Ingrown Toenail Removal – How to Take Care of It

Anyone can suffer the pain of an ingrown toenail at some point in their life. Your toe will swell, the skin around your toenail will turn red, and walking will be incredibly painful. According to WebMD, the reason for an ingrown toenail is –

Ingrown toenails can be the happened due to infrequent cutting of too short or rounding the nail edges or badly fitting shoes or tight socks that may cause of ingrown nail. In a few cases, it may develop due to injury or stubbing or jamming the toe.

Once you realize you have an ingrown toenail, don’t wait to start treatment for an ingrown toenail. This problem won’t go away by itself. You’re going to need to provide some tender loving care to your toe if you want your feet to feel normal again.

Recognize the symptoms of Ingrown Toenail

Do you want to know what does ingrown toenail looks like? Learn to recognize the symptoms of an ingrown toenail before the pain gets too severe. If caught early enough, it is possible to provide treatment at home.

Ingrown toenails occur when the edges of your nails grow into the surrounding skin and break into the skin. They are most common in big toes, but other toes can suffer from this as well. One of the first symptoms you’ll notice is a sharp pain in your toe whenever you’re walking. When you look at your toe, you may notice the skin around your nail is swelling and red.

So what to do when the ingrown toenail is infected?

As soon as you suspect an ingrown toenail, start keeping the wound clean and dry. If you ignore the early symptoms, eventually bacteria will get into the wound and cause an infection. If your ingrown toenail is infected, the pain will get worse and you’ll notice pus and blood around the side of your nail.

Try home remedies

As long as your toenail isn’t leaking blood or pus, it is possible to treat the ingrown nail yourself.

Start by soaking your feet in warm water several times a day. You can do this in your bathtub or a foot bath. If you don’t yet have a foot bath and want to invest in one, make sure to read a professional review at healingfootspa.com of the product you’re considering to make sure it is worth the investment.

Soaking your feet helps reduce the swelling and can relieve some of the pain. After you’ve soaked your feet, use a cotton swab to gently push the skin away from the ingrown nail. This helps the nail to begin growing above the skin. Do not attempt to trim the toenail away from the skin because this could increase your chances of an infection.

After soaking your feet and pushing the skin away, apply antibacterial cream and put on a bandage. Wear loose-fitting shoes or sandals until your toe feels better.

Seek professional help

If the symptoms of your ingrown toenail do not go away on their own within a few days or if you notice an infection, it is time to seek medical help. You should also seek medical help if you have a condition that causes foot problems, such as diabetes.

A professional will either lift the toenail using a splint or will remove the part of the nail causing the problem. They’ll provide you with instructions on how to care for the nail at home and may prescribe an antibiotic.

If the problem continues to persist, your doctor may recommend surgery. This surgery will remove a portion of your nail and the underlying tissue. Removing the tissue will prevent part of your nail from growing back.

Prevent future ingrown nails

Ingrown toenails are typically a result of poor foot hygiene, incorrectly trimming your nails, or wearing the wrong type of footwear.

It is completely normal for your feet to sweat. If you don’t regularly wash your feet, however, this moisture lingers on your toes and increases your chances of developing an ingrown toenail and/or fungal infection. Wash your feet daily and keep them as dry as possible.

Next, make sure you trim your toenails in a completely straight line. Avoid cutting your toenails too short or cutting your toenails so that they are rounded at the corners. Extremely short or rounded toenails allows the skin surrounding the toe to grow over the nail.

Finally, you’ll want to choose footwear that fits properly. Tight-fitting shoes or socks create pressure that leads to ingrown toenails. Loose-fitting shoes cause the tip of your toe to continuously rub against the shoe, which also leads to ingrown toenails. If you have trouble finding properly fitting shoes, consult a professional shoe salesman.

In summary

With certain preventative measures, you can stop ingrown toenails from ever occurring! However, if you do find yourself limping along with an ingrown toenail, immediately start at-home treatment. If the problem persists or develops into an infection, don’t hesitate to contact a doctor. With the right amount of care and proper footwear, your toenail will return to normal.