Inflammation of the nailbed. The most common
cause of the inflammation is infection of the root. The nail often is lost but it will regrow if the
matrix is not permanently injured. If the matrix is chronically inflamed, the nail that forms is
discolored and cracked.
Onychia is common among
persons whose hands have to be immersed in
water for long periods. The skin around the
nails becomes red, swollen, and painful, while the
nails themselves lose their
natural gloss, become opaque, and---in severe cases---may become
loose and drop off.