How to Cure an Ingrown Toenail: From Prevention to Cure
We can think of being the victim of an ingrown toenail when the corner of the nail, especially the big toe, tends to dig into the surrounding flesh, causing pain and often infection. How to cure an ingrown toenail ? And why is it formed?
We see it in this article, in which we try to understand how to deal with this annoying problem which can also cause walking problems, especially if neglected or treated incorrectly and do it yourself.
Causes of ingrown toenail
The ingrown toenail, or onychocryptosis, is a disorder that can affect anyone without distinction, at any age and regardless of gender.
The causes can be both congenital, because maybe you have a large nail that tends to hurt and cut the skin, and linked to the wrong footwear, perhaps too narrow, or to the way of cutting the nails , which are too short.
In fact, among the possible risk factors we find nails cut in the wrong and rough way, allowing the skin to adhere too much to the nail, footwear that constricts and compresses the feet, perspiration, which softens the flesh, an accident that causes small trauma to the finger, however causing the onset of the ingrown nail. Finally, as we have already seen, the shape of the nail can also lead to this problem.
How to recognize it? Symptoms and consequences
You may find that the nail is growing painfully because the skin is pulling over the nail, or the nail itself is cutting through the flesh. Initially the finger hardens and hurts, as if there is a bruise where the nail cuts into the skin. Then swelling appears , accompanied by other symptoms such as sharp pain, redness and a sense of warmth and often also pus and blood.
We need to intervene immediately on such an episode, because an ingrown nail can cause infections that can even reach the bone in the worst cases. Those with diabetes could run the greatest risks, as this pathology causes neuropathy and less blood flow to the lower limbs.
How to diagnose the disorder?
We must not be frightened when the first symptoms appear, immediately thinking of the worst. As I said, the most serious complications occur only in the case of neglect or the presence of other pathologies, such as diabetes.
If you think a toenail is becoming ingrown, you may want to seek advice from a callist, podolgus, or even just your doctor to get an immediate evaluation of the case. It is advisable to seek this advice before the infection occurs, as preventive treatment is more effective and less painless.
How to cure ingrown toenail: remedies
There are possibilities to make this disorder disappear and they do not necessarily require surgery, which unfortunately must be resorted to in the most serious cases and on doctor’s advice.
However, we also find non-surgical remedies, to which it would be better to appeal as soon as pain and swelling are perceived, again to avoid complications.
As already mentioned, the podiatrist is one of the professionals of reference in the treatment of these foot disorders which can also cause problems in walking and posture, due to pain. You should understand when it is appropriate to resort to it: if in doubt, it is still better to ask for an opinion without waiting for the clinical picture to get worse.
Furthermore, you can treat the problem by dedicating yourself a footbath of hot water and salt to keep your foot as clean as possible, avoiding the creation of infections due to poor hygiene (these are still difficult to clean fissures) and sweating. If possible, it should be done at least two or three times a day, in order to soften the nail and prevent it from being too sharp.
The salt will help draw out any pus. Once you have left your foot in the bath, remember to dry the skin very well, dabbing and without rubbing, trying to ensure that it stays dry and changing your socks often, so as to avoid the proliferation of bacteria.
Finally, you must wear comfortable shoes that do not tighten, in order to avoid compressing the foot and making the situation worse. In summer you have to take advantage of open shoes that allow the skin to breathe (obviously hygiene must be taken care of very much because dust and sand can dirty the wound).
If the pain does not go away in this way, it is time to seek help from a doctor.
Ailment prevention
If you then want to prevent this really painful ailment, here are some precautions that you will need to adopt once healed: the nails should not be cut rounded, but straight, so as to avoid the growth of edges that can recreate the problem.
During the check it is advisable to gently push the skin away from the nail, digging any residues into the cracks, cleaning the area and avoiding dangerous contact. You could use a cotton swab dipped in olive oil or tea tree oil , which has antibacterial as well as emollient properties.
Finally, I reiterate the importance of asking for help from a professional, who can implement practices that cannot be implemented alone, either due to inexperience or lack of suitable tools.
Medicines to take
If there is an ongoing infection, the doctor may recommend the use of antibiotics, both topical (ointments) and systemic (orally). Eventually he could also prescribe painkillers and / or anti-inflammatories.
When to act surgically?
If the nail is severely compromised by the infection, then it may be necessary to resort to surgery , a simple operation aimed at completely removing the nail, or part of it.
Obviously this will be done under local anesthesia. This action involves the regrowth of the nail, which in this way can be kept under control, but it is also possible to eliminate it permanently, especially in those children who unfortunately suffer from the problem in a chronic and unmanageable way.
It must be said that instead removing the entire nail and letting it grow back could cause some deformity to the new nail, which will be complete again within about 4 months of the operation.
However, it is better to prevent, as we read in the next paragraph.
Prevent ingrown toenails
If you know you are suffering from this problem, it is good that you take care of your nails constantly, guiding their growth, keeping the area clean and cutting your nails correctly, i.e. in a rectangle and not a rounded shape.
Obviously you need to wash your feet daily and dry them carefully, perhaps hydrating them with some cream and eliminating dead skin.
Finally, I remind you of the importance of contacting qualified professionals and not so-called experts, because the risk of infection , or that of mistaking a mycosis for an ingrown toenail and doing damage with tools, is very high!
She defines herself as curious by nature. In 2006 she graduated with honors in Biotechnology at the Sapienza University of Rome. Between 2005 and 2009, she carried out a university internship and research activity in the field of tumor immunotherapy. She is a co-author of three scientific publications. Since 2007 you have associated your passion for science with that for the web, starting the management of the FitnessEquilibrium.com project.