Question-------------------------
Followup To
Question -
I can't afford a medical doctor consultation about something so "minor," but I really need information on how to treat an injured nail that's nearing total loss. And I need an idea of what to expect as a new nail grows in. Eleven days ago I got my thumb caught in a car door, impact right at the cuticle. Even though it's now obvious I will be losing this whole nail, the surrounding flesh, cuticle even, is looking very well healed and healthy. I just want to learn what to expect, you know, in terms of where the new nail first appears (cuticle only? or whole nail bed?) and how to manage the falling away or removal of the old nail. My general health is tip-top. And quick healing would be a given, except for my being 57 years old.
Answer -
I'm sorry but without having looked at your nail i can not tell you how serious this can be, so i would advise you to visit a doctor even thow you consider this "minor", maybe you could ask about your nail in a visit directed at some other problem? One problem that can occour during the growth of a new nail is that it gets infected under it and then it so much harder to treat if it has already growned out.
Yet, if you do loose the nail, it will start to grow back from the cuticle toward the free edge, more likely it will take some time before the bruised nails gets loose and then there will probaly be a new nail under it. A nail can takes around 6 months to complety grow out so be patient, don't expect this to be very quick.
Hope i could help.
THANKS VERY MUCH. MY FOLLOW-UP QUESTION THEN...
There's nothing to gain in hastening the old nail falling away then? Should I just be nice to it until it falls off in its own good time? (Obviously, I should invest in a box of band-aids!) I'll practice daily irrigation with hydrogen peroxide to prevent infection. Is there any "typical" timeframe I might learn of? The original injury was about March 30th. By now I've carefully trimmed the nail back to only two thirds its normal size; it's very dead indeed. I'd hoped new nail would grow from the nail bed, but I guess it's only from the cuticle. So I'll have to wait, and eat a lot of ...WHAT?... in order to maximize new growth speed. THANKS AGAIN.
AnswerYes, you should leave it alone and let it fall on its own. Covering the nail with band aids isn't such a good idea as it might trap moist under it and make infection easier, simply wash it and apply some iodine once in a while, unless it hurts, in this case wear a band aid for that. The growth isn't very afected by the food you eat. It about the same so just be patient.
