An ingrown hangnail occurs when the nail splinters off on one side of the toe or finger and is then grown over by the skin surrounding the nail. The only real remedy for the ingrown hangnail is to poke and prod until you can uncover the bastard nail and deftly snip it with a pair of nail scissors. Under no circumstance should one pull on the hangnail itself. Ripping out a hangnail will result in a nasty open sore and blood loss.