From ... in Lifestyle Environmental — Jun 24, 2025

How to Treat Hangnails (and Stop Them from Coming Back)

Do you bite your nails or pick at your cuticle whenever you're nervous, bored, or anxious? These habits are not only signs of compulsive behavior — they also cause you to develop hangnails. These small tears may look harmless at first, but if they become infected, they can cause redness, swelling, and irritation. In some cases, they may require medical treatment.

To put it simply, a hangnail refers to a small piece of skin that appears along the edge of your fingernail. Despite being tiny, hangnails are quite painful and annoying, especially when they snag on something or become infected. • Hangnails are not a part of your nail — Despite their name, a hangnail is actually a piece of your skin that has peeled away and is hanging along the side of your fingernail. As Dr. Neha Vyas, a family practitioner, describes: “A hangnail is really short. It's kind of stiff and it arises from the side of your nail bed.” • If it's just a piece of skin, then why does a hangnail hurt so much? You've most likely experienced a hangnail before, and you know it's not fun to have, as it causes intense pain. According to family nurse practitioner Samia Kadri, this is because “[y]ou have nerve endings and blood vessels in this area, especially the finger, which are more sensitive.” • Why do hangnails develop? According to Harvard Health, a hangnail occurs when the skin around your nails becomes excessively dry and damaged. The most common causes are cold weather, frequent hand washing, excessive use of alcohol or sanitizers, and exposure to harsh chemicals. Swimming in chlorinated pool can also cause hangnails to develop. • Certain habits increase your risk — For example, nail biting, cuticle picking, and thumb-sucking can give you hangnails. Having brittle nails or soaking your hands in water a lot (such as when you are washing the dishes or doing your laundry) also puts you at risk. • Cutting your cuticles triggers hangnails and infections — If you always have your nails done at a nail salon (or if you do it at home by yourself), make sure you're not cutting your cuticles, but pushing them back instead. If you accidentally cut your cuticles, hangnails may form, as well as infections.

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While it's tempting to simply tear off a hangnail, it's not advisable to do so because when the protective skin barrier around your nail becomes damaged, bacteria can freely enter and cause an infection. This is called acute paronychia, and symptoms include: • Redness of the skin around the nail • Swelling and puffiness • Pain and tenderness • The affected area feels warm when touched • Yellow or white pus forming near the nail (abscess) When these symptoms arise, consult with your health care provider to prevent the infection from spreading to other parts of your finger. If an abscess has formed, your physician will help drain it safely.

Hangnails are a fairly minor health concern and are easily treated at home. Following the right process ensures that your hangnail heals swiftly and properly, without putting you at risk of infections. Here's a step-by-step process for you to try: 1. Soak your fingers in warm, soapy water for around 10 minutes. This will help soften the skin around your nails. 2. Sanitize a pair of small scissors or nail clippers, then use it to trim the hangnail gently, as close to the skin as possible. Do not tear the raised piece of skin. 3. Apply a gentle, fragrance-free moisturizer or tallow or lanolin to the affected skin to keep it moisturized. Coconut oil is also a great option. 4. If the hangnail is sore or bleeding, consider bandaging it to prevent bacteria from entering and causing an infection.

The best way to prevent hangnails from forming is to keep your skin moisturized. I recommend using a natural moisturizer or mineral oil, regularly applying it to your hands, especially during dry seasons. “The dry air and frequent hand-washing can cause you to be more likely to get a hangnail. Using moisturizer daily can help,” Dr. Vyas said. Below are some more helpful strategies to prevent hangnails from developing: • Don't bite your nails — This will lead to tears on the skin and increase your risk of infections. Instead, use a clean tool to trim your nails carefully. Avoid cutting your cuticles; use a cuticle pusher to push them back instead. • Switch to safe skin products — Use a gentle, triclosan-free soap or cleanser to wash your hands and feet. Products that contain fragrances and other harsh chemicals will dry out your skin. • Wear gloves — If you're doing chores such as gardening, washing dishes, scrubbing your clothes during laundry time, or cleaning your home, using protective gloves will keep your skin from drying out. Wearing warm gloves or mittens during cold weather will also protect your skin. • Trim your nails properly — Cut your nails straight, then use an emery board to round the tips and smoothen the edges. Make sure to sanitize your nail clippers and other tools before and after trimming your nails. Make sure to stay hydrated as well by drinking enough pure water. Water is vital to optimal health — if you're not getting enough, your skin is affected, and being prone to hangnails is one sign. Before you experience the signs of mild to moderate dehydration, get into a habit of staying well hydrated. Read here to learn more “ Can Chronic Dehydration Age You More Quickly? ”

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Although rare, hangnails can also form on your toenails. However, don't confuse them with ingrown toenails — these are two completely different conditions. • What is an ingrown toenail? Simply put, this issue occurs when the corner or side of your toenail grows into the soft flesh. It usually affects the big toe, and causes pain, swelling, inflammation, and infection. • An ingrown toenail messes with proprioception — This refers to your body's ability to sense movement and spatial recognition, and your toenails play an essential role in this. However, when an ingrown toenail develops in any one of the toes, your proprioception is thrown out of balance, affecting your quality of life. • Common causes of ingrown toenails — Ingrown toenails arise due to improper nail- cutting technique, wearing heels or tight footwear, physical trauma (such as stubbing your toe) and physical imbalances, such as when your toenail is larger than your toe. Unlike hangnails, which are very easy to treat, getting rid of an ingrown toenail is more challenging and painful, especially if the area is severely inflamed or swollen. This article “ Do You Have an Ingrown Toenail? Try These Home Remedies ” provides a step- by-step process to help treat an ingrown toenail at home, as well as other non-surgical treatment options.

Although they may not be given enough attention as other areas of your body, your fingernails and toenails actually have essential body functions, like protecting your fingers, providing tactile feedback for day-to-day activities, and, as mentioned above, proprioception. However, did you know that your nails also provide clues about the state of your health? For example, the rate of your nail growth can determine how fast you're aging.

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• There's a clear link between aging and nails — A 1979 study published in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology looked at how aging impacts nail growth. The researchers followed the linear nail growth of 192 women and 79 men, ages 10 to 100, and found a consistent and predictable decrease in nail growth speed over a lifetime, with a clear connection to overall physiological aging and metabolic slowdown. • Your nails grow faster when you're younger — Human nail growth reaches its peak in the late 20s, and then gradually slows down at a rate of about 0.5% per year. By the time a person reaches 100, their nail growth rate has declined by roughly 50%. • Men's and women's nail growth are different — Although men's nails initially grow faster than women's, this changes once they reach 80 years old, with women's nails surpassing men's in speed. • External factors and activities also influence nail growth — Temperature, illness, and nutrition influence nail growth, providing further insight into its role as an indicator of health and aging. Activities that exercise your fingers, such as typing, playing the piano, or using hand tools are also associated with slightly faster nail growth, while unhealthy habits like smoking slow it down. • Having a chronic illness affects your nail growth — Diabetes and congestive heart failure both impair blood circulation, therefore causing your nails to regenerate slower. If you have minor infections, your nail grows slower as well, highlighting how the body prioritizes vital functions over non-essential processes when under stress. I recommend reading “ Your Nails Reveal How Fast You're Aging ,” for more interesting facts about nail growth and how to support healthy nails even as you age. By monitoring changes in your nail growth, you'll have an idea into your body's aging trajectory, allowing you to take action to support better health and longevity.

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Q: What exactly is a hangnail, and why does it hurt so much? A: A hangnail is a small piece of torn skin that forms along the edge of your fingernail—not part of the nail itself. It hurts because the area around your nails is full of nerve endings and blood vessels, making it especially sensitive to tearing, pressure, and infection. Q: What causes hangnails to form in the first place? A: Hangnails usually happen when the skin around your nails becomes dry or damaged. Triggers include cold weather, frequent handwashing, harsh soaps, alcohol-based sanitizers, chlorinated pools, and bad grooming habits like nail biting or cuticle cutting. Q: Is it dangerous to bite off a hangnail or pull it with your fingers? A: Yes, tearing or biting a hangnail damages the protective skin barrier and increases your risk of infection. It can lead to redness, swelling, tenderness, and pus-filled abscesses if bacteria enter the torn skin. Q: How do I safely treat a hangnail at home? A: Soak your fingers in warm, soapy water for 10 minutes to soften the skin. Gently trim the hangnail with sanitized nail scissors, apply a moisturizer, tallow or lanolin, and use a bandage if the area is sore or bleeding to protect it from infection. Q: What's the best way to prevent hangnails from coming back? A: Keep your hands moisturized, especially after washing. Avoid biting nails or cutting cuticles — gently push them back instead. Use gloves when cleaning or handling chemicals, and trim your nails properly to prevent skin from snagging.

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How to Treat Hangnails (and Stop Them from Coming Back)

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