What defines a hangnail?

A hangnail is specifically identified as damaged skin around the nail plate that becomes split or torn. This condition often occurs when the small pieces of skin adjacent to the nails become dry, cracked, or otherwise injured, leading to painful splits. Hangnails can result from various factors, including dryness, frequent exposure to water, or even biting nails. Unlike other conditions, hangnails do not involve the nail plate or the structures of the nail itself, but rather they originate from the soft tissue surrounding the nail, making option C the most accurate definition.