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Painful black nail after accident. What should I do?

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jonathan1993
jonathan1993

I managed to hit my little finger pretty hard with a hammer (just like a cartoon). The nail immediately started to bleed between the nail and nail bed and was very painful for over a week. The nail went black.

I expected the nail to fall off but 6 weeks later it is still here and still black. It is still growing which suggests to me that it isn't dead. I thought that as it grows it would produce healthy nail but the nail that is growing is also come through as black.

It became less painful but this last week it has been getting very sore again. It's too sore to cut and I can hardly touch it anymore due to the pain.

I saw a doctor about a week after the accident and they told me to just keep an eye on it...I'm not really sure what I'm meant to be looking for.

Please take a look at the images. Is this normal? What should i do?

Also, it has distorted the shape or the nail too. It is much more curved than my other nail and still a bit swollen. If helpful, I'm a 26 year old man.

Thanks!

image

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0 likes, 2 replies

2 Replies

  • ptolemy
    ptolemy jonathan1993

    Posted

    I did the same on my little finger. I think the reason it still looks black is because the actual finger is damaged underneath the nail not the nail itself. It is pretty painful.

  • jonathan1993
    jonathan1993

    Posted

    thanks for your reply. Did yours go back to normal? How long dis it take? Did you have to get any medical attention?

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