Will my wife's nail grow back?

Posted , 4 users are following.

Hi there,

Almost exactly a month ago my wife squished her thumb in the trunk of our car. From our non medical perspective it looked as if the cuticle got damaged and then that part of the finger right where nail meets skin got mildly infected, it's looking a bit better now but she's wondering if she's damaged the nail so badly that it won't grow back? There doesn't appear to be any growth from the bottom so far. She says she feels some growth on the right side and it actually feels like it is bunching a bit there on the right side, like there is a bit of pressure? I should add the black underneath is actually nail polish that got underneath when she tried to cover it up. There's a tiny bit of dried blood right where the nail hits the skin on the left. Any advice welcome! Thank you so much!

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0 likes, 2 replies

2 Replies

  • Edited

    Its a bit early to tell how the nail will eventually regrow. That old nail has to grow out and shed . It looks healthy so just keep it clean and keep the nail trimmed short.It may take a year before you see how the new nail will shape up. No treatment is needed .

  • Posted

    Normally, injuries to the root of the nail cause it to never grow back to normal, but I think it's too early to tell if this will be the case for your wife.

    The injury was quite severe, so it is normal that it will take a long time for the nail to grow back.

    In my experience, everything indicates that it will grow back, but always deformed.

    The ideal thing would be to see a dermatologist for a better diagnosis and possible treatment.

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