So I broke my pinkie 3 weeks ago, after dropping a heavy wooden pole on it, crushing it.
The tip was crushed, and the knuckle "possibly" had a fracture (Thanks for being helpful, Doc). He told me to tape it to my ring (is it still a ring finger on your right hand?) finger, just for stability and in a few days it should feel better, but to still keep it taped for a few days. Oh, and I was definitely going to lose the nail. I had to ask him what was hanging out of the tip of my finger, and the side (fatty tissue, of course) when it split open. After the fact. It wasn't bleeding at all when it happened. ('Til I poked it and it squirted blood at me, of course).

So in reality, it's been hurting like a bugger, and I just took off the tape today, because I figured that he said I should be able to go without it a few days after the accident, but to keep it taped incase its a "little ouchy". Most of the pain though, is coming from the nail and the cuticle.

My GOD its been hurting. But my mom said that she's sceptical about me losing the nail now, because its not black, and its pink, and looks pretty normal. Except for a little spot of green (that's another thing I don't get. A green spot?). Oh, and along about, half of the cuticle, to the side of my nail, the skin is black, and it looks just like...well...blood under the skin? And there are still scabs along the sides of my nail.

I have never in my life lost a nail, or suffered any kind of injury like this.

I was just wondering in your experience, if you've ever lost a nail...

1. What it looked like before the fact.
2. Did it hurt? And don't be brave. My pain tolerance is probably much less than yours.
3. What did it look like after it fell off? Was there a little bit of nail under? Or was it just really pink and sensitive?
4. In your medical opinion (tee hee), does it seem like my nail has a chance in hell of staying on?

Oh, and if you want to share any gory injury stories, feel free!

I lost a toe nail. I tripped and kicked a stone wall, which tore the nail upward and then drove it down and inward. I went to the ER and had them pull it out of my toe.
I think I would use antibiotics and wash that injury once a day with hydrogen peroxide.
This one guy died when some bacteria got into a heel blister and he ignored it. By the time he came limping into the ER with a high fever it had gone septic and even some high dose IV antibiotics did not pull him out of shock.

When it wasn't scabby, and still fresh, it was pretty much smothered in polysporin. And my mom constantly asks if the pain is "throbbing". Which its not. But still, your story frightens me

I'm always scared that I'm going to end up dying for a reason thats so easily preventable. I will be so pissed at this pinkie.

i lost two of my toenails,one when i was on my scooterit only hurt when my toe nailed the leg of the chair,then i looked at the nail and it was all gross like,so i just left it,and eventually a new nail came and replaced it,as for the other one,i just stubbed my toe and the nail eventually got all dead,and i took it off and there was a new nail already there

I lost a big toe nail a while ago. First of all I injured the toe and the nail became loose and I just kept putting a bandage around it so that the nail could repair itself, but over time it just got more loose. I gave up trying to save it and decided to take the whole thing off, I twisted it slightly and it just came off cleanly and there was already a new nail growing underneath. (Like losing a baby tooth).

The nail didn't go black, it stayed white the whole time, it lifted up from the skin which is I guess why it wasn't pink. It didn't hurt either, unless I hit it by accident, then it hurt like hell.

I wouldn't be worried about what happens to it, it will either heal itself or decide to abandon ship and replace itself with a new nail.

I'm so scared its going to abandon ship

But to hear that you had a new nail there? Phew.

I'm mostly worried there wont be. And it will be all pink and sensitive.

When I was younger, I picked at the little ridges on my thumb nail. Then a little tiny piece flicked up. So I pulled it...clean off. I had a hole in the center of my thumb and it was horribly painful. I could see into my thumb, and it was pink and fleshy and paaaaainful. So I guess I'm just frightened that if my nail decides to book it, that I will be left with an entire finger of pain.

It should only take a day or less to desensitize, that's if it hasn't already.

If it gets infected, you'll probably die.

yeahi lost a toe nail on my big toe good thing there was a nail underenth whew

Hello all,

I do not know how if this thread is still being watched or not but here is my story.

I work at a refurb department for a distribution corp. in Fl. Called Cardio Techs. I am in charge of rebuilding all the old fitness equipment. So it was April 23 of 2007 (not that long ago) .. (oohh yeah that is also my B-day) I had the day off and I went into work anyhow, (points to self and says idiot) i was only going to work half a day to catch up on some work. I had just put the leg on a Precor Elliptical 546, and was checking the Eddie current disk and I tried to stop the legs and the leg of the machine drug my left pinky (Left 5th finger) into the gears and ripped it off. I grabed my finger and wrapped it in goss, soaked the goss in iodine and drove to my wifes work. (She works for a dermatologist) and then to the hospital where they reattached it and sowed the fingernail back on to work as a bandage of sorts. they (they = doctors) said the fingernail will fall off and never grow back, now the fingernail has fallen off and i found this forums wile looking for pics of what a finger should look like after the healing process of loosing the fingernail. I have very pink skin the the tip of my finger and it looks good all except there are two red (what look to be blisters) in the center of the bedding where the fingernail was, and i am unsure as to what this is. I write this in hopes that someone has gone though this before may shed some light on this for me. thank you for you time and web space to write my concerns.

Gross story opportunity? I'm all over it! (results below, lokie)

So my husband kicked the dog's bone, his big toenail went straight up. He couldn't put a shoe on because the nail wouldn't go down and it hurt so bad, but it wouldn't come off either. Well, he had to wear a shoe to work, so we went to the doctor hoping he'd yank it off. Even the doctor was grossed out, but wouldn't pull it off because of the risk of infection. He said he'd write a note for work and it would fall off in a few days. Not wanting to miss work, and finding no alternative, my husband begged me to do the job. Now, first off, I have an adversion to feet. I hate them. I want nothing to do with feet. But seeing his pain, and the opportunity to abuse a foot, I obliged.

With pliers in hand, I went to work. First we cleared an area on the floor because of course there would be plenty of thrashing when the deed was done. I kneeled down close, got a tight grip with the pliers and yanked as hard as I could.

The pliers slipped right off the toenail.

After he was done screaming, I tried again. The second try I had to make him suffer a bit more while I got a mega grip with those pliers... I was not letting them slip again! One more good yank and that sucker came off, with a little meat to boot. We used quite a bit of neosporin (spelled wrong, I know) and peroxide, thankfully no infection. A few years later the nail was growing back normally. It was wavy for awhile, now it's completely normal. I hear it totally depends on the nature of the damage but either way it takes some time and patience.

Thank you for the incuraging words about the ail growing back. Now with that said was there any red bumps (for lack of a better word) in the place where the nail used to be? I have two bumps, they look like blisters but are not they are just masses of skin, they do not hurt but they are red as hell. please if you have any input do tell. if you need a better description i could take a pic of my camera phone and post it.

No, please no pictures. We beg you. Moe is of the humble opinion that if such concerns are upsetting one so, a visit to one's physician should be the next step.

Lol, That is probably a good opinion. My wife works for a dermatologist, and they will see me for free. I am just to scared to go, worried that something is really gone wrong. And I know you think wel then you should go strait away, but the reason people do not go strait away is because the act of staying away from the doc is something they are in control over, where if something is very wrong they are not in control. I am of the ladder grouping.

No red dots or bumps, just normal. The nail was wavy for awhile. But I agree with Moe, your doc would be the one who would give you the best idea of if it will grow back or not. Is a Dermatologist just as good? Maybe not. The GP told my husband that some grow back and some don't, but around his cuticle and bed was pretty damaged, the nature of yours may be totally different than what he went through. How's it feeling?