Currently typing with bandaids on both thumbs so please excuse typos and missedspaces.
Did some mechanic work a few days ago and forgot gloves. I washed with a nail brush and dishsoap as always but Now im suffering from both thumbs being inflamed and sore emanating from where thenail meets the thumb. I tried sucking and scraping to clean and cut the nails as short as i can. My usual trick is to scrape hard soap in under the nail before scrubbing, which works really well most time, but no cleaning method has worked this time. I can just barely see some black at the deepest part which i assume is engine oil. I dont think its some metal shard, since its both thumbs, didnt grind anything and usually splinters hiding spots can be pin-pointed by pushing on it but idk for sure. Also no pus leaking.
How do i get it out??? 😭 Whats your secret to dealing with inflammation?
Im thinking either some hydrogen peroxide cream on bandaids or moist gloves to soak in to loosen things up before trying to get whatever gunk is still there. I usually heal very fast, two other cuts from the same time are healing well and fast.
Idk anymore and its really frustrating…
Wishing you a good day and happythumbs!
I don’t know if this is a good idea necessarily, but what I do to get grime out from under my nails is to (very carefully) scrape under the nail and across the quick with the tip of my pocketknife. it’s got a very sharp, narrow blade with a fine point. Between that and a heavy-duty degreaser soap, something you might find at a mechanic shop, I can usually get my nails clean enough to eat with in fairly short order.
I have cut myself under a nail using this method and that is very unpleasant so it’s probably not ideal, but it works well enough with a steady hand that I keep doing it. Been many years now since I’ve drawn blood.
If time isn’t a factor, I’ll just wash normally and let whatever doesn’t come off just sit under the nails for a while. eventually it’ll grow out and wash out on its own and I don’t have to go poking around. I only use the knife if I don’t feel comfortable letting whatever’s under my nails stay there. Garden dirt? Let it ride. Automotive fluid medley? Probably not great to absorb through the skin, gonna try to get that off quickly.
Most nail files have a pointed end that functions like your knife-tip, except it doesn’t have a razor sharp edge.
It might be a little late for OP, but I have a couple about the place for doing that sort of thing. Also actually filing my nails to discourage biting off sharp edges, which works about 75% of the time.