I have one of the worst hangnails right now. I’ve come accross a site that offers this tip for curing hangnails: It is often the result of frequent exposure to water or it could be a lack of Vitamin B and C in the diet. Don’t pull it off; trim it carefully. While this is no help to my current situation, I do know how to fix them in the future. A side note: those white spots on your fingernails apperently are caused by a lack of zinc – not, as previously thought, caused by telling a white lie. Whew!