Infected Cuticle

I don't know if this will work for cuticles but it works wonders for ingrown nails. Very warm water mixed with an iodine solution. I want to say it is called betadine. I have my kids soak for 20 minutes, no pain the next day, fine in a couple days

No this isn't a condition for the er. ER is for serious, sudden, life threatening. You can soak a couple times a day in warm water, dry it off and apply antibacterial cream and some gauze. See if it starts to feel and look better in a day. If you are close to a minute clinic they would be able to treat this if needed over the weekend. Watch to see if she starts a fever or the swelling and pain get worse. Those will be signs that the infection is getting worse and will not wait.

Being a picker, I've had plenty of infected cuticles. You just put plenty of Neosporin under a bandaid and it will go away in a couple of days. Make sure the bandaid stays on. There should be no need for a doctor.

The time to worry is if it appears to be getting worse after the first day or if you see a red streak up her arm

well, I've had a staph infection twice now with torn cuticles.
both times required an oral antibiotic + prescription cream.
both times the soft tissue swelled horribly & oozed pus/blood for several days.

but I have also had regular inflamed torn cuticles which the dr told me to soak in soapy hot water using a bleach dish soap....& then coat with triple antibiotic salve/bandaging.

Just this week my DD had pulled a hang nail. Next morning I hear her in the bathroom whimpering because her finger by the nail was swollen and red. I had her soak her finger in hot water and then I applied tea tree oil and covered with a bandaid. By the next day the finger was back to normal.

One of my kids picks his cuticles (gets from his dad who does the same).

When it's gotten red and sore (similar to what you are describing) we just clean the finger, and then apply Polysporin a few times a day. It's a topical antibiotic, and it takes care of it. Just apply a bandaid over it afterwards - keeps it clean and keeps them from picking at it any more. It's one of those habits that drives me ..

Good luck :)

I just had an infected cutical. It was red around the cutical by the tiniest bit. I put neosporin on it and the redness was gone in a week. It would be very rare for her to have an infection needing a doctor's care.

Only if the redness covers the finger to the first joint or it continues to worsen over a couple weeks do you need to be concerned. Nearly everybody has this happen. It's not serious. Of course you're concerned. You're the mom to this little girl.

It's tough know what to do the first time you see it on kiddos. If the cuticle is just red know that irritation causes redness too.

Just had this on my big toe.

ER visit is if it is infected (warm, pus, red) and beyond the first joint or if you see a red streak going up the hand from it. This is an emergency.

Otherwise, soak it in very warm water with salt/epsom salt 3 times a day until the water is cool. Dry it off. Use hydrogen peroxide/alcohol prep pads to clean it out. Push it in as much as you can...it will be painful!! Then cover with a bandaid and/or topical antibiotic. By monday it will be better or worse and you can make your decision on a dr appt then (unless above applies).

My son had one that didn't look like much, but he complained it was very painful. I took him to the doctor and he it turned out to be a strep infection.

It's not clear in the post -- is her whole fingertip red "from tip to first joint" or is it just red at the cuticle itself? The former, the way I read it.

If ONLY the cuticle is red, slather in Neosporin all weekend and keep it covered with a band-aid and change both after every handwashing, and then see a doctor Monday. If it swells at all or gets very tender, get to a doctor over the weekend.

But if the ENTIRE fingertip is red right now, and hurting? Get her to an urgent care center first thing tomorrow; she probably needs antibiotics. Don't fool around with this. She could have an infection that is spreading.

A few years ago I had the tiniest spot on one finger, like a pimple, with a white head and the smallest pinkness around it. No biggie, no pain unless I bumped it directly somehow. My elbow and upper arm on the same arm were achy. I went to the doctor about the elbow only and didn't think to mention the finger. She spotted that "pimple" and immediately put me on antibiotics. The spot on my finger didn't look all that bad but actually was infected enough that it was the cause of my whole arm's ache--an infection was spreading. Don't ignore even a tiny, fingertip-sized problem!

If you go to a doctor and they say it's nothing, by the way -- better to do that than to wait and find out you should have gone sooner. Sometimes moms on here get a case of "I don't want to waste a doctor's time" or "I don't want to look silly." Better to look silly a time or two than to not go the one time something really is a problem.

Are you sure this is from cuticle damage? Could she have banged it on something or caught it in a drawer?

Either way, epsom salt soaks several times a day - the salt helps soak out what's in there. Then air dry (don't rub) and cover with a bandage and antibiotic ointment. I'd do this 4-6 times a day for 20 minutes at a clip, warm water.

There's some new research that suggests hydrogen peroxide isn't all that effective so, while I am "programmed" to go to it, I'm actually not sure all authorities consider it useful. I would not consider anything with bleach in it - I know some people do this for a fungus but my podiatrist said it causes much more damage (especially liver) because it's such a hazardous substance. No way I would use it anywhere near a child.

I would not bother the ER with this at all - unless, as someone said below, it's really red and inflamed up above the knuckle or there's a red streak up the finger. Then you've got a major infection going on. But from what you describe, you're nowhere near this. Home remedies first.

You may want to soak it in salt water for about 20 minutes 3 times a day through the weekend. Follow up with the Neosporin and a band-aide.

This doesn't even warrant a visit to the doctor it's a simple infection. And you don't want her on antibiotics too often, antibiotics weaken the immune system. It's better if her body learns to build the antibodies on it's own.

if it's RED to the knuckle?? I'd be at the urgent care....swelling...fever...are things to look for...if it gets so swollen she can't bend it?? Urgent Care - don't you guys have a CVS near you?? Call and find out if there is a Minute clinic there...

http://www.cvs.com/stores/cvs-pharmacy-address/380+State+...

Go buy some Neosporin with pain reliever - it's the BEST!!

When I was 4, I did the same thing. I had to soak my finger in WARM salty water for about a week.. worked like a dream.. the one discomfort was the I did have some pus and that had to be very gently pushed out... if kinda oozes out anyway after the salt soak because the salt draws it out.. hence, the reason the salt works so well.. don't get me wrong, it doesn't feel the greatest at first. but the salt does truly act as a healing agent.. either table salt (which is what was used for me) or now.... epsom salt..
I soaked it several times a day.. I wouldn't put any oily on it, let the skin breathe............ if you do the salt soak, I think you ll see relief right away, even now for cuts, I use it.. the other thing, (but after the salt soak) .. is the Aloe Vera plant ... if you don't have a plant (it grows like crazy) then try Whole Foods for the PURE gel (you want pure) I have a bottle stored in the fridge, it's good for burns but also other ailments and isn't toxic like traditional meds.. bottomline, salt soak, apply aloe gel... let breathe.. and it should be ok.. as it gets better, a light piece of gauze should be ok. I wouldn't use plastic bandaids because they don't allow the skin to breathe like the gauze does..
this is all LESS it's not majorly infected... then you might have a bigger problem...

best of luck

Yes, it could be infected. A doc-in-the-box can prescribe her antibiotics to get going on treatment. I also pick at my cuticles... I can't help it. And I hate doing it. But I've been doing it for 30 years, and in all that time, I've only had a nail get infected once. But it was like you describe your daughter's. Swollen and sore... antibiotics are needed, not topicals.

Although soaking in warm epsom salt water couldn't hurt. But I'd go to a walk-in clinic and get her going on antibiotics.