split nail

[Debs]

One of the stylists in my salon has a split down the length of her nail.......She first noticed it at the free edge along with a lot of pain over the nail bed and she thought she had a hair or something in it for it to be causing so much pain. Obviously its a stylists nightmare having hair splinters but we couldn`t see anything.
Over the next few days she started getting nail separation beginning of the free edge just under the split and after a couple more days passed the pain went away.
I put resin over her nail for her so she wouldnt keep catching it and gave her some solar oil.
It started hurting again today and we can now see a split all the way down her nail, the separation hasn`t got any bigger but she is hurting really bad in the matrix area.
She won`t go to the Doctor unless she sees anything nasty forming but I wondered if there was anything else I could do for her.
Can anyone help here??????
Also why would it hurt in the matrix area unless she has had an accident which she is adamant she hasn`t? The trouble looked like it started at the free edge and has worked back although the separation hasn`t got any bigger YET

 

[Nailsinlondon1]

Well I think the poor love has got a tiny hair lodged under the nailplate, hence the pain, this happens when a tiny bit of hair , breaks the Onychodermal band.
Yes she is probably right in saying that she isn't aware of any accidents, some of the little hairs are so tiny you can hardly see them without a magnifying glass and so sharp that they will even pierce skin and when they get lodge under there, can even cause an abscess, so she probably wasn't even aware that it pierced the band so to speak.
But she does now I would advice her to go and see a Doctor if the pain gets any worse, or at least go and have it checked out...........
usually the body will expel any foreign matter, for example a splinter will eventually come to the surface, accompanied by a bit of puss....very nice (not). So my advice is no prodding, no poking, no playing doctor and needle and scalpel as it would probably push the little beggar further up the nailbed. Salt baths will draw infections out, tea tree oil will keep it infections free and then let nature take it's course.
Hope this helps
love Ruth xxxx

 

[Debs]

Thanks Ruth,
we haven`t done any prodding or poking with it and it had been like it for a little over a week now and no sign of infection. What amazes me is it looks like it started at the free edge but she had pain in the beginning on the nail plate area which made her think she must have something under the plate but she now has pain in the matrix. If she has a hair under there, like you say it will probably work its way out or wouldn`t it have caused infection by now???? and why does it hurt in the matrix??????I know we`re not Doctors and I wouldn`t presume to treat her but she isn`t going to the Doctors just yet and me being me want an answer for myself......Am I making sense??????probably not, I`ll shut up now, and NO I haven`t been drinking

 

[Nailsinlondon1]

Well Debs,
It hurts cause there are loads of little nerve endings there, the little beggar could be lodged there tight, near a nerve and the pain is traveling??
But then again there could be two little beggars, one under the nail plate and one got in through the cuticle area.....................
Who knows lol ...........
Also you cant be sure that she hasn't tried to get it out herself, in the privacy of her own home.....................
Best bet is see a Doc.................
love Ruth xxxx

 

[Debs]

I keep telling her to go to the doctor, she will when her finger drops off......shouldn`t say that.......don`t wish that on her.....thanks for the advice

 

[geeg]

The reason it hurts in the Matrix area, is because now it is the matrix area that is taking all the pressure as because of the onycholysis, the stress area is not taking the pressure.

This girl is using her fingers all the time in her work and the result is the pressure is forming in the matrix. logical!! :idea:

 

[Debs]

Thanks Ruth and Geeg, I understand it better now thanks.
Geeg, logic or science are not my best subjects but I am learning fast now but at my age I have to go over the same things again and again........seems to go over the top a few times first before it goes in, lol thanks for your help