A hangnail is a small piece of torn skin that sticks up near the edge of your fingernail or toenail. Despite the name, it has nothing to do with the nail itself: it's actually a tiny strip of skin that has dried out, cracked, and pulled away from the skin around the nail.

Hangnails often appear in winter when your hands get dry, or after your fingers have been in water for a long time, like when you're washing dishes or swimming. They can be surprisingly painful for something so small, especially if you accidentally catch one on your clothes or if it tears further. The pain comes from all the sensitive nerve endings in your fingertips.

Pulling a hangnail can tear the skin down into healthy tissue, creating a painful wound that might get infected. Instead, people usually clip it carefully with clean nail scissors or clippers, as close to the base as possible. Keeping your hands moisturized helps prevent hangnails from forming in the first place.