Torn cuticles and hangnails: causes and what helps
If your cuticle has torn or a small, stiff flap of skin is sticking up along the edge of your nail, which is what is known as a hangnail, the most important thing is not to pull it off or bite it off. What to do instead is wash your hands, soak the finger in warm water for a few minutes, trim only the part that sticks out with a clean nail clipper or nail scissors and then moisturise the spot. It is often caused by dry skin, nail biting or a cuticle that has been cut or pushed back forcefully. If the skin around the nail turns red, warm and swollen, or if it hurts, the finger needs to be seen by a doctor.
What a hangnail is
Despite the name, a hangnail is not a piece of nail but, according to Cleveland Clinic, a piece of dry or damaged skin that sticks up along the edge of a nail, and hangnails mostly appear on the fingers (Cleveland Clinic on hangnails). The small, stiff flap of skin seems harmless until it catches on something, because then the skin around the nail can tear, bleed, swell and become tender. Cleveland Clinic explains that such a small tear hurts as much as it does because the skin around the nails has a lot of nerve endings.
Torn cuticles: common causes
According to Cleveland Clinic, hangnails usually come from the small wear and tear of everyday life, and often several of these come together. One of them is very dry skin, and the skin at the edge of your nails can dry out from washing or sanitising your hands often, from harsh soaps and cleaning products and from a lot of work with water, such as washing up. The clinic also counts swimming among the causes, especially in chlorinated water, and in the colder months cold and wind add to this, because cold, dry air can make the skin around the nails more brittle. In the same way, a nail polish remover that contains acetone can dry out the skin around your fingernails.
Hangnails can also form when you chew your nails or pick at your cuticles, because according to Cleveland Clinic this can tear the skin around the nails and leave hangnails behind. Then there are small injuries at the edge of the nail, such as a paper cut.
The cuticle itself can also be the trigger, because according to Cleveland Clinic cutting it or pushing it back forcefully can damage the skin around the nail and cause hangnails. The American Academy of Dermatology (AAD), the professional association for dermatologists in the United States, advises against removing the cuticle or biting your nails, because doing so can damage the nail (the AAD's tips for healthy nails). You can read how to care for your cuticles instead in the article Cutting your cuticles or not.
Why you should not pull off a hangnail
Pulling the loose piece off with your fingers or your teeth is quick, but according to the AAD biting or tearing it off can cause an infection (the AAD on nail care), and Cleveland Clinic also warns that removing a hangnail roughly can lead to bleeding, an infection and more pain.
The reason is that bacteria can get into the skin through open spots at the edge of the nail, and Cleveland Clinic names cuts, broken skin and hangnails as such spots. This can lead to paronychia, a nail infection of the skin at the point where nail and skin meet (Cleveland Clinic on paronychia).
What to do at home
This is how to look after a hangnail following the advice of the AAD and Cleveland Clinic:
- Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water.
- Soak the finger in warm water for a few minutes so that the stiff flap of skin softens and is less likely to tear when you trim it.
- With a clean nail clipper or clean nail scissors, trim off only the part that sticks out, as close to its base as you can, without pressing deep into the skin and without pulling on it.
- Moisturise the spot afterwards and, if you like, put a small plaster over it for extra protection.
Only the loose piece of skin is trimmed, while the cuticle itself, the rim of skin at the base of the nail, stays where it is.
How to prevent new hangnails
Most of Cleveland Clinic's tips on prevention are about keeping the skin around your nails from drying out. Moisturise your hands, especially after washing them, because washing can strip the skin of its natural oils, and wear gloves for cleaning and washing up to protect your hands from harsh cleaning products and long contact with water. In cold weather, gloves help the skin lose less moisture, a mild soap dries out the skin at the edge of your nails less than harsh soaps or sanitisers do, and for removing nail polish the clinic recommends an acetone-free product.
If your skin is dry, Cleveland Clinic advises moisturising the skin around the nail, known as the nail fold, and the cuticle itself as well, because very dry skin can crack.
Torn and inflamed cuticles: when to see a doctor
If bacteria get into the skin through a hangnail, the skin at the edge of the nail can become inflamed, and according to Cleveland Clinic the signs usually develop over several hours or days. Have the finger looked at by your GP or a dermatologist if
- the skin around the nail is red, warm or swollen,
- the spot hurts or is tender to the touch,
- pus collects under the skin or a whitish yellow blister filled with pus forms,
- a hangnail has not got better on its own after a week.
The NHS, the UK's health service, also advises seeing a GP if the skin around your nails has become sore, red, swollen and warm, because this can be a sign of an infection (the NHS on nail problems).
If you have diabetes, a circulation problem or a weakened immune system, Cleveland Clinic advises getting medical advice as soon as you notice the first signs of an infection, and if you have diabetes or a condition that makes you bleed heavily, even a simple hangnail can be a reason to see a doctor. According to the AAD, redness and swelling around a nail can point to an infection, which, when diagnosed early, can often be treated with soaks and antibiotics, whereas a nail infection tends to get worse without treatment (the AAD on nail changes). This is why an inflamed finger needs a doctor rather than a nail studio.
Manicure and hand care at Anni Nails
Anastasia, who has been doing manicures for more than ten years, works at Anni Nails without aggressive techniques and treats the nail plate gently. "Manicure (File / Classic)" is a classic manicure with files and nail care, which takes about 50 minutes and costs €40. In a file manicure the cuticle is not cut but gently smoothed and shaped, and it is cared for with cream and oil.
If your hands are dry, there is also "Paraffin Therapy for Hands", a care treatment for dry and dehydrated hands with a gentle scrub, a moisturising serum, a paraffin mask and a nourishing cream mask. The paraffin mask is applied without hot baths, and the treatment takes about 30 minutes and costs €25.
Every treatment includes a personal consultation on caring for your nails and hands, in which you can also ask how to look after the skin around your nails at home. The instruments are sterilised and single-use materials are used. If you have a skin condition or an allergy, please mention it before the treatment, which is also what the studio's terms and conditions ask.
The studio is in Meidling, at Schönbrunner Straße 253, 1120 Vienna, and is open from 9 am to 8 pm Monday to Saturday and on Sundays on request. All treatments and their prices are listed under Services and prices, and you can make an appointment online under Book an appointment.
