Damaged Thumbnail regrowth problems, Advice needed from Marti if poss - Nail Problems Message Board

Lianne_jade · 01-20-2005, 07:26 AM

I damaged my thumbnail right at the base at one side. My nail was completely taken off in that area right down to the base, so basically about a quarter of my nail was missing on one side in a big chunk, no nail left whatsoever. It resulted in the underneath protruding through like a bubble, extremely sore.
It happened about 3-4 weeks ago and the severe soreness has now gone. There was initially some infection but that seems to have gone too. Some coverage has taken place in the area but I'm still concerned. The bubble thing has gone down quite a bit but its still not as flat and as tight to the skin as the other side of the nail and is very very thin, peeling and flaky. I'ts more like skin not nail, still sensitive as it is so very thin. I press the very base in the growth area to see if that bit is growing back harder but it isnt although the undamaged side is growing back hard and tight in that area. I'm not sure if there might be some slight air pocket between the skin under the nail and damaged area of new coverage but it might feel like that as its so thin, sort of spongy.
Do you think this will grow back ok eventually? and is there anything I can do or use to help? I had thought about putting some kind of pressure bind just on the damaged nail area slightly to make it grow tighter to the base on that side somehow but I thought it best to ask advise first. I would be very grateful for any advice you can give me and maybe tell me what my chances are of my nail growing back as normal

Thank you very much,

Lianne_Jade

Marti · 01-20-2005, 02:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lianne_jade

I damaged my thumbnail right at the base at one side. My nail was completely taken off in that area right down to the base, so basically about a quarter of my nail was missing on one side in a big chunk, no nail left whatsoever. It resulted in the underneath protruding through like a bubble, extremely sore.
It happened about 3-4 weeks ago and the severe soreness has now gone. There was initially some infection but that seems to have gone too. Some coverage has taken place in the area but I'm still concerned. The bubble thing has gone down quite a bit but its still not as flat and as tight to the skin as the other side of the nail and is very very thin, peeling and flaky. I'ts more like skin not nail, still sensitive as it is so very thin. I press the very base in the growth area to see if that bit is growing back harder but it isnt although the undamaged side is growing back hard and tight in that area. I'm not sure if there might be some slight air pocket between the skin under the nail and damaged area of new coverage but it might feel like that as its so thin, sort of spongy.
Do you think this will grow back ok eventually? and is there anything I can do or use to help? I had thought about putting some kind of pressure bind just on the damaged nail area slightly to make it grow tighter to the base on that side somehow but I thought it best to ask advise first. I would be very grateful for any advice you can give me and maybe tell me what my chances are of my nail growing back as normal

Thank you very much,

Lianne_Jade

3-4 weeks isn't eough time for the matrix to produce enough new cells to see them, much less feel them. Please do not apply pressure from ANY source in this area as you can do further damage. If the matrix (the root) of the nail is still intact, it WILL grow, however slowly. It can take from 6 months to a year before the nail plate completely replaces itself and covers the entire nail bed.

The undamaged portion of nail will continue to grow, but the damaged portion will be VERY slow to grow as the base of the nail needs to completely heal. the half moon you see at the base of the nail is actually the leading edge of the matrix where the nail plate cells are born. If this portion of nail was ripped off where it covers the half-moon, then only the area of matrix underneath the skin can produe nail plate cells. This may mean that the nail on the damaged side of your nail plate may never be as strong or as thick as the other side. Remember, some nail damage is permanent, and the portion that is permanent has compromised the matrix.