It is easy to get infected! Never bite hangnails with your teeth! Try these methods to deal with hangnails →

Have you ever pulled out the hangnails on your fingers?

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#10-month-old baby's index finger hangnail was removed and sent to PICU for emergency treatment#

Arousing attention

Why do hangnails appear?

Why does tearing off a hangnail cause serious infection?

How to deal with it scientifically?

How to prevent it?

Let's find out! Hangnails have nothing to do with vitamins

Many people believe that "hangnails are caused by lack of vitamins", but this is actually a misunderstanding.

Although a lack of certain vitamins can indeed cause skin problems, if there is no abnormality elsewhere in the body and you only have hangnails around your nails, then it basically has nothing to do with vitamin deficiency. Do not blindly supplement vitamins in large quantities.

The real reason for hangnails is: the skin is too dry!

The skin around the nails has no sweat glands or sebaceous glands, which means that it does not secrete oil. After the weather turns dry in autumn, the skin around the nails is prone to lack of water, which will increase the number of hangnails.

In addition, some lifestyle habits can aggravate the dryness around the nails:

0 1 Frequent contact with irritating items

Alkaline substances such as soap and detergent used when washing dishes and clothes will destroy the sebum membrane and "take away" the oil on your fingers. Therefore, it is best to wear gloves when doing housework. If there are force majeure factors that require contact with water and detergents, it is best to apply moisturizing hand cream after contact.

0 2 Likes to bite nails and gnaw fingers

If the skin is irritated or damaged for a long time, hangnails may also appear.

0 3Hands are often rubbed

Playing ball or moving things frequently will cause the skin on your hands to be constantly rubbed, which can lead to peeling and hangnails.

Why does tearing off a hangnail cause serious infection?

Doctors say that this is mainly because people do not take it seriously, thinking that even if the wound is broken, it does not need to be treated and will heal on its own. In fact, because hands often touch water, it is difficult to keep the wound dry. The bacteria in the water will colonize the wound, and the bacteria will multiply in large numbers, causing wound infection and ulceration.

In addition, wound infection can cause abscesses, and in severe cases, it may cause ischemic necrosis of the fingertips, or even require amputation. If you are unlucky, bacteria may enter the bones and cause osteomyelitis. In severe cases, bacteria may enter the blood or toxins may be absorbed and spread throughout the body through the blood circulation, which may cause sepsis and even endanger life.

How to deal with hangnails scientifically?

The barbs are connected to the muscles. When you tear them off with your hands or other tools, you may accidentally involve a large area of ​​surrounding skin, causing bleeding and wounds.

Whether you tear it in the direction of the barb or against its growth, it is not the right way. When a barb appears, here is the correct way to deal with it:

1. Soak your hands in warm water at about 40℃ for 5 minutes to soften the nails and surrounding skin.

2. Use sharp and clean nail clippers/scissors to neatly cut off the barb from the root.

Never cut the barbs without soaking your hands, because dry barbs may cause tiny tears in the skin when cut, resulting in more barbs.

3. After cutting hangnails, you can apply some hand cream or use nourishing oil containing vitamin E to massage the area around the nails and knuckles to reduce the formation of hangnails and soften rough skin.

If there is obvious redness and swelling around the barb, you can apply some iodine to prevent infection. If there is redness or suppuration around the barb, it is best to apply anti-inflammatory ointment, such as erythromycin or Bactroban, or go to the hospital for treatment in time.

How to prevent hangnails on hands?

Very simple and doesn't dry your hands too much.

01 Apply moisturizer immediately after playing in water or washing hands.

0 2 Eat a balanced and reasonable diet, and don’t be picky or biased in your eating habits.

Further reading

Doctors say that if the barb has broken and is bleeding, remember not to flush it directly. You can use iodine to disinfect it and try to avoid contact with water for 2-3 days. Generally, as long as the wound is disinfected properly and kept dry, it will heal in two or three days. If the wound does not heal well later and becomes red and swollen, you should go to the hospital for treatment in time.

In addition, if there is obvious bleeding from the wound where the barb was removed, be sure to disinfect it when cutting off the barb with scissors to avoid increasing the risk of tetanus infection.