Thread: Story time: make sure the edge is taped or secured on a surface

I broke my own rules and was furiously polishing the spine of my new razor from Turkey. Now normally I do this with the edge on a towel on a table, but I was so excited that I decided to forgoe the precaution. My hand went over the point, and as then the razor cut me pretty badly. Sliced right through my index finger's nail.

Guess it passed the index nail test.

Anyway, surprisingly little blood atm. Surprising because when it was first cut, it bled pretty bad. But then I wiped it away and it only hurts a lot now. Guess the nail sealed up the wound. So, learn from me and don't get excited.

Through the nail test

Im curious to see the culprit, once you're done.

Originally Posted by Ambrose

Through the nail test

Im curious to see the culprit, once you're done.

Thats what I'll call it!

Yup, it passed the TTNT with flying colors! No pressure needed.

I'll post pics once my finger stops hurting. Anyone know what exactly happens when you chop through half the nail? The cut is horizontal and its right at the base of the nail. I think I cut off my nail one time when I was working as a cook, but it was at the tip and I just ripped it off and it eventually regrew. However, ripping off the nail is not an option this time. Can I just superglue the cut?

Originally Posted by Leighton

Anyone know what exactly happens when you chop through half the nail?

Unfortunately, yes I do.

usually, and especially if there is even a small area that isn't cut through, it will simply grow out with the rest of the nail, and you'll probably have to cut it way back once it get's close to growing out.

Sometimes, if you really, honestly cut all the way through, all the way across, the rear portion will tip underneath it as it grows out, and turn into a really ugly ingrown nail that you may need to see a doc about, but that's pretty unlikely. They usually just grow out.

You can also grab the end piece with a pair of pliers (I'm serious) and rip it off. It will hurt like hell, but it will keep you from catching it on things, and they almost always grow back.

Yikes! Easy, there, Leighton!
Cuts involving the nail pad aren't especially fun in my experience.

On a selfish note, I hope that means my razors from Turkey will arrive soon!

Originally Posted by VeeDubb65

almost always grow back.

I don't like those odds very much....

You realize, you have just made all of us newbies feel alot better about our own self inflicted injuries?



Mac

Originally Posted by McWolf1969

You realize, you have just made all of us newbies feel alot better about our own self inflicted injuries?



Mac

No problem. I cut myself a lot. I think my hands have seen thousands of cuts. Normally not this bad. I usually just nick my thumb or the padding. The thumb nail bed is new. Last time I damaged that was with a kitchen knife 5 years ago.

Ouch!

Nail doesn't fuse does it? I think that's coming off one way or another.

Originally Posted by gregs656

Ouch!

Nail doesn't fuse does it? I think that's coming off one way or another.

Nope. Nails are like hair. The part you see is dead. They grow from the base. It will simply grow out. If you took a picture every day and spliced them together into a stop frame video, the cut would slowly move from wherever it is, out to the tip and eventually get trimmed off.


When I say they "almost always" grow back, I mean that it's 100% if you don't pull it out completely by the root, and even if you do pull it out by the root, it's still at or near 100% unless you actually rip off a huge chunk of the end of your finger and take the whole nail bed with it. (In which case you're probably gong to be down to 9 nails)

The worst I ever had was I had a finger broken in a car door, and the way it broke, the back of the nail was actually popped right out of my finger, so I truely ripped it off all the way down to the very root.

That nail (middle finger, left hand) looks perfectly fine by itself, but is slightly rounder than the same nail on the other hand, and that's probably because the bone underneath didn't heal straight.