Many seem to be a bit confused about splinter haemorrhages and what they are.
So what are splinter haemorrhages?
The nail bed has a rich blood supply in tiny capillaries as it is dermis. When capillaries suffer any trauma they rupture and leak a little blood (this is what a bruise is). The nail bed has a series of furrows that act as the attachment of the nail plate to the nail bed. the blood leaks and it runs along one of the furrows and looks like a splinter.
Hence the name.
It is like a little bruise but constrained in a furrow
if you think of it like that you can see that any trauma to the nail bed can cause this to happen. If there are just one or two then it is just some minor damage.
Many of them have become a common sympton of an allergic reaction. This is because the allergen is, in effect, attacking the matrix and the nail bed and causing these tiny ruptures. If there are lots of them on several fingers and no obvious reason for them it is worth having them medically checked as blood capillaries shouldn’t rupture without any reason so there could be an underlying health reason.
A few of them need not prevent a nail service, just be gentle. Obviously, a suspected allergy does prevent a nail service until the allergen has been identified by a dermatological patch test.
How can we help with splinter haemorrhages?
Often, the condition doesn’t require any special treatment. They will grow out just like a bruise will.
In severe cases, clients should seek advice from a medical professional
Be sure to check out our Knowledgebase where our experts explain splinter haemorrhages in much more detail.
