Currently typing with bandaids on both thumbs so please excuse typos and missedspaces.
Did some mechanic work a few days ago and forgot gloves. I washed with a nail brush and dishsoap as always but Now im suffering from both thumbs being inflamed and sore emanating from where thenail meets the thumb. I tried sucking and scraping to clean and cut the nails as short as i can. My usual trick is to scrape hard soap in under the nail before scrubbing, which works really well most time, but no cleaning method has worked this time. I can just barely see some black at the deepest part which i assume is engine oil. I dont think its some metal shard, since its both thumbs, didnt grind anything and usually splinters hiding spots can be pin-pointed by pushing on it but idk for sure. Also no pus leaking.
How do i get it out??? 😭 Whats your secret to dealing with inflammation?
Im thinking either some hydrogen peroxide cream on bandaids or moist gloves to soak in to loosen things up before trying to get whatever gunk is still there. I usually heal very fast, two other cuts from the same time are healing well and fast.
Idk anymore and its really frustrating…
Wishing you a good day and happythumbs!
My dad used Swarfega back in the day, you rub it in dry hands and it grabs up hydrophobic dirts and oils then rinsed off with water. Because it has hydrophobic ingredients it doesn’t remove your natural skin oils as much so there is less inflammation.
Glycolic acid (AHA) is awesome for this kind of thing. You should be able to find a toner that contains it in the skin care aisle at most drug stores. Also get some Neosporin.
If you can’t find toner with glycolic acid try to find a face wash with that or salicylic acid if you can’t find glycolic.
Witchhazel might do in a pinch. Peroxide is better than nothing, but won’t work as well do deeply exfoliate.
It sounds like you might have damaged the nail bed under your fingernails. In the future avoid sticking anything under your fingernails bc the skin is very sensitive.
Step 1: Wash your hands really well with a wash cloth, soap, and warm water. Don’t go under the nail with the wash cloth, just use it to scrub around the outside well. (If you can in the future look into getting a softer scrub brush for your nails instead of sticking anything rough under it).
Step 2: If you can find the toner, soak a cotton boll with it so it’s saturated. Either let that sit on top of your nail or squeeze it with your nails so the nail kind of “digs” into the cotton, but again, don’t force anything solid under your fingernail. Keep it there for about 5 mins then let your finger air dry.
If you can only find the face wash, just gently rub it around your fingernails and let it sit there for a few mins then wash it off. (A nail brush works very well with the face wash, but even with the brush, following up with toner is even better bc it soaks in really deep).
Glycolic acid and salicylic acid are chemical exfoliants, so a lot of physical scrubbing isn’t really necessary.
Step 3: Apply a antibacterial ointment like Neosporin to the area. You also might want to pick up a cheap antifungal cream and try that with the Neosporin or after if the Neosporin doesn’t help.
You might need to repeat a few times, but if none of that seems to be helping or you notice a red line spreading from your nail up your hand and arm, go to an ER ASAP.
The only other thing I can think of is maybe applying a little bit of something like a clay mask under the edge of your nails and seeing if you can draw it out. If it’s oil this might actually want to be something you try after step 2.
If you have access to one, ultra sonic cleaners. Pretty much bullet proof for cleaning nails
Hand washing dishes sometimes does the trick. The extended amount of time in the soapy water with soap that’s meant to cut grease, combined with the movement of actually washing the dishes will often help break down the dirt and push it out.
This has always been my go-to, has never failed me yet (plus, I get something useful done :-)
Idk, just keep washing your hands and cutting nails as usual and it should inevitably go away as the nail grows pushes it out?
Have you tried this?
Stiff enough to get in there, but won’t cause damage or hurt. We have a couple, they work well.
My nail clippers come with a fold-out, dull metal hook that’s the perfect shape for scraping out nail gunk.
Look for a pair like that, or usually nail files have something like it an the tip. In a pinch a dulled toothpick might work.
Maybe a pair of tweezers with thin ends too.
