How Can I Prevent Ingrown Nails
Proper grooming is the first step in preventing ingrown nails.
- Soak your feet first to soften the nails.
- Always cut the nail straight across using nail clippers, and leave enough nail to cover the toe to protect it. Smooth sharp edges with an emery board.
- Wear socks and shoes that fit properly. Be aware that tight, pointed, high-heeled shoes and tight stockings can cause ingrown nails by putting pressure on the toes.
- Parents should groom young children’s nails. An older relative may need help, too, because of weakened vision and greater difficulty reaching their feet.
Soak The Ingrown Toenail In Warm Water Or Apple Cider Vinegar
While you wait for your appointment with Dr. Rambacher, you can get some relief from ingrown toenail pain by soaking your foot in warm water for 10 to 15 minutes. You can soak your feet up to four times a day for maximum relief.
The warm water will reduce swelling to reduce the pain you feel.
If you have apple cider vinegar around your house, you can soak your foot in it for relief. Apple cider vinegar will kill some of the bacteria in your ingrown toenail and reduce inflammation.
For the best result, fill a basin with warm water and add a quarter cup of apple cider vinegar.
Schedule an appointment with Dr. RambacherIts a good idea to schedule an appointment with Dr. Rambacher as soon as you notice the symptoms of an ingrown toenail. The small pain that you feel today can turn into excruciating pain by tomorrow. The sooner you come to our office, the sooner you can rid yourself of this painful problem.
You canschedule an appointment with Dr. Rambacher by sending us a message through our secure website. If you prefer using your phone, dial 949-916-0077 to talk to someone in our Mission Viejo office.
Were open Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday from 9am to 5pm We stay open until 7pm on Wednesday for your convenience. Book your appointment now so Dr. Rambacher can diagnose your ingrown toenail and decide what treatment option will work best for you.
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Who Gets Ingrown Toenails
Anyone can get them, but teenagers and older people get them more often. Teenagers get them because their feet sweat more, which can cause the skin and nails to become soft. Soft nails split easier. Pieces that split can easily puncture the skin. Older people get them because they have trouble caring for their feet.
Ingrown toenails also can happen to people who try to round off the corners of their toenails with a nail file. Trauma can also cause them. Ingrown toenails sometimes run in families.
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Ial Or Total Nail Removal
In cases where the nail is significantly embedded in the skin, a doctor may opt to remove part of the nail. It may sound extreme, but this will relieve the pressure, pain, and irritation that an ingrown toenail causes. It may not look pleasant, but your nail will grow back within 3-4 months.The last resort for recurring or severe cases of ingrown toenail would be to remove the entire affected nail. Even then, the nail will still grow back but can be slightly misshapen.
How To Get Rid Of An Ingrown Toenail
By Kyra Oliver
If youve ever had an ingrown toenail, you know the pain that it can cause. Not only that, but its annoying we use our toes in some way or another as part of our usual daily movement, and this use and constant knocking seems to aggravate the nail even more. It makes the pain more noticeable and seems to last forever!
An ingrown toenail, or onychocryptosis, may occur at any age and is one of the mostly common toenail problems. It can be a painful condition that can easily become infected without proper care. While more studies need to be conducted, there are a few that suggest a slightly higher male-to-female ratio, particularly in the 1425 age group however, it can affect patients of any age.
There are multiple reasons why an ingrown toenail develops, including:
- improper nail-cutting technique
- pressure from abutting digits caused by hallux valgus or lesser toe deformities
- the presence of a subungual exostosis
- occasionally, the use of isotretinoin in the treatment of severe acne
Something thats often forgotten is that toenail fungus can become part of the problem too. Usually, nail fungus occurs when fungus enters the nail through a small trauma, such as a cut or break in the nail. Though often a misconception, nail fungus is not caused by poor hygiene. However, if you have an ingrown toenail, you need to be conscious of keeping the area clean.
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When Should I See The Doctor For An Ingrown Toenail
For something minor like an ingrown toenail, it may seem like overkill to visit the doctor. But if an infection sets in, ingrown toenails can be serious and almost always need care by a doctor or nurse.
If you notice any of the signs of infection, like discharge, warmth, or a bad smell, contact your doctor, who may ask you to see a podiatrist . Sometimes the podiatrist needs to remove the corner of the nail that is stuck and drain the pus or liquid that has built up in the skin. Not to worry, though first the doctor will use medicine to numb the toe and you will feel much better when it’s done.
If the nail keeps growing back into the skin, sometimes the doctor will do a small surgery to remove a larger section of the nail or, rarely, the whole nail. Taking care of the toe after an ingrown toenail is removed is almost as important as the surgery itself. Doing as your doctor says after surgery will help you prevent infection and make the ingrown nail less likely to happen again.
How Can I Prevent An Ingrown Toenail
You can take these steps to prevent an ingrown toenail:
- Soak the nail in warm water before cutting, or cut nails after a shower or bath.
- Clean your nail trimmer before using it.
- Do not tear or rip nails.
- Trim toenails across the top. Dont round the corners.
- Wear shoes that fit correctly. They should not be too loose or tight around the toes.
- Avoid repetitive trauma to the sides of the nails.
- If you have diabetes, follow all foot care recommendations from your healthcare provider. With diabetes, do NOT be hesitant about seeking medical help.
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What Are Some Ingrown Nail Treatments And Home Remedies
If your ingrown nail isnât infected, you should be able to treat it at home. To manage symptoms, you can:
- Soak your feet. Reduce swelling and tenderness by putting your feet in warm water for 15-20 minutes three to four times a day.
- Keep your feet dry. Let your feet breathe to avoid sweat or dampness.
- Use a wedge to lift your nail. Put dental floss or a small piece of cotton under the edge of your nail to help lift it as it grows out. Change it out daily.
- Apply antibiotic cream. Cover your toe with a bandage afterward to help protect it.
- Pick helpful shoes. Choose open-toed shoes or shoes with plenty of room in the toe. Donât wear heels.
- Take pain relievers. Over-the-counter options like acetaminophen or ibuprofen can help reduce tenderness and swelling.
If your symptoms donât get better — or get worse — after you try home care, your doctor may need to treat the problem. They may try:
Medical Treatment Of Ingrown Toenails
Once your ingrown toenail has progressed past the first stage, you may need to seek medical help. There are various surgical treatments of ingrown toenails your podiatrist may recommend. All of these are standard, according to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons .
Wedge Resection: This involves the partial removal of the nail or a portion of it, after numbing your toe with a local anesthetic and draining any ingrown toenail infection. Your doctor can perform this procedure in the office and the recovery time is anywhere between two weeks to two months, depending on the size of the nail portion removed.
Matrixectomy: The matrixectomy procedure is also referred to as permanent or full nail avulsion. Unlike typical avulsions, which arent often practiced anymore , a matrixectomy happens when the physician removes the entire nail from your nail bed and then covers the nail matrix with a chemical that stops it from ever growing back.
Vandenbos Procedure: The Vandenbos procedure has been around since the late 1950s and involves removal of the skin directly underneath and on either side of the ingrown toenail. Recovery is longer with this procedure, but this is also the only procedure in which a doctor does not need to prescribe antibiotics for prevention of infections. It also seems to be the procedure most likely to prevent recurrences of ingrown nails.
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When To See Your Pediatrician
If the soaks and ointment don’t help, it’s time to see your child’s pediatrician. Your child’s pediatrician may need to cut the corner of the nail off or take more off of the nail than just the corner so that the irritated tissue can heal more easily.
Your pediatrician only needs to do this once in most cases. The main purpose of this is to help the nail grow over the nail cuticle rather than get stuck in it. Finally, weather permitting, of course, have your child wear sandals or go barefoot as much as possible to prevent pressure on the toenail until it heals. If your child must wear closed shoes, protect the ingrown toenail by taping a thin piece of gauze over the infected area.
How To Treat An Ingrown Toenail At Home
They can take several weeks to heal, so how can you help your child during this time? First, soak your child’s foot twice a day in warm water and antibacterial soap for 20 minutes. While the foot is soaking, massage the swollen part of the cuticle outward away from the nail. If your child’s cuticle is just red and irritated, an antibiotic ointment is probably not needed.
But if the cuticle becomes swollen or oozes pus, put over-the-counter antibiotic ointment on the area where the pus is coming out three times a day for up to a week. The pain your child has is usually caused by the corner of the toenail rubbing against the raw cuticle.
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Treating Infected Ingrown Nails
It seems unlikely that you wouldn’t notice an ingrown toenail, but it can happen. People with diabetes or circulation problems are especially likely to overlook an ingrown nail, while others may wait too long to begin treatment. If this happens, the nail can become infected.
An ingrown nail can become infected in a few different ways. First, the overgrowth of the tissue onto the nail can permanently damage the tissue and cause infection. Second, an untreated ingrown toenail may begin to infect the bone that lies beneath it, which can lead to a serious bone infection. An infected ingrown nail is warm, red and swollen, and it may drain pus .
If you’re worried that your ingrown nail is infected, talk to your doctor. A physician can prescribe topical or oral antibiotics to fight the infection. At home, you can soak your toes in soapy water or salt water and then apply an antiseptic and a sterile bandage. If you have recurrent ingrown nails and infections, you may want to consider having the nail or part of the nail surgically removed .
The most important thing to know about ingrown nails is that they’re avoidable. If you wear comfortable shoes and keep your nails — on both your fingers and toes — trimmed properly, then you’re less likely to develop ingrown nails. If you still develop ingrown nails, treat them immediately and consult a physician if they become infected. For more information on ingrown nails, see the links on the following page.
How To Fix An Ingrown Toenail
Lisa, Facty Staff
No one likes getting an ingrown toenail, but unfortunately, theyre a prevalent condition. Ill-fitting shoes, cutting your nails the wrong way, or stabbing your toe can all cause the edge of the toenail to curve and grow into soft skin. The result is redness, swelling, pain, and general discomfort. You need to treat an ingrown toenail quickly to avoid infection and potentially losing the nail. Luckily there are several home remedies you can try before having to resort to seeking medical help.
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How To Cut The Ingrown Toenail
Can You Leave An Ingrown Toenail
This is not recommended, even if the pain were not an issue . If left alone, bacteria present in the moist, dark spaces around your toenails will easily find their way into the cuts and exposed tissue that an ingrown toenail causes. This will cause additional pain and swelling as an infection sets in and starts to spread. In fact, systemic infections like this can be quite dangerous leading to sepsis, tissue decay, and nerve damage so taking action is vital to prevent infection.
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Have Part Of The Toenail Removed
Learning how to cut your toenails the right way and avoiding tight-fitting shoes usually prevents ingrown toenails in the future. Some people, however, cant fix the problem on their own.
Unfortunately, their toenails grow in a such a way that they will eventually cause pain.
If this describes your situation, then Dr. Rambacher may want to remove a part of your toenail. After removing part of the toenail, the nail cant grow into your skin.
Dr. Rambacher can even use laser therapy to target highly specific parts of your toenail. If necessary, he can use laser therapy to remove recurring ingrown toenails at their roots.
When To See A Doctor
Although you can do many things to treat an infected toe at home, its important to understand when you need to seek medical care. Call your doctor or a podiatrist if:
- You are noticing redness, swelling, and/or drainage coming from your toe
- You think you may have a fungal infection and over-the-counter creams havent worked
- You have an infected or ingrown toenail and youre diabetic
- Your toenail infection symptoms dont go away, they worsen, or they keep coming back
You should seek immediate medical attention if you have a fever and notice red streaks on your skin that lead away from the infected area on your toe, as these symptoms indicate a more severe infection.
An infected toenail can impact your daily life, but it doesnt have to. Learning how to treat an infected toe and knowing when to call your doctor can get you back to doing all the activities you love. If youre concerned about an infection in your toe, you should schedule an appointment with a podiatrist before attempting to treat painful symptoms at home.
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Ways To Treat Ingrown Toenails
Ingrown toenails can be very painful and at times need the attention of a professional, but there are some things you can do on your own.
Ingrown toenails are painful, and they can be tricky to treat because they can easily become infected and are often a recurring problem.
If your ingrown toenail has become infected, you shouldn’t attempt to treat it yourself. “The first thing is, if they’re infected, they need to be seen by a podiatrist,” says Alan K. Mauser, DPM, a podiatrist in Louisville, Ky.
If the ingrown toenail is not infected, you can try some at-home remedies to keep the pain at bay and prevent the ingrown toenail from coming back. Here are some ideas:
