How To Heal A Ripped Nail

Download Article

Download Commodity

Whether you've had a sports injury or just an blow effectually the house, a torn toenail tin be a painful feel. A torn smash injury, or smash avulsion, includes a tear in the nail away from the nail bed or losing the entire nail. Fortunately, many torn toenails tin can be treated at home with proper cleaning and aftercare, as long as you recognize signs that you should come across a doctor.

1
Deal with the blast that'southward left. Some blast avulsions are minor, leaving almost of the boom attached, whereas others can take off an entire toenail. Subsequently your injury, properly treat the portion of the nail that'southward left over to become your healing off on the correct foot. Whatever is still attached, leave information technology fastened. If a portion of the nail is unattached, gently clip it with make clean smash clippers as close to the cuticle or to the attached area as possible.^[i] Cut along the line of the tear.
- File any part of the nail left over and then that information technology is smooth. This will aid you avert catching it on socks and bedding.
- Don't rip at your toenail when you cutting it, considering you don't want to crusade bleeding. If you lot're not able to cut the toenail without cutting into your skin, see a doctor for treatment.^[ii]
- Ask a friend or loved one for help if you're prissy or are having trouble. Children volition probably need help from an adult when caring for a torn toenail.
ii
Terminate whatever haemorrhage. Utilize direct pressure to the bleeding area with a clean cloth or a gauze pad. Keep pressure on the area for 10 minutes, or until the bleeding stops. It will also assistance to slow haemorrhage if you prevarication downward and elevate your foot by propping information technology up on pillows.
- If the bleeding hasn't slowed after 15 minutes of pressure, seek medical care.
Advertisement
3
Clean the wound thoroughly. Wash your toe with warm soapy water and a washcloth. If the wounded area is muddied, gently scrub the dirt abroad. Scrub off whatever dried claret or debris from the injury. Don't exist afraid to inquire a friend or loved 1 to assist y'all. Make clean the area as well as possible to preclude infection.
- Gently pat the area dry out with a clean towel or washcloth. Practice not rub the surface area, which might crusade more than bleeding.
4
Apply antibody ointment. When your toe is clean and dry out, dab a topical antibody ointment such as Neosporin, Polysporin, or whatsoever of the "triple antibiotic" ointments onto the entire injured area. You lot tin get these at most drug stores, without a prescription.^[3]
- These often come in cream form, every bit well. Be sure to get the ointment, which is better at preventing your bandage from sticking to the wound.
- If the skin is intact and there are no cuts or scrapes, then you can just use some petroleum jelly instead of antibody ointment.
5
Put a dressing on your toe. ^[4] Buy sterile gauze pads or non-stick dressing, and medical tape. Apply a gauze pad or cast over the injured toe (cutting the pad to fit, if needed), then wrap around the toe with gauze several times to keep the cast in place. Exit plenty extra gauze at the acme of your toe to gently fold information technology over the boom, creating a sort of bandage "cap" that you tin can later pull off easily. Record over the top twice in crisscross mode (like an X). Use two pieces of medical tape to attach the bandage to your toe up by your foot, to help keep it in identify.
- Either purchase non-stick dressing, or be sure to use antibiotic ointment or petroleum jelly earlier bandaging your toe. Be careful when removing the bandage not to pull on your toenail or injured area; if the bandage is sticking to your toe, soak it in warm water for a few minutes then information technology'due south easier to remove.
- Don't wrap your toe so tightly that it turns blood-red or purple or loses feeling. The wrapping should stay in place and be snug, but not exist uncomfortable tight.
6
Alter the bandage daily. Every day, gently remove the bandage and launder your toe with warm, soapy water. Reapply your antibiotic ointment and put on a fresh cast. If your bandage gets wet or dirty, put on a fresh one.^[5] You should do this for seven-10 days until the smash bed, the soft sensitive area underneath the smash, hardens.
- Ideally, put your new bandage on your toe each night before you lot become to bed. This will protect your injured smash from snagging on bedding or hit something while you lot slumber.
Advertisement

i
Water ice ofttimes on the beginning day. The day of your toe injury, apply ice every 2 hours for 20 minutes at a fourth dimension to reduce pain and swelling.^[6] Fill a plastic baggie with water ice and wrap it in a towel before putting it on your toe, so that information technology's not besides common cold.
- After the first day, ice for 20 minutes 3 to four times a twenty-four hour period.
ii

Elevate the foot. If your toe is throbbing, lie downwardly and elevate your foot with pillows to above the level of your heart.^[7] This should profoundly reduce swelling. Do this for the showtime 48 hours after existence injured.
3
Accept OTC pain relievers. Ibuprofen and naproxen volition reduce swelling and improve your pain. Acetaminophen volition not assistance with swelling, only it will assist with pain. You tin can get these at your pharmacy without a prescription. Merely take them as instructed on the packet.
- If yous have heart affliction, kidney issues, high blood pressure level, or have ever had stomach ulcers, talk to your doctor before using these medications.^[eight]
four

Wear open or loose shoes for several weeks. Tight shoes volition put uncomfortable force per unit area on your injured smash. Article of clothing open-toed or loose fitting shoes to save pressure level and better healing. Do this as long as you lot need to in order to be comfortable.

Advertisement

one
Seek medical care if you accept signs of infection. No thing how well you take intendance of your injury, you lot might still become an infection. If your toe is infected you might run into red streaks running upwardly your toe, human foot, or leg. Y'all might get a fever of 100.4ºF (38ºC) or higher. Pus – thick, white or colored drainage from the injury – is another sign of infection. Run across your physician if any of these signs occur, because infections can exist serious.^[9]
- Your doctor will prescribe y'all antibiotics if an infection is present. Have these every bit prescribed and until they're gone.
2
Visit your doctor if you have worsening hurting, redness, or swelling. See your doctor if your pain is astringent enough to interfere with sleep or daily activities, does not meliorate 2 hours subsequently taking hurting medicine, or gets worse over fourth dimension. If you have swelling that gets worse or does not ameliorate after medicine, ice, and elevating your pes, get help.
- Some swelling is to be expected, especially right afterwards you suffered a torn blast.^[10] Yet, see your doctor for astringent swelling, or swelling that worsens after a few days, every bit information technology could indicate an infection.
- Ask questions similar, "My toe hurts more than today than it did yesterday and Tylenol isn't helping, is that okay?" or "How much swelling is normal?"
iii
Go checked out if your nail turns black and blue. Sometimes, a crushing injury to a toenail (like having a heavy object dropped on your toenail) can cause a subungual hematoma – bleeding underneath the nail. This creates a little pocket of claret under the boom, which can be uncomfortable because of the pressure. Information technology looks similar a nighttime blue, blackness, or purple bruise similar splotch beneath your nail. If the trample is less than ¼ the size of the blast, it will probably resolve on its own. Otherwise, meet your doctor because you may need to accept the fluid tuckered from under the blast to prevent further pain and injury.^[eleven] Don't endeavour to do this on your own or for someone else. See a doctor.
- Your md will drill a very small pigsty in your toenail to allow the claret bleed out. This process shouldn't hurt, and draining the blood will make your toe experience better considering it relieves the pressure.
4
Meet your medico if there's visible impairment surrounding the torn nail. Whether your toenail will regrow normally depends on whether or not the boom bed was damaged. If you're worried about how your nail might look when it grows dorsum, speak to your doctor about the possibility of a small surgery on your nail bed. If yous tin can encounter visible impairment to your tissue around your blast, similar whatever tears, see your doctor. If the nail bed or nail matrix are very damaged, your nail might not grow dorsum or might look dissimilar – just some problems are fixable.
- Practice not effort to cut your torn toenail yourself if doing then would crusade you to bleed.^[12]
- It may take vi-12 months for a toenail to completely regrow.^[13]
v
Ask for aid if you tin can't get the wound clean. If you spend 15 minutes or more trying to scrub your injury clean, and you however see clay or droppings in information technology, get medical aid. Information technology's really important to thoroughly clean the wound to forestall infection, and so if you can't do information technology on your own you need someone who can.
- Depending on how you lot hurt your toe, you might likewise demand a tetanus shot or tetanus booster. If the cutting is dirty and it has been 5 years or more since your concluding booster, then you will need a tetanus shot. If the cut is clean and it has been more 10 years since your final tetanus booster, and so you will need a tetanus shot.
6

Go for an x-ray if your toe is immobile or looks odd. Many injuries that cause nail avulsion can too crusade broken basic. Check your injured toe to see if it bends and straightens all the way. If not, or if it's sticking out at an odd bending, it may exist broken. Become emergency care for an x-ray and proper treatment.

Advertizing

Add together New Question

Question

My big toe nail is about 85% from existence torn off information technology looks cleaned up and wrapped. Should I article of clothing shoes at work tomorrow if it looks okay?

Jennifer Boidy is a Registered Nurse in Maryland. She received her Acquaintance of Science in Nursing from Carroll Community College in 2012.

Registered Nurse

Expert Respond

Back up wikiHow past unlocking this skillful respond.

The all-time recommendation is to wear open-toe shoes or shoes that are roomy in the toe expanse even with the bandage on. Exercise this for at least two to three weeks after initial injury to assist in comfort and healing.
Question

If I take a crack going from one side of my toenail to the other, and I can't motion the toe, do I demand to do anything for it, or should I leave it lonely?

Jennifer Boidy is a Registered Nurse in Maryland. She received her Associate of Scientific discipline in Nursing from Carroll Community College in 2012.

Registered Nurse

Skillful Answer
Question

Can I trim a torn toenail myself?

Dr. Mark Co is a Podiatrist who runs his own private practice in San Francisco, California. Dr. Co specializes in treatments for bunions, ingrown toenails, toenail fungus, warts, plantar fasciitis and other causes of foot pain. He as well offers custom orthotics for the treatment and prevention of foot and ankle issues. Dr. Co completed a Master of Business organization Administration (MBA) at New York University and an MA in Electrical Engineering science and Informatics at Johns Hopkins University. Dr. Co besides completed his DPM at the California Schoolhouse of Podiatric Medicine and a residency and internship at the Kaiser Permanente Medical Center, Santa Clara, California. Dr. Co was awarded San Francisco's "Acme iii Podiatrists" in 2018, 2019, and 2020. Dr. Co is as well a fellow member of the CPMA (American Podiatric Medical Association).

Ask a Question

200 characters left

Include your email address to become a message when this question is answered.

Submit

Advertising

Video

If your boom is severely damaged, information technology may completely fall off in about 1-two weeks. This is normal. Let it fall off naturally rather than forcefully removing it.
If you lot are wearing a toe ring, make sure to have it off before you lot care for the torn blast. Yous can use soap and h2o to lubricate your skin if the jewelry is difficult to remove, or call a healthcare provider if yous cannot remove it.

Nigh This Article

Article Summary X

To treat a torn toenail at home, cut off whatsoever unattached part of the blast, and file it smooth so you don't catch it on your socks or article of furniture. Additionally, apply direct force per unit area to whatsoever area that's bleeding with a cloth or gauze pad. Then, clean the wounded area with warm soapy water, and remove any clay and dried blood. Next, apply an antibody ointment to your toe to guard against infection. Finally, wrap your toe in a bandage, and change it daily to go on it clean. To learn more than from our Medical co-author, including when to seek medical attention for a torn toenail, read on!

Did this summary help you lot?

Thanks to all authors for creating a folio that has been read i,252,482 times.