How long does it take for an exposed nail bed to heal?

If you lose your nail, it will take about 7 to 10 days for the nail bed to heal. A new fingernail will take about 4 to 6 months to grow to replace the lost nail. Toenails take about 12 months to grow back. The new nail will probably have grooves or ridges and be somewhat misshapen.

Should I cover an exposed nail bed?

Keep the nail bed dry, clean, and covered with petroleum jelly and an adhesive bandage until the nail bed is firm or the nail has grown back. Apply a new adhesive bandage whenever the bandage gets wet. Watch for signs of infection such as increasing heat, redness, pain, tenderness, swelling, or pus.

Can you leave a nail bed exposed?

It needs to be protected from injury for the first 7 to 10 days until it dries out and becomes hard. Keep it covered with a nonstick dressing or a bandage without adhesive. When a dressing is placed on an exposed nail bed, it may stick and be hard to remove if left in place more than 24 hours.

How do you fix a damaged nail bed?

Common treatment for nail bed injuries include:
  1. For subungual hematomas. This can be drained through a small hole in your nail, usually made with a needle. This also relieves pain and pressure. …
  2. For nail bed lacerations. This injury might require stitches. …
  3. For nail bed avulsions. This injury requires removing your nail.

How can I regrow my nail bed?

How to make your nail beds appear longer
  1. Grow out your nails. First step is to let your nails grow out. …
  2. Use a nail brush for cleaning instead of a nail scraper. You can also make your nail beds appear longer by cleaning underneath your nails with a nail brush instead of metal nail tools. …
  3. Push back your cuticles.

How do I protect my nail bed after losing my nail?

Keep the nail bed dry, clean, and covered with petroleum jelly and an adhesive bandage until the nail bed is firm or the nail has grown back. Apply a new adhesive bandage whenever the bandage gets wet. Watch for signs of infection such as increasing heat, redness, pain, tenderness, swelling, or pus.

Can a damaged nail bed be repaired?

More serious injuries may be treated with surgery and/or need splinting. Some nail bed injuries can be fully repaired, and your nail could return to normal. However, some severe injuries may result in a deformed nail.

Can a deformed nail bed be fixed?

Nail deformities can cause both functional and aesthetic problems for many people. But disfigured nails can be corrected so people can resume normal use and the appearance of the finger or toe is improved. At Advanced Specialty Care, our skilled team including surgeons Dr.

How long does it take for a damaged nail to fall off?

Unless the area of bleeding is very small, an affected nail will usually fall off on its own after several weeks because the pooled blood has separated it from its bed. A new fingernail can regrow in as little as 8 weeks. A new toenail may not fully regrow for about 6 months.

Will my nail fall off after smashing it?

If this pressure becomes severe, the fingernail may fall off. In most cases, though, your fingernail will remain in place, but you may notice discoloration around the site of the injury. The bruise will remain visible for a few months until the affected portion of the nail grows out.

Should you remove a nail that’s falling off?

Here are some quick tips: If only part of your toenail has fallen off, don’t try to remove the rest of it. If the detached part of your toenail is still attached to your toe, use nail clippers to carefully trim it off to prevent it from catching on your sock or clothing.

Why is my nail detaching from the nail bed?

Sometimes detached nails are associated with injury or infection. In other cases nail separation is a reaction to a particular medicine or consumer product, such as nail hardeners or adhesives. Thyroid disease and psoriasis — a condition characterized by scaly patches on the skin — also can cause nail separation.

What happens if your fingernail turns black?

It is common for a nail to turn black after an injury. The black or purple-black color is caused by blood under the nail and will go away as the injury heals. Black, brown, or purple discoloration under a nail that has not been injured may be caused by melanoma.

What is a nail bed avulsion?

Losing a toenail or fingernail because of an injury is called avulsion. The nail may be completely or partially torn off after a trauma to the area. Your doctor may have removed the nail, put part of it back into place, or repaired the nail bed.

How do you treat onycholysis at home?

Home remedies that may help onycholysis include a range of essential oils. There is some evidence that tea tree oil can help treat fungus infections. Often combined with a carrier oil, tea tree oil has natural antifungal properties and might mean a person does not have to seek further treatment.

What vitamin deficiency causes nail separation?

Iron deficiency can also result in brittle nails, onycholysis and onychorrhexis.

What does onycholysis look like?

Nail lifting (onycholysis) is the spontaneous separation (detachment) of the fingernail or toenail from the nail bed at the end of the nail (distal) and/or on the sides of the nail (lateral). The appearance of nail lifting may resemble a half-moon, or the free edge of the nail may rise up like a hood.

What are 2 common causes of onycholysis?

Contact irritants, trauma, and moisture are the most common causes of onycholysis, but other associations exist.

Is onycholysis permanent?

Onycholysis is not usually permanent, provided that you treat the underlying cause of the condition. However, if left untreated, the damage that onycholysis does to the nail bed can be permanent. This is why it is so important to treat onycholysis and discover the root cause to prevent further nail damage.

Is onycholysis a fungal infection?

Fungal infection and psoriasis can also cause onycholysis. These often cannot be told apart by examining alone, and a test for fungus needs to be done. Certain medications (oxsoralen, tetracycline, minocycline, naproxen) makes a person have abnormal sensitivity to light.

How do I know if I have onycholysis?

Symptoms. If you have onycholysis, your nail will begin to peel upward from the nail bed. This is not usually painful. The affected nail may become yellow, greenish, purple, white, or gray, depending on the cause.

Can Gel Polish cause onycholysis?

Clients who have UV gel manicures and who are taking this class of antibiotic would be at risk theoretically. Other drugs including certain chemotherapy medications can cause onycholysis with bleeding in the nail bed. This is an unfortunate side effect and it is very uncomfortable for the patient.

Can I wear nail polish with onycholysis?

Depending on the type of treatment you are receiving, your nail treatment can have either a positive or negative effect on onycholysis. If you leave on nail polish for too long or if you use too much remover, your nails can become dry and develop onycholysis.

What kind of doctor do you see for onycholysis?

Do not apply a tip or artificial product to the problem nail, and if the condition does not clear up within a few weeks, you should refer your client to a dermatologist. Once the cause of the onycholysis has been determined and treated, in most cases it should disappear.