Convince me to put a hole in my fingernail, ouch!

[fastfire]

Last night I hit my left index finger with a hammer.
I have herd that using a small drill bit or a red hot needle to relieve the pressure from the swelling is an instant relief from the pressure. The full length of the finger is really swollen and hurts just to move the hand.

[fecmech]

The longer you wait the less relief you will get. I use a small drill bit and turn it with my fingers. You don't want the blood to clot that's why the quicker the better. Go for it!

[sparky45]

Short of seeing a Dr. about your index finger (poss fracture) using a straightened paper clip and heating it to red hot then applying it to the nail thus "drilling" through the nail WILL relieve any built up pressure provided you actually penetrate the entire thickness of the nail. I've done it a couple of times myself and the relief is immediate as is the expulsion of built up blood under the nail.

[plmitch]

A red hot finish nail always fixed jobsite mistakes.

[petroid]

Red hot paper clip as mentioned. Reassure will be relieved and will feel weird but better. Wear eye protection lol. It will squirt!

[bstone5]

Many years back I did layout work on big tube sheets for heat exchangers, required center punching hundreds of drilled hole locations.

Put holes in my finger nails a few times when I hit them with the hammer, the process works, some times the finger nail would die and fall off but a new one would grow back.

After serving in the military I went to college while still doing layout work at night.

[462]

Recently, a thumb took a very heavy whack to the point that the nail will be lost. The throbbing was intolerable till the pressure was relived with a small drill bit. Had to do it the next day, as well.

Make sure to apply pressure, in various places about the puncture, to purge as much blood as possible.

[GhostHawk]

Been there done that, both foot and hand.

I watched my dad 2:00 am one morning with a new hacksaw blade try to cut through the nail to relieve the pressure. That was a long hard painful way of doing it. Somewhere along the line someone said something about a hot nail or paper clip so the next time it happened to me I got to watch him carefully heat up a paper clip in needle nose pliers, adjust the position (Don't want to go too deep) then turn, grab my hand and plunged the hot metal into my nail.

No pain, no felt heat, I put blood on the ceiling (old house, 8.5 foot ceilings) takes 1/2 second to do, and within 30 seconds the pain is gone.

The relief is immeasurable.

Don't wait, the sooner you get to it the less blood is trapped, the less mess there is, the sooner the pain is gone.

Finger will still be sore, you smacked it with a hammer, but that pounding throbbing ungodly pain will be gone.

[theperfessor]

Years ago I smashed two fingertips on my left hand. Foreman took me to E-room at local hospital. Old Doctor there looked at it and asked me if i wanted to get it fixed the approved medical way or get it fixed quickly and relatively painlessly. I asked what the approved medical way was and he pulled out what looked like a Yankee push drill and operated the same way. I could only imagine how much it would hurt to drill through the nail in multiple strokes, so I asked him what the other way was. He got his lighter out of his shirt pocket and a pre-bent paper clip out of his desk drawer. He had the foreman hold my hand flat and he heated the paper clip and poked it through each nail. As soon as it went through it stung a little like a sweat bee sting but after that the relief was tremendous. It was over with in about 10 seconds. The blood spurted out of each finger all the way across the desk as the pressure was relieved. Two band aids and back to work.

Secret is to get whatever you use red hot so it goes through quickly and cauterizes the wound.

[Stonecrusher]

Do it now! Life will be much better. There is another alternative. I used to work with a guy who smashed his nails frequently. One day after such an incident I watched him reach around and pull his Case folding knife out and ram it under his fingernail to relieve the pressure. I almost puked when I saw it. The drill or hot wire is much more comfortable.

[tomme boy]

I must have went too deep on the one I did. It hurt worse than hitting the finger with the hammer. Not me, never again. I'll go to the Doc and have them numb it and them do it.

[Pb2au]

Do it. Now. Get that pressure out of there!
I have used a tiny twist drill, but the paper clip deal works just as well.
As others have said, the longer you wait, the less the relief will be.

[fastfire]

I used a red hot paper clip, I think it cauterized the blood so I finished it off with a 1/16" drill bit.
Finger feels better but still hurts.

Memo to self;
DO NOT HIT FINGER WITH HAMMER..

[Pb2au]

Good job. You have now been promoted to shadetree medic.
A buddy of mine got in a boat load of trouble at his last job. He smashed his finger resulting in the same situation. He proceeded to chuck up a tiny twist drill in a drill press and you guessed it, drilled his nail that way. The real reason he got in trouble was in the middle of the process, the safety supervisor walked by and saw this idiot going at it.
Remember, no has yet to corner the market on stupid.

[Pigboat]

Good job. You have now been promoted to shadetree medic.
A buddy of mine got in a boat load of trouble at his last job. He smashed his finger resulting in the same situation. He proceeded to chuck up a tiny twist drill in a drill press and you guessed it, drilled his nail that way. The real reason he got in trouble was in the middle of the process, the safety supervisor walked by and saw this idiot going at it.
Remember, no has yet to corner the market on stupid.

We had a guy at work that tried the same thing but the drill bit caught and went through the entire thumb. We not only had to get him loose from the drill bit but also had to pick him up off the floor afterwards.

[sdcitizen]

If you feel too queasy to do the red hot thing, soaking the finger in ice water until its numb and using a tiny twist drill works pretty good and you don't feel it going through the water softened nail.

[nicholst55]

I had an Army medic do exactly that with a red hot paper clip one time - right in the clinic!

[CastingFool]

I have used a wire size drill bit. twirled between my thumb and forefinger. The instant the drill bit broke through the nail, blood spurted out like a small geyser, and relief was immediately felt.

[fastfire]

I got a bit of relief but I'm thinking I may have broke the finger tip bone. Time will tell.
I had herd about relieving the pressure will help but hadn't done it before.

Thanks, for the promotion.

[Mk42gunner]

For an interesting pattern on your thumbnail, use a framing hammer next time.:kidding:

Just kidding, the key to relieving pressure under the fingernail is to do it before the blood clots.

Robert

[firefly1957]

I had a nurse use a device like a solder gun on my nails i do not think i have ever said so many foul words to another person in my life ! Oh that red hot thing went right though the nail blood shot out and hit the wall but did it ever hurt.

[nhrifle]

Pain is weakness leaving the body.

My Dad used to say that to me every time I hurt myself growing up and it always irritated me. Just thought I would pass it on.

[country gent]

I nailed a thumb at work on a kurt mill vise with a dead blow hammer seating a stubborn part. No need for hole as the dead blow blew the end of the thumb out. I have drilled holes in smashed fingers for myself and others though. I have a small ( around 050 dia) drill set up in a light pin vise with only 1/8-3/16" sticking out. I picked up the spare pin vise someplace and dedicated it to be ready. It does help alot and the sooner its done the better. By using the pin vise it acts as a limit to how deep the drill can go.

[M-Tecs]

Drilling helps a lot and the sooner you do it the better. If the nail fully bloodshot two or three holes are better and soaking it in an Epsom salt solution drawns the blood out and may save the nail.

[SeabeeMan]

Do it now!!! Get the finest drill bit you have and don't use a power tool. Just roll it between your thumb and middle finger whole applying light pressure with your index finger. There is a decent gap between the underside of the nail and the nail bed and other than the light pressure on an already sore spot, it won't hurt a big, guaranteed. Be careful though, blood may shoot when you break through.

[Hogtamer]

ditto the paper clip

[Comrade Mike]

Dip the finger in hydrogen peroxide after you pierce the nail. It's an anti clotting agent and will keep the blood flowing out of the hole relieving the pressure.

[Katya Mullethov]

Kurt work holding fixtures are second to none !

[Patricklaw]

Did it a little more then a year ago with.....wait for it......my M1 Garand. Small drill with finger power. Oh what a feeling!

[M-Tecs]

Kurt work holding fixtures are second to none !

Katya you never cease to amaze me!!! Never figured you to know your way around a machine shop:bigsmyl2:


I am but a naked savage curandero

Naked native healer/shaman's who uses herbal medicines in the primitive cultures are not standard issue in most machine shops. Although herbal usage is very common.

[SeabeeMan]

Seriously, the relief is almost euphoric.

[fryboy]

why does my finger suddenly hurt ? even blood blisters should be relieved asap !! if compressed and bandaged one often doesnt loose the nail/skin ( i usually get them where bandages dont stick/compress - doh )

[troyboy]

If you have to ask, it is not hurting enough.

[Kirbot]

It sounds (and it is) nauseating, but it REALLY works.

I crushed my finger a few weeks ago. I tried to go to bed, and it was torture. I got about an hour of sleep, and woke up SO fed up and flabbergasted that I started googling. Once I heard about drilling a hole in the nail, I went out in the garage around 4:00am, put a hole in it, and felt heaven.

The relief was almost immediate, and I was able to get back to sleep.

Once it stops bleeding in a week or so, you can close the hole back up with super glue.

115575

[daniel lawecki]

Just done it at work last week so much better than PAIN.[smilie=w:

[uncle joe]

POKE ONLY ONE HOLE. I REPEAT ONLY ONE, the second one is more painful than the throbbing blue nail. Ask me how I know
The first one felt so good I thought two had to be better. NOT SO

[starmac]

If you use a 20 ounce framing hammer, and hit it right, you won't need to pierce it.

[M-Tecs]

POKE ONLY ONE HOLE. I REPEAT ONLY ONE, the second one is more painful than the throbbing blue nail. Ask me how I know
The first one felt so good I thought two had to be better. NOT SO

Losing the nail hurts like h@@@. The more blood you get out from under the cuticle the less likely you will lose the nail.

[MaryB]

I have used the drill bi on my left big toe nail a dozen times. I must put that foot forward when lifting heavy stuff and when coworkers dropped their end I usually caught it on that toe. Fingernails a few times too. Got wise in my old age, air nailers!

[schutzen]

For all you guys that use a try bit, try the heated paper clip. Get it red hot and just touch it to the nail. It will melt right through and if you had a gentle touch will not contact the flesh below the nail. It is quick and sanitary.

[schutzen]

For all you guys that use a drill bit, try the heated paper clip. Get it red hot and just touch it to the nail. It will melt right through and if you had a gentle touch will not contact the flesh below the nail. It is quick and sanitary.

[Col4570]

Some years ago,Out shooting a friend was having trouble with his flint shotgun sparking.He asked me to put a match to the pan.The impact from the touch hole was big,at first I daren't look at the damage when I did my thumbnail had turned into a Pork skin and throbbed like hell.I had to burn through it to relieve the pressure.Embarassingly I was not a novice with flintlocks b ut this time the brain was,nt in gear.A lesson well learned.

[Nashvegas Welder]

I've done both drill and hot pin. Problem is, my nails are abnormally thick, so the hot pin takes too long and cooks hot enough to hurt already tender flesh.

[MaryB]

Yeah I break side cutters on my big toenails(claws). So thick I can't use the paper clip trick.

[Tactical Lever]

A hot safety pin works well. If you (or someone else) can take it slow an not go too deep. I don't think there is any statute of limitations on reheating the pin to try again. If you go too deep... a red hot pin in the nail bed makes you kind of jump!