What is hangnail

If exposed to bacteria or fungus, an infection can develop. To treat an infected hangnail, follow the steps above in treating a normal hangnail followed by the application of a topical antibiotic cream and a bandage to keep the area covered. Typically, an ordinary hangnail does not require a doctor visit.

Hangnails are extremely common. Those who wash their hands often, pick their fingers or are frequently working with their hands are more likely to get hangnails. Swelling and redness alongside your fingernail may be caused by an infected hangnail. This is different from an infected or ingrown nail. Find out…. Ingrown fingernails can often be treated at home, but sometimes they'll require a trip to the doctor. Paronychia is an infection of the skin around your fingernails and toenails.

The infection can be caused by bacteria or a type of yeast called Candida. Luckily, there are several safe ways to get rid of a hangnail. Advise your clients to let a nail professional safely remove it, when possible. Recommend that they first assess the location of the hangnail. If the hangnail is at the base of the nail or situated slightly away from the nail, they should use cuticle nippers or fingernail clippers to gently snip it off at the base.

You have the power to prevent hangnails, to remove them and to avoid sore fingers altogether. Which is fine if you have the right tools—and your other fingers and your teeth are not the right tools. To know how to treat hangnails right and prevent them next time, it helps to know exactly what hangnails actually are.

They occur when the skin separates from the surface, but still remains anchored at the base. People with dry skin seem to get them more frequently, says Dr. Dry skin can trigger skin separation and since you're more likely to have dry skin in the winter, that explains the preponderance of hangnails you get in that season, too.

The reason they hurt so badly comes down to their location. In addition, hangnails usually come with inflammation, and that swelling can press on and irritate all those nerve endings. Avoid the temptation to rip the little suckers off. Biting them off introduces germs into both your fingers and your mouth. But what causes hangnails, exactly?

Well, let Dana Stern, M. In order to understand what causes hangnails, you need to know what that sucker actually is—because it's not the same thing as a broken nail, says Stern. So you know when the side of your nail looks like it's peeling? THAT is a hangnail. Stern says your cuticle which acts like a seal to protect your nail and skin from outside infections serves the same role to your nail that grout does in the shower.

If you get hangnails all the damn time, you're more prone to getting a cuticle infection, too.