Nail Injury Treatment Questions and Answers

While blood left under a nail will eventually disappear as the nail grows out, there are a few things that may or may not happen if you leave blood under your nail, depending on how much blood has pooled under the nail and how much area it covers. As the nail grows out, there will likely be black or dark blue discoloration under the nail. Moreover, if the blood is the result of an injury or there is an increased amount, pressure may build up, causing extreme pain. In such cases, a nail trephination procedure would likely be performed, in which a small hole is created in the nail and nail bed to drain the blood with a needle. If the blood under the nail does not cause you pain, it will either grow out or, if the blood has caused the nail to separate from the nail bed, fall off on its own. For a fingernail that has fallen off, it should grow back within three to six months. For toenails, it can take up to 18 months to grow back.

In most cases, a damaged nail bed can be fully repaired! While there are some rare instances in which a damaged nail bed can lead to nail deformities after it has healed, there is usually something that our expert physicians at Reddy Urgent Care can do to help return your damaged nail bed to normal. Treatment for a damaged nail bed usually depends on the specific type of injury sustained, whether it is an avulsion, laceration, or subungual hematoma. With an avulsion, the nail and at least a part of the nail bed pull away from the rest of the finger, often due to getting your finger stuck or jammed. Treatment for nail bed avulsions typically involves removing the nail, a protective bandage, and a splint if the finger is fractured. For a nail bed laceration, stitches are often necessary, which requires removal of the nail. Finally, for a subungual hematoma, in which blood pools between the nail and nail bed, requires the nail trephination procedure explained above.

While a nail that has separated from the nail bed will not reattach itself, a new nail should grow back even if the nail bed is damaged! As mentioned, there are rare instances where nail deformities occur with a damaged nail bed. However, in most cases, the nail should grow back as if nothing ever happened!

If you have sustained a nail injury and are looking for treatment in Huntington Beach, CA, we can provide that for you at Reddy Urgent Care! Our board-certified physicians would be happy to see you for a walk-in appointment at Paramount, CA during the hours of 9:00 AM to 7:00 PM from Monday to Friday or 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM on the weekend.