How to Treat Torn Fingernails

Many kinds of sports involve the use of hands. Unfortunately, minor accidents can happen while playing your game. For example, a ball may hit your hand in the right place or angle. You may use your hands to prevent yourself from falling face flat on the ground during a marathon. You may injure yourself repairing your sports bike. Whatever the case, there is a chance that you might tear out your fingernail. This happens when a part of your nail plate separates from the bed, the soft skin that anchors the plate to your finger.

A torn nail can be quite painful or uncomfortable. In addition, the bed is fully exposed to harmful bacteria. Thus, you need to take precautions to ensure that it does not get infected. If only part of the nail is torn, tape that part back into position then trim off as the nail plate grows. You can also apply nail polish to prevent the tear from doing further damage. However, if the plate is completely separated from the bed, you might want to consider having the entire fingernail removed. A doctor will do the job safely for you. Apply a prescribed anti-bacteria cream then bandage the area to protect it from exposure and infection. Keep the area dry and clean until the nail bed heals. Give your nail plate ample time to grow so you need to take a break from playing sports. As it grows, apply a nail hardener on the plate to help it grow faster. Be careful though not to use any product that contains alcohol, acetone, or sulphonamide because these substances can actually weaken the growing fingernail.