# Will a pulled fingernail regrow?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-a-pulled-fingernail-regrow/463420>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [September 13, 2008, 9:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-a-pulled-fingernail-regrow/463420 "2008-09-13T09:14:03Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Toxylon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f05b48/32.png) [@Toxylon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Toxylon)\
**Post date:** [September 13, 2008, 9:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-a-pulled-fingernail-regrow/463420/1 "2008-09-13T09:14:03Z")

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To specify, I’m talking about violently ripping a healthy fingernail off, a la torture. Will a new nail grow to replace the lost one? I assume there must be some sort of a nail root inside the fingertip without one no new growth is possible. Any ideas?

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**Author:** ![Jragon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19b73/32.png) [@Jragon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jragon)\
**Post date:** [September 13, 2008, 9:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-a-pulled-fingernail-regrow/463420/2 "2008-09-13T09:35:16Z")

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My dad got his finger caught in a button and the fingernail ripped out once while working at his factory job a lng time ago, it never grew back.

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**Author:** ![Andy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/aeb1de/32.png) [@Andy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy)\
**Post date:** [September 13, 2008, 9:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-a-pulled-fingernail-regrow/463420/3 "2008-09-13T09:54:14Z")

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My middle finger nail was almost completely detached playing (field) hockey; it just hung on by a little bit of skin. I cut through it a few hours later. The nail completely regrew and although a little flattened, is fairly normal.

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**Author:** ![Chief\_Pedant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a6a055/32.png) [@Chief\_Pedant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chief_Pedant)\
**Post date:** [September 13, 2008, 10:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-a-pulled-fingernail-regrow/463420/4 "2008-09-13T10:02:07Z")

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Fingernails grow from a germinal matrix at the base of the nail.

If this is left undisturbed, a new nail will grow. The new nail will be normal if the bed of the original nail was not torn or otherwise disrupted.

Ordinarily a nail that is mechanically ripped off will separate at the germinal matrix and leave it behind. Since there are so many ways to injure a finger a more specific answer is not possible.