A woman was hospitalized due to osteomyelitis after removing a hangnail from her finger. It turns out that a small hangnail can be so lethal!

Recently, Qilu Evening News reported that a woman in Nanjing, Jiangsu, was hospitalized for osteomyelitis caused by pulling out a finger thorn. Ms. Tang said that she became inflamed after pulling out the thorn, and received timely treatment at the time, but the effect was poor. She was later transferred to a tertiary hospital for treatment, and further examination showed that it was osteomyelitis and required bone scraping surgery. Improper treatment of osteomyelitis may lead to the risk of amputation. I hope to remind everyone through my own experience not to pull out thorns at will.

According to relevant information, hangnails usually grow next to the nails. When you have hangnails on your hands, don't rush to pull them out, because the hangnails are connected to the muscles. When you use your hands or other tools to pull the hangnails, it will not only hurt, but also injure the surrounding skin, and even cause bleeding and hand infection.

To be honest, hangnails on fingers are probably a common occurrence. Although hangnails are small, they always make people feel uneasy, and they make you want to tear them off!

Hangnails are not a serious problem. However, they seem to keep growing on me. When I see other people's slender and intact fingers, I can't help but wonder - am I lacking vitamins?

1. Why do fingers always get hangnails?

The hangnails around the fingernails are scientifically called "reverse peeling". The periungual skin is slightly different from the skin structure of other parts of the hand. Although it is used frequently, it is quite fragile. The periungual skin is slightly different from the other skin of the hand. The proximal nail fold covering the proximal 1/4 of the nail plate is called the proximal nail fold. This part of the skin lacks hair follicles, skin texture and sebaceous glands. The skin is thin and is a common entry point for inflammation, chemical irritation, and allergic reactions.

Moreover, the driest part of the whole hand is the periungual area. There are sebaceous glands on the back of the hand, which secrete some sebum, which is a natural moisturizer. The sweat glands on the fingertips are well developed, and sweat also has the effect of moisturizing. However, the periungual area has neither sebaceous glands nor sweat glands, so it is "undoubtedly" the hardest hit area for hangnails!
So, is hangnails related to vitamin deficiency? Yang Shuxia, chief physician of the Department of Dermatology at Peking University First Hospital, said: hangnails have nothing to do with vitamin deficiency. Generally, people who often do rough work with their hands or wash their hands frequently will have dry skin and hangnails.

2. What is the most reliable way to deal with hangnails?

If you have a hangnail, don't peel it off or bite it off, as this can cause skin tears and infection. The most reasonable way is to cut the hangnail off with scissors or nail clippers.

Four simple steps:

1. Soak your hands in warm water;

2. Disinfect nail clippers or small scissors with alcohol;

3. Cut it off along the barbs;

4. Apply hand cream after cutting;

Never tear it with your hands, and it is not recommended to bite it with your teeth, because saliva can also irritate the wound. Why is tearing not recommended?

Imagine this scene: you find a "barb" and find it annoying and painful if you accidentally touch it. Will you choose to "pull" it along the way or "tear" it against the way it goes?
The "barbs" are connected to the skin, and whether you pull them along the direction or tear them against the direction, it is likely to cause further tearing. In this process, we often ignore hand hygiene and wound cleaning care.
In milder cases, the patient will feel pain, but in severe cases, the wound may become infected and further develop into paronychia and subungual abscess.
Therefore, it is not recommended to tear it off forcefully. You can use nail clippers or scissors to cut it off at the root.

3. How to prevent hangnails on fingers?

Detergents and soaps can cause great harm to your hands, so try to avoid washing your hands with these detergents. You can choose a milder hand soap instead.

Try to avoid excessive skin cleaning in daily life. Wear gloves to protect your hand skin when doing housework. In addition to preventing hangnails, it can also reduce the occurrence of hand eczema.

Try to avoid excessive cleaning, reduce physical friction and correct bad habits of biting. Especially those with allergies and dry skin can always have a hand cream and apply it to the skin around the nails where oil secretion is insufficient after washing hands.

Usually pay attention to increasing water intake, and a balanced intake of vegetables and fruits every day. Only with a balanced nutrition can our skin become hydrated and plump~