When a nail is ingrown, its sides or corners bend downward on themselves and penetrate the skin; this can cause swelling, pain and redness. This discomfort, from the medical term "onychocryptosis", but commonly known as ingrown toenail, generally affects the big toe, although every finger can suffer from it. The injury is easily treatable, but you can experience a lot of pain during the treatment period. Once you have been diagnosed with an ingrown toenail, use home remedies to reduce the pain. If the pain is really severe or the nail is infected, it may be necessary to consult a doctor.
Steps
Part 1 of 5: Diagnosing the Ingrown Nail
Step 1. Check if your toe is swollen
An ingrown toenail usually causes some swelling in the area adjacent to the nail. Compare that toe with its counterpart on the other foot. Does it feel more swollen than normal?
Step 2. Touch the area to see if you are in pain or if it is particularly sensitive
The skin around the nail is likely painful to touch. Gently press your finger to isolate it and figure out which specific area the pain is coming from.
The ingrown toenail may also form a little pus
Step 3. Check the nearby area
When the nail is ingrown, the skin along its edge seems to grow over the nail itself. Other times, however, the nail can grow under the surrounding skin and you may not be able to identify the upper corner.
Step 4. Assess your general health condition
Ingrown toenails can almost always be treated easily at home; However, if you have diabetes, you shouldn't try to cure it on your own. In this case it is advisable to make an appointment with the doctor immediately.
If you have nerve damage or poor blood circulation in your leg or foot, your doctor will want to check your nail right away
Step 5. Talk to your healthcare provider
If you are not sure if your problem is really an ingrown toenail, it is best to consult your doctor, who will be able to diagnose the problem and give you the right indications.
If your condition is particularly severe, your doctor will tell you to see a podiatrist
Step 6. Don't let your finger get worse
If you think it really is an ingrown toenail, you should start treating it immediately, otherwise you risk further aggravating the problem, even causing an infection.
If symptoms persist for more than 2-3 days, you should see a doctor
Part 2 of 5: Try Natural Remedies
Step 1. Dip your foot in warm water
Grab a large bowl or use the bathtub and soak your foot. Choose a tub or container in which you can soak at least your toe and soak it for about 15 minutes. Repeat the procedure 2-3 times a day.
- Add Epsom salts to the water. These salts are known for their ability to reduce pain and swelling, as well as help the nail soften. Add 1 cup of Epsom salts to the bathtub you poured a few inches of water into.
- If you don't have Epsom salts, you can use regular table salt. Salt water can help reduce the growth of bacteria in the area.
- Gently massage the affected area. In this way, you allow the water to easily penetrate the ingrown nail, helping it to expel bacteria.
Step 2. Use cotton wool or dental floss to gently lift the edge of the nail
After dipping the foot, the nail should be softer. Very carefully, place a piece of wire under the edge of the nail; then lift it carefully, so that the nail does not grow further into the skin.
- Try this solution after each foot soaking procedure. Use a new piece of thread each time.
- Depending on the extent and severity of the ingrown toenail, this could be a bit painful. If that's the case, take a pain reliever to help relieve discomfort.
- Do not go too deep into the nail, as you could cause a more serious infection that would require medical intervention.
Step 3. Take a pain reliever
An over-the-counter pain reliever can provide some relief from the discomfort you are experiencing. You can take aspirin or a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) such as ibuprofen or naproxen.
If for any reason you can't take an NSAID, try acetaminophen
Step 4. Try applying a topical antibiotic cream
This medicine will help you fight the infection. It is a type of cream that is readily available in pharmacies and parapharmacies.
- Some antibiotic creams may also contain a topical anesthetic, such as lidocaine, which allows you to temporarily relieve pain in the affected area.
- Make sure you always follow the directions on the medication package.
Step 5. Bandage the toe to protect it
To prevent the area from being exposed to further causes of infection or getting stuck in the sock, wrap a bandage or piece of gauze around your finger.
Step 6. Wear comfortable sandals or shoes
Give your feet more freedom and space by choosing open toe shoes, sandals or other wide shoes.
Shoes that fit too tightly can cause or aggravate ingrown toenails
Step 7. Try homeopathic remedies
Homeopathy is an alternative medicine that is based on the use of herbs and other natural substances to treat various ailments. To treat or, at the very least, soothe the pain, try one or more of the following homeopathic remedies:
Terra Silicea, Teucrium, nitric acid, Graphites, Magnetis polus australis, phosphoric acid, Thuja, Causticum, Natrum Muriaticum, Alumina or Kali carbonicum
Part 3 of 5: Helping the Nail Heal
Step 1. Soak your feet for 15 minutes
Use warm water, Epsom salts and soak your aching nail for 15 minutes; this will help soften it, so it will be easier to pull it away from the skin.
Step 2. Lift the nail off the skin
Gently pull off the skin that grows on the edges of the nail and try to separate it so you can see the outline of the nail itself. Use a piece of floss or a sharp file to lift the edge of the floss away from the skin. Perhaps it is best to start on the side of the nail that is not ingrown, moving the thread or file along the entire edge until it reaches the ingrown area.
Be sure to disinfect the file with alcohol or hydrogen peroxide before using it
Step 3. Disinfect the toe
While the nail is lifted from the skin, pour a small amount of hydrogen peroxide, alcohol or another disinfectant under the nail, in order to avoid the formation of bacteria.
Step 4. Put some gauze under the edge of the nail
Take a piece of clean gauze and insert it under the raised nail. The purpose of this operation is to prevent the edge of the nail from touching the skin, so it can grow away from it instead of penetrating to a greater depth.
Step 5. Apply antibiotic cream around the nail by dabbing
Once the gauze is in the correct position, pat the area with an antibiotic ointment. You can choose an ointment containing lidocaine, which somewhat numbs the painful area.
Step 6. Band the toe
Wrap a strip of gauze around your finger to protect it; alternatively, you can use a bandage or finger socks, a pattern that covers the fingers individually to keep them separate from each other.
Step 7. Repeat the process every day
Follow this procedure to facilitate the healing of your ingrown toenail. As it gets better, the pain is reduced and the swelling decreases.
Make sure you change the gauze every day to avoid getting bacteria into the affected nail area
Part 4 of 5: Seeking Professional Help
Step 1. See a doctor after three days
If the treatments at home do not give the desired results and the situation does not improve after 3 days, you must see your doctor.
- If you notice red streaks coming from the tip of your toe, it means you have a severe infection, so you need to see your doctor right away.
- You should also see a doctor if there is pus around the nail.
Step 2. Describe your symptoms to the doctor
He will ask you when the ingrown toenail began to form and when it began to swell, become red and painful. It will also likely ask you if you have other symptoms, such as a fever. Make sure you tell him everything you feel.
The family doctor is usually able to treat an ingrown toenail. If your case is quite complex or the problem recurs constantly, you may want to consider seeing a podiatrist (foot specialist)
Step 3. Get a prescription for antibiotics
If the ingrown toenail is infected, the doctor may prescribe an oral or topical antibiotic; in this way you eliminate the infection and no new bacteria are formed under the nail.
Step 4. Allow your doctor to try to lift the nail
Your doctor will likely try the least invasive procedure, which consists of lifting the nail up and pulling it away from the skin a little. If he can lift it off the skin, he can put gauze or cotton wool under it.
Your doctor will give you instructions to replace the gauze every day. Follow her directions carefully to make sure you heal completely
Step 5. Inform your doctor about the possibility of partially removing the nail
If the ingrown nail is very infected or has grown considerably in the surrounding skin, the caregiver may decide to remove part of the nail itself. In this case it will be necessary to administer a local anesthetic; then the doctor will cut along the edge of the nail to remove that part that grows into the skin.
- Know that the nail will grow back in 2-4 months. Some patients worry about the appearance of the nail after this procedure. However, if it had grown into the skin, it will now certainly look better aesthetically as well.
- Toenail removal might seem like a drastic measure, but it actually reduces the pressure, irritation, and pain of an ingrown toenail.
Step 6. Evaluate the possibility of partially removing the nail permanently
If in your case the ingrown nail problem recurs regularly, you can consider finding a permanent solution. You can then undergo the procedure that involves removing part of the nail permanently, together with the nail bed under this section. This intervention prevents the nail from growing again in this area.
This is a procedure that can be done with a laser, chemical, electrical current, or other surgery
Part 5 of 5: Preventing Ingrown Toenails
Step 1. Trim your toenails properly
Many ingrown toenails are caused by the wrong way to cut them: they must be cut straight, not rounded at the corners.
- Use a disinfected nail clipper.
- Never cut them too short. The best thing is to always leave them just a little long, so that they cannot grow into the skin.
Step 2. Go to a pedicure center
If you can't reach your toenails yourself to trim them, you can go to one of these beauty salons to get a pedicure. If you don't know any center in your area, check with a podiatrist or search online.
Step 3. Avoid wearing shoes that are too tight
If shoes pinch your toes, it can put you at risk of developing ingrown toenails. The side of the shoe could press against the toe and cause improper nail growth.
Step 4. Protect your feet
If you carry out an activity that could injure or damage the fingers or the entire foot, wear safety footwear. For example, put steel-tipped reinforced ones on construction sites.
Step 5. Get help taking care of your toenails if you have diabetes
People with diabetes often experience some form of numbness in their feet. If you cut your toenails yourself, you may accidentally cut your toe off without noticing. Go to a pedicure center or hire someone who can trim your toenails for you.
