|DICASTIO|

Hangnails occur when the skin along the sides of your fingernails and near your cuticles peels up and tears. This is typically caused by dry skin and results in a painful, annoying injury.^[1] Luckily, there are some things you can do to take care of your hangnails and help them heal faster. With a few standard nail care and first-aid supplies, your hands should be back to normal in a few days. Make sure to follow standard wound-care guidelines to keep your hangnails clean and prevent an even more painful infection.

[Edit]Steps

[Edit]Trimming the Hangnail

Put an adhesive bandage over your hangnail until you can trim it. Wrap a small bandage tightly around your finger on top of the hangnail if you can't deal with it right away. This will keep it from tearing further until you get home or somewhere where you can take care of it properly.^[2]
- If your torn skin is bleeding, apply pressure with a clean, dry paper towel or cloth for about 10 minutes to stop the bleeding before you apply a bandage.
Wash your hands with warm water and soap to clean the affected area. Wet your hands under warm running water, then lather them up thoroughly with soap. Rinse your hands until all the soap is gone.^[3]
- A hangnail is just like any other wound, so it's important to keep it clean to avoid an infection.
- The warm water will also soften up your skin and make the hangnail easier to treat.
Dry your hands thoroughly using a clean towel. Your hands must be dry so you can apply ointment and a bandage after you remove your hangnail. Be gentle, so you don't accidentally tear your hangnail further.
- If you don't have a clean towel, use paper towels instead or shake your hands off and let them air dry. Don't ever use a dirty towel that could transfer dirt and bacteria into your torn skin.
Sterilize a pair of cuticle trimmers with rubbing alcohol or another disinfectant. Place the cuticle trimmers in a small container. Pour in enough rubbing alcohol, isopropyl alcohol, or hydrogen peroxide to cover the trimmers, then let them soak for at least 10 seconds. Pull the trimmers out of the liquid and wipe them dry with a clean towel.^[4]
- If you don't have cuticle trimmers, you can use manicure scissors or nail clippers instead.
- If you don't have some kind of disinfecting liquid, you can wash your cutting utensil in warm water and detergent.
Use clean cuticle trimmers to trim the tough skin near your cuticles. Carefully clip off the loose, rough, dead skin of the hangnail, so it won't get caught on anything and tear even more. Leave the soft, more sensitive, living skin closest to your nails and cuticles.^[5]
- If the hangnail is on your dominant hand and you are having trouble trimming it with your non-dominant hand, you can get someone to help you trim it.

[Edit]Helping Your Hangnail Heal

Apply an antibacterial ointment to your hangnail. Squeeze a dab of antibacterial ointment onto a clean fingertip. Gently rub it onto the hangnail until it is completely covered.^[6]
- The ointment will keep your hangnail moist to help it heal faster, as well as prevent infection while the wound heals.
Cover the hangnail with an adhesive bandage to protect it. Carefully wrap a small adhesive bandage around your finger on top of the hangnail. This will keep it from catching on anything and tearing more while it is healing.^[7]
- The bandage will also help keep dirt and bacteria from getting in your torn skin and potentially infecting it or slowing down the healing process.
Reapply ointment and replace the bandage daily until your hangnail heals. Gently remove the bandage and wash your hands in warm, soapy water to clean your hangnail, then dry them with a clean towel. Cover the hangnail in fresh ointment and wrap a new adhesive bandage around it.^[8]
- As long as you take care of your hangnail like this every day, it should heal in about 5-7 days.
Moisturize your hands 2-3 times a day to avoid future hangnails.^[9] Apply a non-perfumed lotion to your hands after each time you wash them or a couple of times throughout the day to keep your cuticles from drying out. Put 1 drop of cuticle oil onto each finger where the cuticle meets the nail before you go to bed to keep the skin hydrated throughout the night.^[10]
- Since hangnails are caused by dry skin, if you keep your skin moist after your hangnail heals, it will decrease the chances of it happening again.^[11]

[Edit]Tips

Hangnails tend to occur more frequently in cold weather, which can dry your skin out more. Keep your hands extra-moisturized or wear gloves to protect your fingers when it's cold outside.
If your cuticles are really dry and ragged, consider getting a manicure to get them cleaned up to avoid painful hangnails.
If your skin and nails are especially dry, consider taking a break from using nail polish and nail polish remover. These products contain harsh chemicals and can dry out your skin and nails over time.^[12]

[Edit]Warnings

Don't chew or bite your hangnails to remove them. You could cause an infection or tear your skin even more.
Seek medical assistance if the skin around your nail bed is torn or cut deeply or if your hangnail doesn't heal after about a week.