Why you should never rip off your hangnail

NEVER RIP OFF YOUR HANGNAIL: Though hangnails are very tiny things but they can hurt like hell. Hangnails are annoying too at the same time as they keep tucking in every little thing you touch. Though many people do not notice a hangnail until it has grown fully, they can feel the roughness around the nail or pain due to the inflammation. Hangnails happen to everyone some time or the other and they are particularly bad in winter. But do you know you should never rip off a hangnail? Here’s why you should not do and how you can treat it instead.

WHAT ARE HANGNAILS? Hangnails are not a part of nails at all. They are made of skin cells that form small tag like projections near the nail. When the skin separates from the surface but still remains attached to the base, hangnail is formed. People who have dry skin get them more frequently. Dryness makes your skin more vulnerable to damage, which leads to skin separation.

THE REASON WHY THEY HURT: The simple reason why they hurt is their location. Hangnails are at end of the nail. There are many blood vessels and nerve ending in this area making this area sensitive.

INFLMMATION: Hangnails can cause inflammation which causes pain and irritation. If your hangnail is inflamed, not only will it pain but it will also cause swelling and redness around the nail.

INFECTION: The temptation to rip off the hangnail is common. But one should not do so. Ripping off hangnail leaves the tissues inflamed which hurts like hell. Not only it causes inflammation but also makes your finger prone to infection.

Pulling off the hangnail tears some of the normal skin surface which actually keeps out the bacteria. Doing so can also develop an infection in the surrounding skin.

HOW TO TREAT A HANGNAIL: Dip your hands in warm water to soften your skin. Now sanitize the nail cutter with rubbing alcohol and then cut the hangnail close to the normal skin level. Now, moisturise the area with a lotion with less level of alcohol in it. Moisturizing is important as it protects the skin from drying and lowers the likelihood of hangnails happening again.

IF IT'S ALREADY INFLAMED: If your hangnail is already inflamed and swelled then treat the hangnail with ice and maybe, you can put an antibiotic ointment too. If you feel the pain is spreading then it may be an infection which needs an immediate medical attention.