Tonight I accidentally hit my bridgesii and a spine went through my fingernail and is now stuck underneath my finger nail. Not sure what to do, I won’t be able to get it out myself. Anyone ever have this happen? Any suggestions? TIA
by LimacineMicrocephaly
29 Comments
Start digging brother.
You’re gonna have to thug it out with some tweezers bro. Gonna suck for sure.
If you have those needle tweezers used for ingrown hairs and stuff, those would probably work.
You can leave it alone and wait for your body to slowly push it out. Or use some whisky and tweezers. Sanitize, Sanitize, Sanitize.
Yeah when all else fails ask a nurse or phlebotomist for a really sharp needle, use a light and magnifier and try to catch one exposed end of the spine to dig it out. Will hurt like hell for a moment but if you leave it in there you’ll get an infection
If you are able to, first soak your finger in hot water. If not, at least get a hot damp towel and leave it there for some time until your finger is moist and warm. Carefully disinfect a pair of tweezers by either burning it with a lighter or dipping it into hydrogen peroxide. Get the brightest light you can to shine on it and with the tweezers carefully fish around if it will come out. Do not dig it out, you can let more bacteria in and cause a serious infection. If it’s stubborn then leave it, your body will slowly begin pushing it out over the course of two weeks and you can try this process over. If you do get it out, add some anti bacterial cream and cover with a band aid. Take the band aid off after a day to let it breathe and heal.
Worst case scenario it stays there and you have become one with the cactus.
I haven’t done it with a cactus, but I did with a metal splinter. I got a new drill bit and carefully drilled a hole in my finger nail, then pulled the splinter out after the hole was made.
You’re going to want to get it out or get a relief hole in that nail
I just left it the one time it happened. It was fine.
Personally, I’d put some neosporin and a bandaid on it for a few days and then just wait for it to grow out. Keep an eye on it and if it looks infected see a doctor. Removing it will likely involve something called a “nail wedge” which is pretty much exactly what it sounds like.
As your finger nail grows, that spine will keep moving until it reaches the tip of your finger, you will be able to get it out then. Took a few months when it happened to me.
I had one get stuck deep and break off in a thumb nail. No amount of digging could get it. I had to wait for it to grow out. Took about 3 months.
I had something similar. A 1/2 barrel cactus thorn went right under my thumb nail and broke off. I tried and tried to get it out. I knew it would get infected, so I went to urgent care. They were able to numb my thumb with a local anesthetic, then cut part of my nail away until they could grab onto it and pull it out.
OMG! This literally happened to me yesterday! Take 1 part shaved, bar soap, 1 part sugar, and 1 part neosporin. Make it into a ‘paste’ put a ball of it on the entry point, and wrap,with tape or bandaid. I was told to leave it on 4 days but when I,peaked at it the next morning, it was already making its way out!!! No shit! I gave it a good squeeze and it popped right out!!! Won’t hurt to try! I was stunned!!!
Duct tape?
I was much happier in life before I knew this was possible.
This sucks. I feel so bad for you.
Scalpel will 100% get it out, definitely soak it with Epsom salts and hot water to
Have you tried super glue or Elmer’s glue? Might be able to stick it and pull it out
I had this happen this summer, a few cactus in a full tray tipped and it was either hold or drop the entire tray. I held, the spine went in my thumb nail over halfway to the cuticle from the tip. It hurt pretty solid for a week, and then the pain went away. A couple people at work and myself spent the next two plus months monitoring the progress as my thumbnail grew and brought the spine along with it, just like a glacier. One day, it was close enough to the tip of the nail that it was visible when I trimmed my thumbnail, you know, with my teeth. It was no more than an 1/8 of an each, much laughter was had by all.
I have no idea if this is a good idea, so I’m sure the interwebs will hate it, but.. Could you super glue something to the spine and then pull it out? 🤔
I’m sorry this happened to you, it must hurt. I would probably take on debt to go in for care because I get extreme anxiety about stuff like this. Best wishes.
If you cant get it out easily just leave it. You can cause more damage by trying to remove it.
I have a large thorn stuck in the articular cartilage of one of the knuckles on my right hand. Completely embedded and under the entire epidermal layer. Hospital wouldnt remove it and told me not to try to remove it either. They said it will either work its way out on its own or be broken down over time by your body.
Yep I kicked my terschekii once a few blue moons ago and it went straight through my toenail. I dug it out with tweezers and an Xacto knife. Good times.
Go see a doctor for antbiotics. I had one breaking off in my thumb, it swell up dangerously that I needed antibiotics.
Everyone need uncle bills sliver grippers.
Hey pal, you’ve lucked out. What you do is grab a small gauge nail and some pliers and a round needle file and some tweezers.
Go to the stove and heat that fucker red hot. Apply to area around spine. The nail will melt the… nail. It will smell strong, but you can drag the tip around and it will smoothly excavate the area.
Now, take the file and file off the blackened charred nail parts so you have clean access. Repeat the burning and filing until you have clean access to the spine. Take those tweezers, shove em in the hole and yank.
Sometimes this may hurt. But we don’t play this sport to cry. We play it for the thrill. And we always win.
Everyone else’s method is wrong.
I always use a fresh hypodermic needle, 16-18 gauge, and dig out out. You can use the needle tip to make very small slices to loosen the skin and also use it as a pry bar. Gonna hurt like a bitch so take some liquor shots first
I feel for OP.
If that happened here, and i went to the doctor, I’m pretty sure they would remove the nail.
I’ve tried it once, many years ago. Not cactus related.
Where they insert something like a big tweezer up the side of the nail, and then close it on the outside of nail, and roll if off sideways.
Two tablespoons of Epsom salts into a mug of hot (not crazy hot, like bath hot) water and soak. Should pull it out for you.
Use a lighter to make a needle fiery, like red, like boiling hot, and start passing it under the nail till the nail detatches and then you get the spine
Youch!!
Them spines have to be some of the sharpest things on earth.