finger nails falling off - Children's Health Message Board

keithsgirl · 01-20-2005, 09:05 AM

Hope someone has some info. My son is 2 yrs old and he is working on losing his 3rd fingernail in 1 month. The first nail seemed to have some trauma slamed in a door or somthing. but the other two dont seem to have anything wrong with them. Now what is really weird is there is already a thin nail under the old one. Which makes me wonder do we shed our nails?

keithsgirl · 01-20-2005, 09:43 AM

any one????

Kiera1595 · 01-21-2005, 04:14 AM

I don't know about kids, but this happened to me over the summer. The nail became lose at the bottom and was pointed out as I was getting a manicure. It became looser over the next week and then began to peel off. Just like your son, there was another nail growing under it. It was really wierd. I thought that maybe it was some kind of deficiency in my diet. I had recently become pregnant...so I thought thtat maybe my vitamins were low.

I'd bring it up to his doctor and if they don't know, ask a dermatologist. That's what the manicurist told me to do, but I was a wimp and didn't!

Good luck!

2tiredmom · 01-21-2005, 12:48 PM

Maybe the other two got damaged at the same time the first one did just didn't show bruising. If a new nail is growing back already that is probably the case. But call your ped just in case.

siren1024 · 01-22-2005, 11:58 AM

I'd say it sounds like damage too. I've only lost one nail after slamming my finger in a cardoor, but my DH has been losing a few over the past few months on his toenails. His never had any bruising or anything, but they are in places where his combat boots always cause friction.

So I'd also say the others were damaged when the first one was, they just didn't bruise. Of course, if this continues to be a problem I'd aske a doctor.