Ingrown toenails are quite common and usually affect the big toe. The condition occurs when the corner or side of the toenail grows into the soft flesh of the toe, leading to pain, redness, and sometimes infection. You can often perform ingrown toenail remedies at home on your own or with the help of a friend.
One of the most common causes of ingrown toenails is shoes and socks that are too tight. The humid atmosphere inside the shoe can cause the toe skin around the nail to soften and expand and the toenail may begin to curve slightly, which makes it much easier for the soft skin to grow. The toenail is pushed into the skin every time tight shoes are worn, and over time it begins to grow into the skin of the toe. This most often occurs on the big toe when the nail protrudes or digs into the sides of the meat.
There are many things that people can do for themselves to prevent or treat this painful problem. Start by soaking your foot in very warm water for a while and gently wash the sensitive area so you can get a good look at what needs to be done before removing the skin or nail. Make sure everything is as sterile as possible; use some alcohol swab on the toe and tools before and after the procedure. Using a good pair of ingrown toenail clippers should work well to do this. If the toe is too sensitive, try using a topical anesthetic or ice.
As painful as it is, it will only get worse if left untreated. After smoothing the skin and nail a bit, you may be able to trim the nail and skin to separate them a bit; If the ingrown toenail clipper is not enough to do what needs to be done then you can purchase an ingrown toenail kit which will have all the tools you will need to do this. If you still can’t cut the nail or skin, try putting something between the nail and the toe. Place fresh cotton balls or waxed dental floss under the nail to help it separate from the skin, and be sure to change this daily.
It will probably hurt and take a week or two to start seeing the toenail grow out of the skin, but with these ingrown toenail remedies you can be cured or at least prevent the condition from getting worse until you can see a doctor. . Go barefoot or where something loosens up for a while, the goal is to avoid pressure on the toenail. Remember to keep your feet as clean and dry as possible. Continue to pay close attention to progress or lack thereof; If the pain gets worse and the infection does not go away, call your doctor.
My wife grows her toenails; I even helped her take some of her own off, but this is what she does to help take care of her own.
My name is Lisa, over the years I have suffered from ingrown toenails. I have never sought medical advice for this, but here are some of the things that have worked for me. For starters, I think it’s important to wear the right shoe size. Didn’t know but we should have a thumb width at the end of our toes and switching to wide width shoes might help as well. If the toe box is too small, your nails can rub against each other and cause irritation.
The next thing that worked for me is getting a pedicure regularly. You don’t need to go to an expensive spa to do this; I go to the salon right at my local Wall-Mart. I found one of the ladies to be pretty good at pulling out the pesky cuticle and I’ll order her every time I go. It’s totally worth paying $30 an ounce a month to get your nails done right. Make sure they allow enough time to soak before the person starts working on your nails or you’ll be sore. When done correctly, you should feel at most light pressure and then a sweet release as the ingrown growth is removed.
One last note, some people may say to cut your nails a certain way, but I have been told (and from experience found to be true) that cutting straight across is the best way to keep them under control. In fact, many years ago a person told me to notch the nail in the middle to make it look like some kind of hoof. No, thanks. Not only does that look weird, but it creates sharper edges for socks and such to catch on.
Like I said, the best “cure” I’ve found is getting regular pedicures. And don’t forget, once you find that magical person who can ease your pain, give them a big tip!
If after trying these ingrown toenail remedies without success and your toe has become infected and hurts to the point where you can’t do anything about it, then you may need to remove part of the nail or possibly even the entire nail to remove it. than the infection. The area can be cleaned and the infection can be drained. This will usually be done in the doctor’s office or the emergency room.
If the doctor decides that surgery is needed, the extent of the ingrown toenail surgery will depend on how severe the infection is and whether or not it has been a recurring problem. If it has been 5 years or more since you last had a tetanus shot, you will need to get another one because of the open wound. The doctor will inject an anesthetic into the toe to numb it before draining the pus and removing the skin that has grown around the tip of the toenail.
If this is a recurring problem, the doctor may want to kill some of the skin cells to prevent them from growing back by using chemicals, extreme cold, or lasers. Another treatment performed for recurrent ingrown toenails is called lateral matriectomy; a specialist will remove some of the tissue under the nail (nail bed) to prevent the nail from growing back. Draining the abscess will take care of the infection, so antibiotics are not usually needed, then the toe is covered with ointment and gauze or a bandage.
You should keep this dressing on for 2 days, then remove it and wash it with soap and water. Put triple antibiotic ointment (from the pharmacy) on the toe and cover it again with gauze or a bandage, this should be done twice a day until the toe heals. In addition to taking any pain medication your doctor has prescribed, you may also want to keep your foot flat to help reduce pain. You can also try wearing open shoes or sandals for a while.