Subheading: Hangails are common to heal without any infection. Notwithstanding, we must prevent the occurrences by utilizing nail clippers and antibiotic cream. There are six essential structures of Nails: nail root, nail bed, nail plate, eponychium, perioncychium, and hyponychium. Hangnails frequently occur at perionychium for diverse reasons.
Rubbing a finger to the fingernail, it is distressing to confront a “small piece of torn skin near the edge of a fingernail.” Its texture may range from soft to rough, and its size may range from microscopic to substantial. Regardless of its physical attributes, handling and removing it yields immense gratification, yet completely tipping it precipitates enigmatic pain. The community is questioning the unprecedented commonality of “small pieces of torn skin” where its causes, treatments, and complications are relatively unknown - hangnails.
Nails, flat versions of claws with protective plates and nerve endings, assist in human functions (e.g. grasping, scratching, digging, climbing, and grabbing), injury protections, and sensational reinforcement. Fingernails - gleaned from grown men - constantly grow at a declining rate of 3 millimeters per month, taking place from root to the free edge. Here are the six essential structures of Nails: nail root - a proximal segment of nail sheltered by nail fold; nail bed - vascular epidermis containing melanin-producing blood vessels, nerves, and melanocytes(melanin manufacturer cells pinpointed under the epidermis) that extend to hyponychium; nail plate - a visible nail area that is made up of translucent keratin protein; eponychium - a condense layer of cuticle-based waterproof barrier between skin and nail plate; perionychium - tissue overlapping with sides and roots of the nail plate; and hyponychium - virtually the fingertip between the area of of the nail plate and fingertip for waterproof purposes.
Hangnails frequently occur at perionychium (not the nail itself, which is an attribute of an infected or ingrown nail) due to irritation or damage of the nail. A hangnail can be caused by dry skin, nail-biting, quaffing of fingers, shortly-clipped nails, clipping of cuticles, use of chemical and/or glue-induced artificial nails, exposure to moist conditions (aka. bakers and dishwashers), or presence of health conditions. By common perception, hangnails present mild-symptoms without medical intervention, but their exacerbation may lead to acute bacterial or chronic fungal infections with immediate physician support. This medical disorder is called paronychia with typical symptoms of redness, swelling tenderness pain, pus-filled blister, or abscess. These infections may prolong over months; without proper treatment, an infection can amplify to impediment of sensation/mobility loss and risk of cut-off. Physicians diagnose paronychia with physical, microscopic, and historical examination and assign home treatment, such as warm water bacterial clearance, hangnail clipping, vitamin E oil and cream, and topical antibiotic cream. Dr. Deborah Weatherspoon, Ph.D. - a practice nurse - warns in her Healthline Journal “How to Recognize and Treat an Infected Hangnail”, “Don’t rip off the hangnail, as it can worsen the condition. If your symptoms worsen or don’t clear within a week, consult your doctor.”
Of course, hangnails are too common and will heal without any infection, in most cases. Still, delayed improvement, separated nails, or nail colorational and/or conformational change must be an indication of medical consultation. To prevent these occurrences, take preventive protocols by avoiding excessively wet/dry conditions with rubber gloves or nail-biting and using nail clippers and antibiotic cream to trim hangnails and keep fingernails clean.
Reference (APA-cited):
Jangra RS, Gupta S, Singal A, Kaushik A. Hangnail: A simple solution to a common problem. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2019 Nov;81(5):e123-e125. doi: 10.1016/j.jaad.2019.06.006. Epub 2019 Jun 13. PMID: 31549632.
Sanders, S. (2016). Nail-biting and thumb-sucking may not be all bad. Washington, DC: Science News. https://www.sciencenews.org/blog/growth-curve/nail-biting-and-thumb-sucking-may-not-be-all-bad.
Whelan, C. (2019). How Can I Treat Hangnails? San Francisco, CA: Healthline Media. https://www.healthline.com/health/infected-hangnail#_noHeaderPrefixedContent.
Zedan, B. (2010, December 22). Nails did: 22/12/10. Flickr. Retrieved July 3, 2022, from https://www.flickr.com/photos/92244916@N00/5283394805
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