How to Cope With Ingrown Toenails

Ingrown toenails can be painful and affect your feet’ health, and the quicker you seek remedies, the better for your toes. The edge of the ingrown toenail curve and grow into your skin, causing swelling, inflammation, pain, and infection. You can start by searching for experts in ingrown toenails in Naperville near you to get the help you need. First, they will educate you on the causes of ingrown toenails and how to deal with them.

The Causes of Ingrown Toenails

You are likely to have an ingrown toenail when your feet are subjected to repeated trauma caused by stubbing on objects. Moreover, if you occasionally wear tight shoes, you could be making your toes susceptible to ingrown toenails. Some nail care practices like cutting the toenails too short or cutting them at an angle make the toenails susceptible to ingrown toenails.

Remedies for Ingrown Toenails

·       Soaking in Warm Soapy Water

You can reduce the swelling and ease the pain by soaking the feet in warm and soapy water a few times during the day. The warm water softens the area and can give you instant relief when adding Epsom salt. Moreover, you could add vinegar to your solution as it is an antiseptic and anti-inflammatory agent that relieves pain and helps prevent swelling and infections.

·       Apply Antibiotic Ointment

You can use over-the-counter antibiotics on the ingrown toenail as this promotes healing and reduces the risk of infection. Use a bandage over the ingrown toenail, after applying the antibiotics, to promote the best results.

·       Use a Toe Protector

A toe protector is placed between the skin and the nail when you have recurrent ingrown toenails. The protector is a ring that fits around the toe; some come with an antibacterial gel that helps the toe heal from previous injuries. The gel also softens the toes making them easy to trim and prevents ingrown toenails from forming. You can contact different brands to customize the ring protector, this ensures the correct fit for your toe to function properly.

·       Use Prescribed Medications

When you see a doctor about your ingrown toenail, elaborately discuss the medications at your disposal. You will then choose the one that will work most effectively. Typically you will have oral antibiotics if your ingrown toenail is infected. Signs of ingrown toenail infection include:

• Increased redness.
• Pain. 
• Pus. 
• Swelling.
• Heat within the area.

·       Consider Removing the Toenail

Although removing the toenail would be the last option, it might be useful to deal with recurrent ingrown toenails. You can remove the toenails partially or the whole nail to let it grow back; however, it may increase the risks of infection if not treated well. Moreover, it could become mis-shapen when it regrows.

The Bottom Line

Ingrown toenails can make you uncomfortable, especially when the nails have embedded into the skin. The ingrown nail can leave inflammation, infection, pain, and pus on the toes. The condition results from recurrent injury from stubbing the toes, wearing tight shoes, and cutting the nails too sharp on the edges. However, you can reduce the ingrown toenails infection using antibiotics, wearing the right shoes, and removing the toenail to let it regrow.