In the days when I used to go climbing
You'd often find that the chalk you put on your hands to help with grip would dry your skin out to the extent that it would crack.

A couple of drops of superglue would sort that out no problem. And it would also give palm readers the heebie-jeebies.

But the bit of DIY surgery that stands out most in my mind followed on from getting my fingers slammed in a car door. One of my fingertips in particular was throbbing and painful, and I could see the nail starting to go black as the blood welled up behing it.

"You'll have to go to hospital to get that nail taken off. If it doesn't fall off by itself first" was the considered opinion of my dad (who was in fact sounding rather too excited at the prospect, considering he'd just done the slamming).

However, I had a better idea. I went into the garage and found the finest drill bit I could. By twiddling it between the fingers of my other hand, I slowly, slowly drilled a little hole in the nail. Suddenly, a little spurt of blood shot up, and the pressure was relieved as more blood welled out.

It was one of the most satisfying feelings I've ever had.

Mind you it started hurting like buggery again later on; but at least I didn't have to have the the NHS playing Gestapo on my hand.
(richardm, Thu 20 Jan 2011, 15:02, 7 replies)

Superglue and climbing....
I know it all too well. After a week of bouldering in France, the sandstone took the top layers of skin off my fingers to the point of making them seep blood. So off to the supermarche I went, got some superglue and coated my fingertips with it. It didn't last long, was way too slippery, and just ended taking off even more skin with it when it invariably came off.

Oddly though, I found the chalk helped with any eczema I had. But no chalk in France, very frowned upon there, always with the 'poff' (pine resin in a little bag.)
( Blind Meach Cautiously optimistic, Thu 20 Jan 2011, 15:10, closed)

oooh
you just reminded me that I did this once too, but with a needle. I held one end of the needle in a cork, got it red hot in the flame of a gas cooker then poked a hole in my nail to the same effect as you got. The smell of singed nail is not pleasant.
(Smale is stuffed, Thu 20 Jan 2011, 15:26, closed)

No, but you'd have probably have gotten a local.

( Amorous Badger NAKED BEA ARTHUR PHOTOS 4U, Thu 20 Jan 2011, 18:22, closed)

This is a local anaesthetic for local people.

( Colonel Boris "...a desperate Buzzfeed imitation...", Thu 20 Jan 2011, 21:09, closed)

^
Click!
( SteamedCleaner, Fri 21 Jan 2011, 8:34, closed)

if anyone's curious as to what it might look like
there's this www.youtube.com/watch?v=0zMNpo7h-7I
(minlan no longer barks at bancleys, Thu 20 Jan 2011, 20:11, closed)

Nail
I have done the hot pin in the nail trick. Really does help. It would clot up again and start throbbing again but you just repeat it. I felt like a junkie because I had to do it every few hours.
(PintMcPint, Fri 21 Jan 2011, 9:53, closed)