How To Get Rid Of Hangnails

​Hangnails happen to all of us.  To help avoid having them, keep your hands clean and moisturized, and protect them against harsh soaps and chemicals.

How To Get Rid Of Hangnails
By Pierre Mouchette | Bits-n-Pieces

​You may not pay close attention to the skin around the nails until a hangnail pops up.  If you have ever had one, and the chances are that you have, you understand how painful these dangling bits of skin are.  Hangnails can affect anyone, particularly people who pick at their cuticles or bite their nails.  The proper skin and nail care can help you remove hangnails and prevent them from returning.
 
What is a hangnail?
Despite its name, a hangnail is not part of your nail.  It is a small piece of torn skin close to the cuticle (base) of your nail or along the side of it.  They are easy to recognize because these dry, rough pieces of skin often dangle or jut out around the nail, and they can be surprisingly irritating or painful.
Hangnails are often mistaken for ingrown nails, but they are not the same.  Ingrown nails ensue when a nail grows into surrounding soft tissue.  Hangnails usually appear on the fingers, whereas ingrown nails are more frequent on the toe.
Dry skin, minor cuts, and other trauma to the skin near your nails may cause a hangnail.  Since dry skin is more susceptible to irritation or breakage, you could notice hangnails more often during the winter when the air is cold and dry.  If you pick at your nails, you might also be more prone to them.
 
How can you get rid of hangnails safely?
You could be tempted to pull it off, although pulling or biting a hangnail can make it more painful.  It can also cause skin tearing and cause infection.
Simple home remedies may help.  To get rid of a hangnail:

1. Wash your hands with warm water and an antibacterial hand soap.  Then soaking the affected finger in warm water for a few minutes will help to soften the hangnail.
   
   
2. Use sterilized nail scissors or cuticle clippers to clip the hanging skin at its base carefully.
   
   
3. Apply an antibiotic ointment or cream after the removal of a hangnail.
   
   
4. Keep the area clean as it heals.

 
What to do if your hangnail gets infected?
Hangnails get infected when bacteria enter via the torn skin.  Paronychia is the most common hangnail infection if you have an infected hangnail.  You may notice these signs: 

• Pain
• Swelling or redness
• Warmth or tenderness to the touch
• An abscess or pus-filled blister

Fortunately, hangnail infections are treatable.  See your healthcare provider because the proper treatment depends upon the nature and severity of your symptoms.  For instance, if you have an abscess, they can drain it before cleaning the area and then cover it while it heals.  In rare cases, they may prescribe oral antibiotics for an infection.
Try the following skin and nail care tips to prevent hangnails from developing:

1. Keep your hands moisturized.  Dry skin is the chief cause of hangnails.  So it is essential to moisturize your hands regularly.  Use hand creams or ointments, especially after washing your hands.  You can also use moisturizing oils.
   
   
2. Limit exposure to moisture and irritants.  Individuals whose hands are regularly wet or exposed to chemicals have a higher risk of chronic infection in the skin surrounding their nails.  Examples include swimmers, bartenders, and florists.  They are often exposed to bacteria that thrive in wet environments.  So limit exposure when you can.
   
   
3. Wear gloves.  You will not always be able to avoid irritants.  And when you cannot, gloves may be the next best thing.  Wearing gloves will protect your hands from dry air, harsh cleaning products, and other irritants.  Slip on gloves before you go outside in cold weather.  Use rubber gloves during activities such as gardening or washing dishes.
   
   
4. Do not cut cuticles.  A practice that is still prevalent among many manicurists.  But cutting the cuticles can lead to hangnails and infections.  Instead, gently push your cuticles back with a cuticle pusher.
   
   
5. Do not bite your nails or pick at your cuticles.  As tempting and habit-forming as it might be, nail-biting is another way to raise the risk of hangnails and bacterial or fungal infections.  Keeping your nails groomed may help you stop biting and picking at them.