Smashing fingernail?

[Belial]

Other than drilling a hole to relieve pressure what can be done?  I smashed mine pretty good and I know the nail usually falls off after a week or two is there a way to prevent this?

[fudgums]

nail is the only way I know, it will hurt at first but feel real good after

[bj229r]

I kicked a woodstove fan (goes inline in exhaust) assembly across the basement last November......toenail is nearly half re-grown

[Belial]

So your saying I'm screwed lol?  It was ridiculous I dropped a C-clamp 6 inches and it was like hitting it with a sledge hammer.  The C-clamp weighs all of 5-10 lbs. didn't expect that kind of devastation.

[branch37]

i got my middle finger caught between my helmet and another guys helmet in a football game my junior year in high school.  by the time i got to the sideline it was black all the way to the end.  the nail never fell off for some reason and i have been out of high school for almost 2 years and it still looks kinda messed up 

[Banshee7]

Whenever we smash a fingernail we look at it, say every word in the book, and continue working.  I've never drilled a hole in it, stuck a needle under, etc...

[texasmom]

Prevent what, the nail from falling off?  Shoot, just pop a band-aid over the thing once it's partially off so it doesn't get snagged on something and rip the whole thing off.  

One gross thing... one of my toes is permanently split... still grows ~ just grows split, and my toe has a dent in it from the impact... who would have thought you can dent a toe???

[1701E]

Prevent what, the nail from falling off?  Shoot, just pop a band-aid over the thing once it's partially off so it doesn't get snagged on something and rip the whole thing off.  

One gross thing... one of my toes is permanently split... still grows ~ just grows split, and my toe has a dent in it from the impact... who would have thought you can dent a toe???

Fingers can dent as well.
Managed to cut almost 1/2 the side of my thumb (from tip to nails base) off, still got a dent in the skin that won't heal.


Best thing to do is just keep some pressure on it for the pain (practically cutting off circulation, don't keep it on too long and you're fine), and after a day or so, take the thing off and just let the nail fall off after a while.  Nail may not fall off, but instead just grown out and push the damaged nail out.  Damaged a lot of fingers/nails, about the best thing I have found.

[Angus]

A very fine drill is okay to relive pressure, but you have to do it as soon as possible. A rough needle will do as well.
BTW, I got married with a black fingernail. Didn't know the trick.

[AirFlyer]

Dropped a plastic trash-barrel on my big-toe and just waited a week. After that nothing a needle-nose pliers can't solve.

[Ghosth]

Paper clip headed till the end is cherry, will melt right through the nail at the base, relieving the pressure. Secret is to not go in too deep. Ie adjust grip on the clip with the pliers just before popping through.
Takes steady nerves and hands though.

Beats the heck out of any other way of relieving the pressure. I've been there a couple times. Dropped a barrel on my left big toe once, by the time my dad got home to do the paper clip thing the pressure was driving me up the walls. It quite literally put blood on the ceiling. But half an hour later I was up and walking around, the pain and pressure was gone and I was able to work the next day.

I watched my dad do it with a hack saw blade once as a kid, which was a long drawn out painful process.

[Belial]

I took a 1/16 drill bit and spun it in with my fingers it went right through, I just wanted to know if theres a trick to keepin it from falling off lol.

[John Curnutte]

 Actually Belial the trick is keeping it on ! all of the gentlemen as stated above have spoken the truth , and all of these work , just take your pick . But when its starts to go get it gone .
                                Nutte

[Belial]

Whenever we smash a fingernail we look at it, say every word in the book, and continue working.  I've never drilled a hole in it, stuck a needle under, etc...

Yeah I called it about every derogatory phrase for a female possible and THEN drilled the hole lol.

[Masherbrum]

I used a 1/64 drill bit given to me by my Father-In-Law last November (two days before hunting season) when a smashed my Right middle finger at work.   Solid steel rod weighed about 40 pounds and no broken.   The nail fell off around March and was completely fine around Memorial Day weekend.   I could have removed the nail sooner, but kept it on and washed it daily, to protect the nailbed.  

That drill bit now resides in a safe place for future use.   The thing with a 1/16 bit, is you have to keep that thing clean more so, than a 1/64, to avoid infection.  

I know we've had go-rounds, but get anal retentive about keeping that nail infection free.