Is this a thyroid issue?

[dragonfly76]

Hello everyone I have an issue for many years and I don't know anyone that has this, specially as bad as me. I always have hanging skin close to my fingernails and it hurts and bleeds. It doesn't matter if it's Winter or Summer and my fingers look a lot older than I am. I have this for over 26 years and it's really annoying. Does anyone have this? What are the causes? Is it thyroid or vitamin deficiencies? Thank you

[HashiFedUp]

Ask your gp for some steriod cream and some emollient and see if it helps. Thyroid disorders cause dry skin so it could be that.

[dragonfly76 in reply to HashiFedUp]

thank you

[posthinking01]

Hi there, Yes I know what this is because I used to have it - it's awful and very very painful.

I regret to say - I have come to realise that there aren't many things I haven't had - and as a lovely Consultant said to me over 20 years ago - when he looked at my medical history - good gracious if you were a horse you would have been shot !!! He did make me laugh and I retorted back I wish they had sometimes !

This is called hangnail - I used to bite my nails - I even got a wicklow at the side of my finger where the cuticle had been damaged so badly.

They are obviously infected which could be bacterial or fungal. You need to get this sorted out first. Once the infection has gone you really need to get the overgrown cuticles cut away by a qualified manicurist - not one of these nail clinics. But that could be along way off yet. You might find that with vitamins and getting the infection under control the need to have them cut will not be necessary.

Here is some information that will help but please do not do this until you have been to see or discuss with your GP - using an antibiotic cream etc. to get this under control first. As you will see if this is a staph infection then you may make it worse if you don't have an antibiotic cream to bring the infection under control.

Does salt draw out infection?

While it doesn't cure the infection, Epsom salt can be used to draw out the infection and soften the skin to help boost medication effects. ... Some infections, such as staph infection, worsen from hot water or salt mixes. For foot or toenail fungal infections, soak your feet twice a day for about 20 minutes.

The reason they hurt so badly simply comes down to their location. "Hangnails are usually at the end of a digit near the nail. ... Hangnails also cause inflammation, so that swelling can press on the nerve endings and irritate them, leading to more pain.

A lack of folic acid and vitamin C can lead to hangnails

healthline.com/health/how-t...

If you wear rubber gloves or any type of gloves you will need to throw the rubber gloves away and any gloves you use will have to be washed or thrown out or you will keep re-infecting them.

Remember if you do eventually soak your nails to keep everything sterile before and afterwards.

I don't suffer with this any more thank goodness - and it is such a shame you have suffered with this for so long.

As for the Vitamin C - H&B are doing online and you can get deliverys whilst they are shut - but they will charge for delivery. They do a good Vitamin C in an orange bottle 250mg/500 mg/1000mg - I would suggest you take the 250 mg first.

Hope this helps - would love to hear down the line if you get rid of this horrible problem.

Best wishes

A

[posthinking01 in reply to posthinking01]

Hi me again - down the line once the skin is healthier you can buy cuticle clippers to keep them clipped if they grow long again - but hopefully once the infection has gone and the skin tidies up and the vitamins kick in- they will seal down to the nail and won't cause an issue. If they don't and are still too long - then as I said get a professional manicurist to cut them down - and you can also buy cuticle clippers (U Tube show you how to use them) and if you can get used to using them they are an amazing tool for cuticles as long as you don't cause another infection by using them incorrectly. Hope this helps - there is a solution to this problem I am pleased to say.

[dragonfly76 in reply to posthinking01]

Hi, I looked at images of hangnails and that's what I have. It's so painful and annoying. Sorry I never knew this was called hangnail so I couldn't look for a cure since I didn't even know what was called. Thank you for letting me know the name for this condition. Take Care

[posthinking01 in reply to dragonfly76]

Pleasure hope it heals soon.

[dragonfly76 in reply to posthinking01]

Thank you so much for all the information...

[dragonfly76 in reply to posthinking01]

Wow thank you so much I have suffered with this most of my life. I just thought I have to have everything and I never met anyone with this. If I do my nails all my fingers will have hanging skin that's why I don't even bother with that. Do you think I should look into a dermatologist?

Thank you

[posthinking01 in reply to dragonfly76]

HI there - sorry don't quite understand - if you do your nails etc.

[dragonfly76 in reply to posthinking01]

If I get a manicure they cut the cuticle and I will have hanging skin on all my fingers. Is that what you had?

[dragonfly76 in reply to posthinking01]

My skin starts from the cuticle down.

[posthinking01 in reply to dragonfly76]

Hi there can you show us a photograph of your nails please.

[dragonfly76 in reply to posthinking01]

Sorry I can't because now they are healing and won't show.

[dragonfly76 in reply to posthinking01]

It's the skin around the fingernails that start to peel and you see hanging skin and if you pull it the skin rips deeper and bleeds. It's not my nails but the skin around where the cuticle is. It could be because I have thyroid disease and my skin is extra dry. My cuticles are very dry too.

[Lora7again]

I use almond oil on my finger tips because in the past I have lost nails and they have become detached from the nail beds "plummers nail"

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articl...

[dragonfly76 in reply to Lora7again]

I'll read this later. Thanks