How To Prevent Ingrown Toe Nails

What is an ingrown toenail?

An ingrown toenail occurs when the side of the nail curls down and grows into the skin effectually the nail.

Any toe can be affected but it commonly occurs in the big toe.

An ingrown toenail can get painful and inflamed (tender, reddish and bloated).

Sometimes, it tin get infected, which, if left untreated, can spread and infect the underlying bone.

What are the symptoms of an ingrown toenail?

If you have an ingrown toenail, the area may exist:

painful or tender
red
swollen
surrounded by hardened skin

If the expanse becomes infected, you may notice fluid or pus, and symptoms that get worse rather than better.

Illustration comparing an healthy nail to an ingrown nail. — An ingrown toenail occurs when the side of the smash grows into the skin around the nail. Information technology tin can become painful and sometimes become infected.

What causes ingrown toenails?

You can get an ingrown toenail if you:

accept tight plumbing fixtures shoes, socks, or tights that crowd your toes, putting pressure on your toenails
cut your toenails too curt or not straight across
injure your toe, for example by stubbing it
choice or tear the corners of your toenails
have sweaty feet, making your skin soft and easier for toenails to dig in
have toenails with naturally curved edges or that are fan-shaped

Ingrown toenails become more common in older people as the nails get thicker with age. They are more than likely to become infected in people who have diabetes or circulation problems.

How are ingrown toenail treated?

If you take diabetes, nerve damage in your leg or foot, poor blood apportionment to your human foot or an infection around the nail, run across your dr. or podiatrist (a trained therapist who diagnoses and treats foot weather) immediately.

Otherwise, endeavor this:

Soak your anxiety in warm h2o for 15 to xx minutes, three or four times a day.
Then use a cotton bud to gently push button away the pare from the nail.
Echo each day for a few weeks, allowing the smash to grow.
Equally the end of the boom grows frontwards, button a tiny piece of cotton wool or dental floss under it to help the boom abound over the peel and not grow into it. Alter the cotton wool or dental floss each time yous soak your foot.
Exercise not choice at the toenail or endeavour to remove information technology yourself.

An infected toenail may be treated with antibiotics. Your doctor or podiatrist may need to bleed the pus. In astringent cases, role or all of smash may need to exist removed.

Tin ingrown toenails be prevented?

To help prevent an ingrown toenail:

wear shoes that fit properly
keep your feet make clean and dry
trim your nails properly — briefly soak your human foot in warm water before trimming, and brand certain you cut directly across, without tapering or rounding the corners or cut them too short

People with diabetes or persistent pes problems should see a podiatrist regularly for routine foot checks and nail care.