Increased pain or swelling around the injured area.
- Increased redness around the nail.
- Pus, a creamy white or yellow liquid, comes out of your injured nail.
- A fever of 100.4 degrees or anything higher than that.
Final Words
Alright! This was how to get nail to reattach to nail bed. I hope you found this article helpful. But Also, this article was for informative purposes only. Do not use the information listed here as a treatment or diagnostic criteria. But if you want to do so, consult your health care provider first.
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