Pain at the fingertips - why the nails on the hands and feet hurt. Nails hurt: what to do and the causes of the disease

It's no secret that nails are horny plates. They are located on the arms and legs in the nail bed. Their main function is to protect nerve endings from damage. The absence of blood vessels allows you to painlessly shorten the length of the manicure.

Why do fingernails hurt?

The main causes of discomfort include:

  1. getting injured;
  2. "ingrowth" of the nail plate;
  3. felon;
  4. malnutrition and hormonal imbalances;
  5. the negative impact of cosmetics and procedures (the use of various coatings, as well as nail polish remover, etc.);
  6. fungus;
  7. diseases of the joints of the hands;
  8. work with household chemicals without protective gloves.

Thumb injuries

You can get them under various circumstances:

  • With pinching or painful blow to the hands. There is a high risk of damage to one or more fingers, but more often than others, it is the large one that is injured. At the same time, blue appears at the site of the bruise, and in the case of a strong blow, blackening.

A bruise is manifested by symptoms such as: swelling, redness of the skin, severe pain and local fever. After that, the plate is deformed and gradually exfoliates, and a new stratum corneum forms in its place.

  • With poor-quality manicure, when it is made without observing the rules of antiseptics, using tools that have not undergone proper disinfection.
  • With cracks due to mechanical influences.

Why does it hurt under the fingernails?

Ingrown nail

Often nails hurt due to improper care. The problem appears with excessive trimming, when they strive to reduce the length as much as possible and make rounded ends. In this case, treatment is possible only with the use of surgical intervention. Unfortunately, there is no alternative to this change.

Felon

This is an inflammatory process. It is this pathology that most often leads to acute discomfort and increased sensitivity.

The causes of this infection are various kinds of damage (splinters, injections, scratches, burrs, cracks).

Signs of panaritium are:

  1. the appearance of edema;
  2. soreness when pressed;
  3. the appearance of pus.

If the above symptoms of infection appear, it is necessary to consult a surgeon in a timely manner.

Eating disorders, hormonal disruptions

Improper nutrition, low consumption of fruits and vegetables often lead to delamination, thinning of nails. The lack of calcium, iron and some other elements causes their fragility and depletion of the nail plate.

Quite often, with a hormonal disorder, the human body ceases to absorb the vitamins that it needs so much, as a result of which health indicators drop significantly, which affects the beauty of the hands.

Negative effect of cosmetic procedures

Nails are badly affected by procedures such as painting, building, removing varnish with acetone and other chemicals, as well as the use of low-quality materials during manicure, which, in turn, can cause irritation and provoke unpleasant pain.

fungal disease

Onychomycosis is a very common disease. Its causative agent is a fungus that destroys the carotene protein necessary for the proper structure of the nail and its growth. It is characterized by symptoms of inflammation of the surrounding tissue: redness, itching, discoloration and shape of the nail plate, as well as atrophy and pain. When treating an ailment, special ointments should be applied to the affected areas, blocking the development of pathology.

Thumb nail hurts when pressed

Pain in the nails can develop with serious diseases, so touching and pressing may indicate the presence of such ailments as:

  • polyosteoarthrosis (cartilaginous tissue is destroyed and the joints of the fingers are deformed). Nodules appear in the periungual space, which are very sensitive to pressure;
  • psoriatic arthritis. It proceeds with acute pain and other pathological changes. The shape and color of the nail plates suffer;
  • gout. Causes the deposition of uric acid and significantly impedes movement.

Which doctor should I contact?

If pain occurs in the area of ​​​​the nail plate, it should be established whether a fungal disease has caused discomfort. In this regard, it will not be superfluous to contact a dermatologist. Also, you may have to visit a surgeon and a traumatologist. These specialists will exclude bruising and the presence of suppuration in the affected area.

But it is better to start looking for a problem in the office of a local therapist. He, after collecting an anamnesis, will make a preliminary diagnosis and issue the necessary referrals to highly specialized specialists.

Working with household chemicals without protective gloves

Cleaning using household chemicals (whiteness, glass cleaners, acetone and other products), without protective gloves, adversely affects the condition of the hands, causing brittleness, pain.

Hosting an event

Important! Treatment and measures to eliminate pain directly depend on the cause that caused it.

  1. Elimination of chronic diseases of the joints.
  2. Protective gloves should be worn when working with household chemicals or in the garden.
  3. Do not abuse cosmetic procedures. You can use healing varnishes.
  4. Keep hands clean, care with cream, moisturize cuticles - avoid cracks and burrs.
  5. Manicure done by trusted masters.
  6. In case of scratches, injuries, treat the place of damage with antiseptic agents.
  7. Trim your nails properly.
  8. Strengthen immunity.
  9. Eat properly. Carefully monitor the state of the body. Take vitamin and mineral complexes.

Quick help at home

When working in the country, cleaning without gloves, inflammation often occurs, pain under the fingernails. Quick help at home will help alleviate the condition, in the form of warm baths with sea salt, baking soda, chamomile. Sore fingers should be placed for 15 minutes in the bath several times a day.

For minor injuries, the sore spot can be treated with tincture of iodine or brilliant green.

With a fungal infection, as a traditional medicine, at home, you can use a remedy such as ammonia. Diluted in the following proportions: 1 tbsp. a spoonful of alcohol in a glass of water. Apply gauze with the resulting solution to the affected areas 3 times a week.

Almost every one of us at least once in his life faced with unpleasant pain localized in the area of ​​​​the nail plates. Moreover, nails can periodically hurt not only in men who are not inclined to pay attention to proper hygienic care of the nail plates on the hands and feet. Many women who like to take care of their nails at home are familiar with this problem and use professional manicure and pedicure tools. If your fingernails or toenails hurt, then first of all you need to find out the cause of the appearance of unpleasant symptoms, and then choose the appropriate treatment for the disease.

Healthy nails should have a pinkish tint, natural shine, a smooth surface without seals. If your nail plates become brittle, begin to exfoliate, or other signs of deformation appear, then be sure to visit a doctor so that the specialist prescribes a comprehensive examination. As a rule, the nails hurt after mechanical damage, as a result of a fungal infection, as well as with the development of some infectious and non-infectious diseases of a non-fungal nature.

♦ MECHANICAL DAMAGE

Ingrown toenail (Onychocryptosis).

The pain appears after the ingrowth of the nail plate into the lateral roller. Onychocryptosis can develop both on the toes and on the fingers. But most often, an ingrown toenail is found on the big toe, causing acute pain, bleeding and inflammation of the soft tissues with purulent discharge.
Causes: constant wearing of tight or narrowed shoes, incorrectly performed pedicure and cutting of nails "to the meat", orthopedic pathology of the feet, hereditary predisposition.
Treatment: soda baths, chamomile baths with castor oil, mechanical thinning of the entire plate with a needle file (up to a thickness of about 0.1-0.2 mm), staples for correction with cutting the plate on the sides, Lugol processing. At stages 3-4 of onychocryptosis, treatment by a specialist in the clinic is indicated (radio wave treatment, laser removal).

Injuries.


Pinching the upper phalanx of the finger, tearing and damaging the nail plate with a heavy object can cause darkening of the nail. The bruise spreads under the nail, the structure of the plate is damaged and its complete replacement occurs within a few months. Usually, after an injury, the nails hurt for several days, then there is a gradual replacement of the dark color of the plate with lighter tones.

♦ NAIL FUNGUS

Onychomycosis.


Dermatophyte fungi infect fingernails and toenails. Pressing on the nail plate is accompanied by unpleasant pain sensations. With hypertrophic onychomycosis, the color of the nail changes, and the plate itself thickens. With atrophic onychomycosis, the affected plate is separated from the bed. Normotrophic onychomycosis causes discoloration and streaks on the nails.
Treatment: preparations (Itraconazole, Griseofulvin, Fluconazole, Ketoconazole Terbinafine), ointments (Daktarin, Mikozon, Bifasam, Bifonazol, Bifosin, Mycospor, Exoderil, Atifin, Binafine, Lamisil, Mikonorm). The treatment course is prescribed by a doctor.

Rubromycosis.



The fungus red trichophyton infects the nails and makes them brittle. Nails and side ridges hurt when pressed. The plates gradually become thinner or, on the contrary, thicken.
Treatment: ointments of Whitefield, Arievich; drying ointments Pimafucin, Mycozolon, Exoderil, Tolmitsen, Nizoral, Lamikon after treatment with 2% iodine solution; fungicidal-keratolytic varnishes.

Candidiasis.


The fungus is usually introduced during a pedicure with a poorly disinfected tool through wounds and cuts. Candidiasis causes pain, inflammation and swelling in the soft tissues of the nail.
Treatment: antimycotic drugs - Fluconazole, Ketoconazole, Itraconazole; ointments - Pimafucin, Mikoseptin, Clotrimazole, Ketoral.

Ringworm (microsporia).



The nail plate thickens and becomes colorless as the infection moves deeper into the plate. Ringworm can affect both toes and hands. The disease gradually progresses and the nails hurt more and more.
Treatment: antifungal drugs and ointments (Termikon, Clotrimazole, Terbizil). If microsporia is complicated by a secondary infection, Triderm ointment is used.

Epidermophytosis.


A fungal infection infects the nail plate and then spreads to the skin around the nail. The color of the nail becomes yellow or brownish, and the plate itself is deformed and begins to crumble. The periungual skin becomes inflamed and reddened.
Treatment: removal of the nail plate, followed by treatment of the bed with fungicidal agents (Krichevsky liquid, Nitrofungin) and aniline dyes (Fukortsin).


♦ INFECTIOUS DISEASES

Felon.

Pyogenic bacteria penetrate the soft tissue around the nail through small wounds and cuts. The first symptom of panaritium is a sharp pain that spreads to the top of the finger when pressing on the nail. Gradually, the color of the rollers around the nail becomes dark red, the plate is deformed. Panaritium affects both fingers and toes.
Treatment: at home can be treated only at the initial stage of the disease. Dimethyl sulfoxide is diluted 1:4 with boiled water, a small piece of gauze is impregnated with this solution and a compress is applied to the finger. If you are worried about severe pain, then the doctor opens the abscess.

Onychorrhexis and onychoshisis.



Infection of the nail grooves with pathogenic bacteria can cause destruction of the nail structure. The plate begins to split in the transverse direction (onychoshisis) or in the longitudinal direction (onychorrhexis). Gradually, the plate changes color and peels off.
Treatment: drugs with a local disinfecting effect (solution of chrysarobin in chloroform, synthomycin emulsion, alcohol solution of tinol, heliomycin ointment).

♦ NON-FUNGAL DISEASES

Onychomadesis.


Violation of the normal functioning of the root (matrix). As a result of pathology, the nail plate begins to move away from the bed, starting from the base of the nail. The nail hurts even with a slight pressure on the plate.
Treatment: finger massage to normalize the functioning of the matrix, vitamin therapy, chondroprotectors (glucosamine, chondroitin sulfate).

Onyhauksis.


An infection enters the soft tissues and the inflammatory process begins in the bed, nail folds. The nail plate increases in size, becomes thicker. The nail hurts even when you press the fingertip.
Treatment: drugs are prescribed that help strengthen the vascular wall (Detralex, Venodiol, Phlebodia).

Onycholysis.


The nail plate begins to move away from the side of the free edge and side ridges. Soft periungual tissues become inflamed.
Treatment: general strengthening therapy: iron preparations, calcium, vitamins A and B, gelatin; synthomycin emulsion, heliomycin ointment; chrysarobin solution in chloroform.

Onychogryphosis.



The color of the nail plate changes to dirty brown, and the plate itself deforms, thickens, stretches and becomes like a claw. Onychogryphosis can develop both on the toes and on the hands.
Treatment: removal of the nail with onycholysin; the use of ointments, which include gelatin, ichthyol, retinol, vitamin A.

Scleronychia.


Violation of the matrix causes nail hypertrophy, thinning and separation from the bed.
Treatment: complex therapy (Trental, Doxium, Askorutin to improve blood microcirculation in the fingers; keratoplastic preparations).

Micronichia.



Nails do not grow well and do not completely cover the bed. When pressing on a bed with a short plate, pain is felt.
Treatment: general strengthening therapy (vitamins A and E, Aevit, retinol palmitate).

♦ VIDEO MATERIALS

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ALSO DISCOVER...

And so I'll start with the fact that I encountered this problem about 5 years ago, and who would have thought that it would take me not months, but the whole 5 years to identify this problem. Since this disease turned out to be very rare, doctors could not diagnose it for me. All this time I studied the structure of the bones in my hands, nail disease, pinched nerves, all possible skin diseases, joints, blood vessels ... etc. I have whole notes. Because the pain was unbearable, I wanted to know the reason ... and the doctors said, you will already decide how it hurts, or colitis, or throbs, or goes numb ... and they sent me to one, then to another ... I went around with my finger (nail) all the doctors you can (family, rheumatologist, neurologist, traumatologist, skin specialist, cardiologist, osteopath many times, chiropractor many times, physiotherapist, several surgeons .....) I even stopped going to the doctors and sat waiting for me to be released. After 2 years, a blue-white-red spot began to appear under my nail, and it gradually began to increase ... then the pain became even stronger, it already hurt even to touch the nail a little, it shot in the elbow, shoulder blade, in the head ... I thought stress, massage would help, and a good osteopath. Nifiga, after the birth of a child, I generally had unbearable pains, painkillers do not help, you stand as if paralyzed and wait until you let go. Since I couldn’t cope with the child, it was painful for me to change diapers, carry it in my arms, play games, cook food, feed him ... God, yes, everything is simply unbearable to do, I felt that I was disabled, how many nerves, tears, tantrums . THANKS to my husband who tolerates me and supports me. I decided to go through all the doctors again and clarify what kind of nonsense I have ... again a bunch of doctors with zero results ... until I accidentally got to one old man, a former surgeon who advised me to think about vascular diseases ... I spend nights instead of resting I dug and dug the Internet ... Girls, do not believe it, and I found it !!! It turned out that I have this infection Glomus tumor (this is a benign tumor) under the nail. The surgeon already gave me time for the operation ... so that very soon I will get rid of this rubbish. And very soon I will feel like before a healthy person and will be able to give my love to my child and husband.

The disease is indeed very rare. But perhaps someone, like me, is now looking for and cannot find, I want to help to quickly cope with this ailment and such pain.

Often, the fair sex is faced with the fact that after removing the varnish, their nail plates begin to hurt. Usually this problem is associated with the use of low-quality varnish, nail extensions and the use of polishing them with nail files. However, if you have pain under the nail, then this is not always associated with improper care or the use of cosmetics. Moreover, even men can face such a problem. Let's take a look at the common causes of fingernail pain.

About the nail plate and its health

The nail is the stratum corneum at the tips of the fingers and toes. Its main purpose is to protect the nerve endings that are at the ends of the phalanges from all kinds of damage. Each nail is located on the nail bed, which is supplied with blood by small capillaries. It is because of these small capillaries that the nail plate has a pinkish color.

The nail is formed by keratinized cells that are produced from the matrix. At the nail root is a matrix, which gives rise to keratinocytes. The density and health of the nail depends on the amount of keratin - a protein that is the main constituent element of hair, nails and the upper layer of the skin.

All keratin molecules are connected through chemical bonds. The hardness of the nail plate and its susceptibility to delamination depend on the strength of these bonds. The flexibility and elasticity of the stratum corneum at the end of the finger depends on the layer of fat and water between the keratin layers.

Important! With the adverse effects of environmental factors, the nail can quickly lose its water and fat reserves, which leads to its fragility and delamination. But if it is placed in a favorable environment for a long time, it will quickly recover.

Also in the composition of the stratum corneum at the end of the finger is zinc, phosphorus, calcium, as well as a small amount of arsenic atoms. All these trace elements are also responsible for the hardness and strength of the nail plate.

The growth rate of nails is directly related to the activity of hormones, the physiological state of the body and human nutrition, as well as the climatic conditions of residence. So, it is known that during lactation, nail growth slows down.

Causes of pain


If your fingernails hurt, the reasons for this may be associated with such diseases and conditions:

  • Injuries of the stratum corneum (acute or chronic);
  • fungal diseases;
  • Local infectious lesion (panaritium);
  • Various infections;
  • Improper nutrition;
  • Cosmetics for manicure;
  • Ingrown nail.

Consider the reasons why the nails on the hands hurt in more detail. But before you start treating the nail plates, you need to figure out why the nails on your hands hurt.

Irrational nutrition


Pain in the nails cannot occur for the reason that they do not have nerve endings. However, if the surface of the nail plate is damaged, then this can cause severe discomfort. Most often, the causes of such pain are associated with general health and problems of the whole organism, for example, during infectious diseases and reduced immunity.

Due to the modern rhythm of life, many people do not adhere to the principles of a healthy diet, which does not have the best effect on the condition of the nails. Often, pain in the nail plate occurs due to a lack of important trace elements, which leads to depletion of the nail, its brittleness and fragility. Sometimes, even if there is no constant pain, a person may feel discomfort when pressing on the nail.

To replenish the reserves of important vitamins and trace elements, it is useful to take multivitamin preparations, eat fully and in a timely manner. Also, to strengthen the nail plates, it is useful to do special baths, for example, with sea salt, and other healing procedures (paraffin therapy, wax sealing, etc.).

Cosmetical tools


Some women have a sore finger under the nail after removing extended nails, as well as after removing varnish. Often, such discomfort in the stratum corneum is associated with the use of low-quality varnish or acetone-based liquid for its removal. In this case, the pain makes itself felt immediately after the removal of the varnish layer.

The thing is that any varnishes and means for removing them are absorbed into the horny structure and change it. As for nail extensions, after their removal, pain may occur due to the long stay of the nail without access to air and light. Also, pain sensations appear due to injury to the nail plate during the removal of the extended nail, because the process of removing it is accompanied by sawing off the gel or acrylic from the surface of the nail plate.

What causes pain after a manicure, we figured out, now it remains to understand how to get rid of these pains. First of all, you need to remember a few manicure rules:

  1. Use only high quality varnishes. Give preference to means for their removal without acetone.
  2. If you constantly paint your nails, there is a high chance that the nail plates will become unhealthy and pain may appear. Therefore, at least once a month for 7-10 days, leave your nails unpainted.
  3. Ladies who constantly do manicure extensions run the risk of facing not only diseases of the stratum corneum, but also pain. The thing is that under a dense layer of acrylic or gel, nails are practically deprived of air and light access. Moreover, the process of removing extended manicure is very traumatic for the stratum corneum. That is why this procedure should be resorted to as rarely as possible, no more than once every 3-5 months.

Diseases and injuries


If only one nail hurts, for example, on the little finger or thumb, then the reason for this lies in a bruise, injury, or fungal infection. To identify the cause, you need to carefully examine the horn formations on the fingers. By the following signs, you can identify the cause of the pain:

  1. If hemorrhages are noticeable under the nails, then, most likely, the cause of the pain is an injury. In this case, the pain will increase with pressure. And the bruise itself can change color over time from reddish to bluish-black.
  2. An infectious lesion of the horny plates can be guessed by their thickening, discoloration (they turn yellow). Often, nails can peel off and crumble. The most common cause of infection of the nail plate is a fungus, but other types of microorganisms are not excluded.

In case of serious injuries of the plate, it is better to consult a doctor. If you have a severe pain under the fingernail, what to do, only a specialist can tell, taking into account the characteristics of each specific case. Light injuries and bruises of the stratum corneum do not require any treatment and disappear on their own as the plate grows.

As for infectious diseases, then you will need the help of a specialist who can identify the causative agent of the disease and choose an adequate treatment. In particularly advanced cases, surgical treatment is performed with complete removal of the stratum corneum and soft bed therapy. Subsequently, a healthy nail grows back in about six months.

Ingrown nail


If your fingers hurt, then the cause may be due to the ingrowth of the nail plate into soft tissues. More often, this problem is diagnosed on the legs and is associated with injuries or wearing shoes that are too narrow, but damage to the thumb with subsequent ingrowth of the stratum corneum is not excluded.

Another cause of an ingrown toenail can be improper trimming. Do not cut your nails too short and make rounded ends. If this problem is not treated in time, then suppuration may form on the finger. In any case, the elimination of the disease is carried out only surgically.

Useful vitamins


The fact that your nails lack any vitamins can be guessed not only by their brittleness, softness and pain, but also by the unattractive state of all skin integuments (they become dry, can peel off), dull hair and the condition of the teeth.

The main element that is important for the health of the nail plates is calcium. However, often the cause of poor health and unattractiveness of hair, nails and skin can be banal hypovitaminosis. Therefore, it would be wrong to take only calcium supplements. It is better to give preference to a balanced multivitamin complex that your doctor will prescribe for you.

If you do not want to face various nail problems anymore, then you should adhere to the following rules:

  • Buy only high-quality products for the care of the stratum corneum on the fingers.
  • As a treatment and prevention, use therapeutic varnish. It contains useful substances. In addition, such a varnish can be used as a base for a manicure, which will protect the nail from the negative impact.
  • It is useful to make baths with sea salt. They will strengthen the stratum corneum, relieve brittleness and pain.

Also, do not forget to eat well, cut your nails properly and protect your hands from various injuries and damage. Always wear protective gloves when using household chemicals.

It often happens that a problem that worries us is perceived as insignificant and is ignored for the time being. Sometimes an unpleasant symptom quickly disappears on its own, and sometimes it continues to accompany a person, affecting his mood and general well-being. Many simply do not pay attention to pain in the nail area until it really starts to interfere. It turns out that the appearance of such a problem should alert and force us to immediately understand its causes.

Causes of sore nails

Pain in the nails is far from the most common reason for visiting a doctor, but its distribution is quite widespread. Everything is explained by an impressive list of reasons that can cause such symptoms. It should be understood that the nails themselves cannot give pain, as they are keratinized, dead cells. This becomes obvious if you remember about regular trimming - cutting off the free edge of an overgrown nail does not cause any discomfort to a person. Under the three layers of keratin that make up the nail plate itself, there is a bed rich in both blood vessels and nerve endings. On the sides are nail ridges that limit the plate. It is the soft tissues under and around the nail that can become a source of pain.

Among the sources of soreness of the nails on the hands and feet include:

  • mechanical damage to the nail plate. The simplest and most understandable reason that can be seen during a visual inspection. Traumatization of tissues occurs during inaccurate work with scissors during cutting nails, with blows, accidental cuts with sharp objects, excessive thinning when cutting. Often the nails become painful when a part of the nail plate breaks off on impact, exposing the sensitive bed underneath;

    When removing a decorative coating in the form of a gel, acrylic or gel polish, the nail is filed, which, if the master is inexperienced, can cause the plate to thin and become painful

  • ingrown nail. This problem is more relevant for the toes, because wearing uncomfortable and improperly selected shoes often causes deformation of the nails. Onychocryptosis involves the ingrowth of part of the nail plate into the lateral ridge, which provokes inflammation, swelling, severe pain and suppuration. Most often, the problem is localized on the outer part of the big toe;

    An ingrown toenail is one of the most common causes of nail pain.

  • lack of intake of nutrients, in particular calcium, in the body. This happens with an unhealthy diet and is reflected in the state of the body as a whole. Nails can become brittle, change color, and hurt when pressed;
  • use of aggressive means. First of all, this applies to women and the use of acetone to remove decorative nail coatings. Acetone dries out the tissues, making the nail brittle and exfoliating, which is accompanied by unpleasant painful sensations. Household chemicals that are used during cleaning also have a negative effect on fingernails. Often, damage to the plate ends with infection through the cracks, and an inflammatory process develops with suppuration;

    When planning to clean, it is better to immediately take care of comfortable household gloves - they will protect the skin of the hands and nail plates from aggressive influences.

  • onychomycosis is a fungal infection of the nail plate. A problem appears after contact with the carrier of the infection and is accompanied by a change in the color and texture of the nail, the appearance of an unpleasant odor, tuberosity, increased fragility, pain and itching.

    Fungal infection of the nail plate causes a change in its structure and color, and also provokes pain

Sometimes you forget that nails can also be injured and hurt, treating them completely disrespectfully. Now, with some horror, I remember how, out of inexperience, I treated them. Tired of oversized design? Why go to the master, when “themselves with a mustache” - a nail file in hand and cut down the coating ahead. Of course, without knowledge and experience to do it right is almost impossible. As a result, the nails were cut in some places, became soft and thin. This was accompanied by severe soreness, especially with pressure and hot water. It's good that the damage was not critical, and gradually the plate grew back without deformation, but there is no place for such experiments in my life anymore.

Obviously, in case of injury or detachment of the nail, pain will be present, including when pressed. However, when everything is visually in order with the plate, and pressing causes a sharp attack of painful sensations, then the reason may lie in a serious chronic disease, such as:

  • arthritis - joint damage, due to which the fingers hurt, lose mobility, swell. When pressing on the nail, a sharp and severe pain appears;
  • polyosteoarthritis (disease of knotty fingers). Nodules form at the base of the nail plates, pressure on which causes severe pain;
  • Raynaud's syndrome (abnormal vasospasm in the extremities as a reaction to changes in temperature and stress). The disease is characterized by the appearance of pain in the hands and feet, affecting the area of ​​​​the nail plates.

Video: the problem of ingrown nails

Nail pain and gel polish

Gel polish is one of the most common types of nail polishes. It does not dry out in air, it requires exposure to ultraviolet rays to harden, respectively, and it is not easy to remove. Many women complain about the appearance of sore nails after the procedures. Normally, this should not be, but discomfort can occur as a result of the following manipulations of the nail master:

  • removing the coating using acetone lotions and a pusher (a metal spatula that peels off gel polish softened with acetone);
  • sawing of individual sections on the nail during a manicure, due to which a groove forms on the plate. This happens more often with beginners;
  • the use of aggressive acid primers to degrease the nail plate and improve adhesion to artificial turf.

What to do if your nails hurt

The reason for the soreness of the nail plates is far from always obvious, so a visit to the hospital should begin with the therapist's office. If pain occurs under an extended nail or a gel polish coating, then first of all the nail must be cleaned mechanically - contact the master to remove the coating with a cutter. After examining the fingers, the therapist will refer you to a specialist, most often a dermatologist, who will prescribe the treatment.

The use of medicines

Sore nails do not always require the use of drugs, it all depends on the specific cause of the condition. The doctor may prescribe the following types of funds:

  • antifungal drugs. With onychomycosis, the main task is the destruction of the pathogenic fungus that provokes the disease. For this, local remedies are used - medicinal varnishes, ointments, creams. But if the disease is not local and there is a large-scale lesion, systemic antifungal drugs are used in the form of tablets and injections. Substances based on fluconazole, terbinafine, itraconazole, ketoconazole (Nizoral, Lamisil, Diflucan, Loceril, etc.) will be effective;
  • topical antibiotics - necessary when activating a bacterial infection and suppuration, for example, after a nail injury or when it grows. The most commonly used powder is Baneocin, which destroys pathogenic microorganisms and accelerates the processes of tissue regeneration;
  • vitamin and mineral complexes. Supplementation is necessary in case of malnutrition, lack of vitamins and minerals in the body, which affects the nails. The following complexes may be recommended:
    • Doppelgerz Active;
    • Vitrum Beauty;
    • Evalar Mountain calcium, etc.

Photo gallery: medications for sore nails

Lady-S Hair, Skin & Nails Formula contains gelatin to prevent splitting and cracking of nails.
Nizoral is an excellent remedy against nail fungus Baneocin powder is applied topically and has a pronounced antimicrobial effect

Folk methods

To improve the condition of the nail plate and increase the effectiveness of the treatment of the underlying problem, alternative methods can be used. So, to strengthen the nail, the following tools will be useful:


Folk recipes can also be used as part of the treatment of diseases of the nail plates. So, with a fungal infection, you can wrap sore fingers with fresh burdock leaves and leave them overnight, wearing socks. Another option is to rub garlic juice into the nails daily after steaming in warm water for two weeks. With the problem of an ingrown nail, chamomile baths are used to relieve inflammation and reduce pain - they dip their fingers into a warm infusion of chamomile flowers, prepared according to the classical proportion (a tablespoon of herbs per 300 ml of boiling water).

Prevention measures

Sore nails are always unpleasant, even if the problem is easily solved. The following recommendations will help minimize the risk of damage to the nail plate:

  • manicure and pedicure are best done only by trusted masters who properly process tools and handle them carefully in work;
  • nails must be constantly looked after, moisturizing them with creams and eliminating problems that arise in time;
  • it is forbidden to bite your nails;
  • you need to follow the principles of a balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle without bad habits;
  • you can not use other people's towels, shoes, nail files and other items, especially in public places (beach, bathhouse, sauna, pool, etc.);
  • it is important to choose the right and safe shoes in size that will not squeeze the toe, contributing to the deformation of the toenails.

Pain in the nails on the hands or feet is a frequent occurrence that requires close attention. A symptom can signal both a banal lack of vitamins and a serious joint disease. The principles of treatment are completely determined by the specifics of the cause of the problem and can be both exclusively hygienic and medical in nature.