What is a burr? This term is used to indicate a rupture of the skin of the nail roller. Most often, such a minor, but painful injury is formed on the lateral skin folds of the fingers. This is due to the fact that it is the lateral nail roller that is more exposed to external mechanical stress than others.
Typically, this problem is cosmetic in nature and is eliminated by cosmetologists. Although often such tears cause pain, discomfort and even bleeding. Also, many people very often complain that the burr on the finger is digging and festering. In this case, they talk about the development of paronychia, or the so-called periungual panaritium.
There is a burr on the finger - what to do with such a problem? Why does it arise? How to prevent the appearance of a skin rupture on the periungual roller? Answers to these and other questions will be presented below.
Causes of occurrence
Very often, after a person has torn off a burr, he plucks a finger. A lot of people face this problem. Why do tears occur on the skin folds near the nail? Experts argue that such phenomena are associated with the characteristics of the human body. Most often, they bother people with dry skin. Also, barbs often appear in those who are prone to the development of various allergic reactions.
If a person’s skin is always dry, then under the influence of provoking factors, it begins to quickly lose its elasticity and becomes thin. As a result, burrs appear on the fingers, and then abscesses.
Factors leading to the problem
Why is there a burr on the finger? Such a phenomenon on the skin near the nail plate can provoke the following factors:
- Barefoot walking, as a result of which the rollers on the toes are constantly injured (by sand, stones, etc.), after which the dirt gets into the damage, which causes suppuration.
- Frequent and prolonged contact of the skin of the hands or feet with water, as well as various means of household chemicals. Often the burr on the finger comes up precisely from the fair sex, who do not use gloves in the process of washing dishes or cleaning.
- Mechanical injuries received during a pedicure or manicure.
- Lack of proper care for the cuticle, which eventually grows on the nail plate, and then crack, sore and abscess.
- The need for contact with chemicals without the use of protective gloves.
- Skin tears in sand, mud and stones in children during games, walks.
- The use of low-quality materials for nail extensions, including those that contain methyl methacrylate.
- Overdrying, weathering and frostbite of the skin on the roller, which is especially true for the winter period.
- The use of low-quality cosmetics designed to care for the nail plates (for example, nail polish remover).
- Improper finger and toe care.
- The habit of sucking fingers, nibbling nails, biting around periungual skin.
Other reasons
Few people think that if I pick up a burr on my finger, then this may be due to some internal problems. Experts argue that such reasons have every right to exist. Often, such gaps indicate the following:
- The presence of dysbiosis.
- Deficiency of trace elements and vitamins in the human body (A, E and B are very important for the skin).
- Frequent adherence to strict diets, malnutrition.
- The presence of diseases of the digestive tract.
- Dehydration
- Diabetes.
Symptomatology
How to understand that a burr on a finger is bruising? Such gaps can occur both one at a time and in large quantities. They can be small and large. As a rule, with the development of such a problem, patients complain of constant soreness, including when accidentally touching the burr zone. Often this damage is accompanied by bleeding, suppuration, swelling, redness.
Many people believe that if a burr is running on a finger, then this is only an aesthetic problem that can be eliminated by visiting a nail salon. However, this is not the case. Such gaps can markedly worsen the quality of human life. After all, clinging to clothes, hair and things, damage to the periungual ridges cause enormous discomfort and pain. If pus appeared, then this indicates the presence of complications.
I burst out a burr and pulls a finger - with such a problem, women often turn to a cosmetologist. However, experts warn that in this case one should not think about the aesthetic side of the gap, but about the medical side.
Possible complications
If a child has a burr on his finger, you should immediately contact a surgeon. After all, only a narrow specialist can conduct competent treatment of inflammation on the finger, as well as prevent further complications of this problem. Unfortunately, with such breaks, not all parents consider it necessary to consult a doctor. This is due to the fact that most people have no idea what such a seemingly completely harmless phenomenon can lead to serious complications. The fact is that, like any other skin damage, the burrs on the periungual ridges can be a kind of inputs for various infections (streptococcus, Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa) and fungi (dermatophytes, candida).
Tore off a burr and picks a finger - what to do?
If the burr was torn off and began to dig in an adult, then you can do without visiting a specialist. Indeed, today there are many different recommendations for getting rid of damage to the periungual roller at home. A huge number of folk methods have been developed that make it possible to overcome this unpleasant problem in a short time. However, this applies only to isolated cases. If defects of this kind are permanent, then it is better to consult a doctor to identify the causes of their development and treatment.
Disinfection Rules
If a burr occurs, the following measures must be taken:
- Damaged skin should be steamed in hot water for 10 minutes. In this case, it is recommended to add sea salt or baking soda at the rate of 1 tablespoon per 500 ml.
- It is good to dry your hands with a waffle towel, without rubbing them, but only gently pat them.
- Carefully cut the cuticle with pre-treated cosmetic scissors. Care should be taken to avoid tearing healthy skin, as this can lead to the appearance of another burr.
- Thoroughly treat the skin with an antiseptic. For this purpose, hydrogen peroxide, chlorhexidine or tincture of calendula on vodka is well suited.
- Lubricate the skin of the hands or feet with ointment “Dexpanthenol”, “D-panthenol”, “Pantoderm”, “Bepanten”, “Panthenol” or any other moisturizer.
- In order to prevent accidental injury to the treated area, the skin with a gap should be sealed with a plaster.
Many people are afraid to cut off burrs, as this leads to even greater pain. To avoid discomfort, lubricate the gap with calendula ointment, glue it with a band-aid and leave it overnight. By morning, it will become soft and fall off easily during hygiene procedures.
Home treatment
When a burr appears and its abscess, you can use the following folk methods to speed up the healing process of the skin wound:
- Baths with potassium permanganate. To do this, take 0.5 liters of warm water, dissolve several grains of potassium permanganate in it and steam out the nails with damage three times a day for 10-15 minutes.
- Salt baths. In 200 ml of hot water, 1 large spoon of salt is diluted, after which a procedure similar to the previous recipe is carried out 4 times a day. After that, the hands are treated with a disinfectant and a band-aid is applied to the wound.
- Tray with olive oil. In dessert water (500 ml) add one dessert spoon of olive oil, which is preheated in a water bath.
- A mask of garlic. The head of garlic is baked in the oven, ground to a pulp state and mixed with soap (household) chips in a 1: 1 ratio. After this, the resulting mass is lubricated, damage is covered with an elastic bandage and left overnight.
- Aloe compress. Fresh cut aloe leaf is cut in half, pulp is applied to the finger, bandaged and left overnight.
Drug treatment
In what cases are pharmaceutical products used to treat burrs and abscesses on the finger? Usually, medications for such injuries are used only when the patient has serious problems (including severe pain). In this case, experts recommend first using pharmacy drugs, and then remove the burr or eliminate the abscess.
- Ichthyol ointment is a good antiseptic that has an analgesic effect.
- Ointment "Solcoseryl" quickly and effectively heals wounds on the skin, and also restores soft tissues.
- Panthenol Spray is an antimicrobial and antiseptic that quickly removes burrs on the fingers.
- Calendula ointment - has an antimicrobial, bactericidal and emollient effect. Also, this drug well eliminates inflammation on the skin.
- Balm "Lifeguard Forte" - this tool not only promotes the rapid restoration of tissues, but also eliminates the burrs and abscesses themselves.
Prevention
To prevent burrs, experts recommend regularly caring for the skin of hands and feet, disinfect the nail rollers well after a manicure, wean children from the habit of sucking fingers and biting their nails. They also advise using gloves when using aggressive chemicals, using only baby soap, as well as emollient and nourishing creams, holding baths with sea salt, glycerin or soda, drinking vitamin and mineral complexes, plenty of fluids and eating varied.