Discussion: Holes in nails

I'm not a doctor, and I'm probably remembering this wrong, but I'm sure I was told the easy way is to heat up the needle (or similar implement) and burn a hole through the nail. I think the logic was then you don't end up having to press really hard to get through the nail and you're less likely to stick something deep into your toe. Can't say I've ever done it though.

yeah all the reading I have done points towards the best implement being a hypodermic needle... shame I don't have any lying around - will give it another night and hope it settles more otherwise might have to make a trip down to the ed and this is hardly ed worthy.

I once locked my thumb in the car door and the blood blister under my thumb nail was soo bad. I can feel your pain. It's the worst.

I went to the nurse at Curtin Uni and she heated up the needle and made a hole in the nail for me. Said it was either that or the nail splits in half on its own from the pressure.

Try a different GP? Or get one of those soldering irons and do it yourself. It's not painful at all. As soon as you burn through the nail it's just relief of pressure. The blood won't have dried. If it's still pumping in pressure then the blood blister must still be liquid.

Or, if there is enough of a blood blister underneath that the nail itself has actually lifted, then you can gently poke a needle under the nail and drain the fluid the same way as you would a normal blister.
(These days I often don't even realise that my toenails have lifted until they fall off some weeks afterwards...maybe we should all get together and create a Wikipedia medical entry titled "rogainer's toenail")

surprisingly i am yet to loose a nail - ive had some hang on by not much - however i think this one might break that trend :(