Will I keep the nail?

[east or bust]

On 9/5 I crushed my thumb pretty badly, had it trephinated (probably spelling that wrong) two days later but by that time everything was pretty much clotted.

Fast forward to today, and most of the bruise near the surface of the skin is flaking off to the point where I can see the bottom edge (I think) and under part of the side of the nail. Mostly down around the base/cuticle of the right side.

I'm guessing it's going to fall off. Is there anything I can do at this point to decrease that possibility?

I'm more worried about it getting infected. Prior to it opening up I had been soaking in once or twice daily in epsom salt. Is this a bad idea now that it's exposed?

[mcski]

You should stop soaking the thumb, dry it as much as possible, then slather it w neosporin or aquafor. Once that's done, stick your thumb up your asshole. You won't care about the nail

[detrusor]

Don't worry about the nail falling off. It's a part of life and won't impact infectious possibilities.

If it's not infected 12 days after the incident I would say it's unlikely. Keep it clean and dry.
Get someone else to stick a thumb up your ass though.

[Bosco]

I wouldn't worry about it. I lost my thumb nail two years ago after getting it caught up in a pivot binding I was mounting, and a few years before that doing wrench work on my truck. Both times I heated a paper clip and pushed it through the nail to relieve the pressure and let the blood out.

Oh, and I did lose my big toe nail 10 years straight skiing. Damn right foot is a half inch longer than my left.

[old goat]

I'd go with the antibiotic ointment and a light dressing. While the chance of infection is very small the ointment and dressing do seem to help stuff heal faster and hurt less. Nothing you do will make a difference in whether the nail falls off.
BTW I've discovered Band Aid Tough Strips. I get cracks on my feet in the summer from the dryness. They hurt like hell. I put on some ointment and a Tough Strip and the thing will stay on for a week--walking in sandals or barefoot, soaking in the spa, hiking, biking, etc, etc. Best band aids I've ever used.

[plugboots]

Will you keep the nail?
Gotta be able to pull it out of her forehead first.

[east or bust]

I'd go with the antibiotic ointment and a light dressing. While the chance of infection is very small the ointment and dressing do seem to help stuff heal faster and hurt less. Nothing you do will make a difference in whether the nail falls off.
BTW I've discovered Band Aid Tough Strips. I get cracks on my feet in the summer from the dryness. They hurt like hell. I put on some ointment and a Tough Strip and the thing will stay on for a week--walking in sandals or barefoot, soaking in the spa, hiking, biking, etc, etc. Best band aids I've ever used.

thanks, I've been putting on neosporin pretty religiously. definitely helping the exposed area out, think I'm pretty much screwed with it coming off though, hopefully the clotted blood will hold it on for awhile. just pissed cause its my thumb and I use the nail for stuff, if it was my pinky I wouldn't really care.

[Bosco]

More than likely gone... go with it.

[east or bust]

I'll post a pic when it does

[old goat]

thanks, I've been putting on neosporin pretty religiously. .

Prayer probably won't help but it can't hurt. Probably praying to Allah would be most effective-apparently every time an IED or mortar shell explodes it's Allah who did it so he should be able to save a thumbnail.

Classical guitar player perhaps?

[stuckathuntermtn]

Don't nails usually grow back if they get fucked and fall off?
That's like 1 of the only parts of the body that actually grow back.
Actually, aren't hair and nails made of similar stuff? And they both keep growing when you cut them off.