3 Tips For Preventing And Treating Ingrown Toenails
Ingrown toenails are a common problem that is usually easy to prevent. Learning to properly care for your nails can prevent the incidence of ingrown toenails.
Trim Toenails Properly
Learning to trim your toenails properly is the easiest way to prevent ingrown toenails. Although you may like your toenails to be rounded, it is best to keep them square to prevent the corners from digging into your skin. Invest in stainless steel pedicure kit that has several tools you need to maintain your feet and nails. This will also prevent you from using fingernail clippers or scissors to trim your nails, which can prevent you from trimming your nails correctly. If you have especially thick or tough nails, soak your feet in warm, soapy water before trimming. Use toenail clippers to trim each nail straight across. Make sure the corners of your toenails surpass the edge of your toe so it cannot dig into your skin as it grows out. To finish your trimming, use a nail file to round the corners and smooth any rough edges.
Keep An Eye On Your Nails
Most people will find a thorough check of their toenails weekly should be sufficient. If you have diabetes or other conditions that may affect the nerves in your feet, you should check your feet each morning or night. This is a good way to catch ingrown toenails in the early stages, before they embed in the skin. People with diabetes, compromised immune systems, or are otherwise prone to infections or poor healing are at significant risk for a simple ingrown toenail turning into limb-threatening infection. If you notice a toenail is beginning to press into your skin and you cannot safely trim the nail, use a nail lifter to gently pry the nail away from the skin and put a small piece of cotton under the nail. Make sure to change the cotton daily until the nail grows out enough that it is no longer a threat.
Consider Permanent Solutions
If you have a nail that repeatedly becomes embedded, you should speak with your doctor about having a portion of the nail permanently removed. During the procedure, the toe is anesthetized and the nail is cut from the free edge to the cuticle. The portion of the toenail that is susceptible to becoming embedded is removed. To prevent the nail from regrowing, the nail matrix is cauterized, usually with silver nitrate. If you have significant distortions of the toe that causes the entire nail to embed into the skin, it is better to have the entire nail removed and cauterized.
Routine foot care and learning to trim your nails properly can prevent most instances of ingrown toenails. In some cases, it is best to eliminate the problem by preventing some or all of the nail from regrowing.
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