Ingrown toenails can be just as much of a nuisance as papercuts around the nails. But the possible risks associated with not dealing with ingrown toenails are considerably more serious, as this can grow into infections. Therefore, it will be much better if the problems are dealt with as soon as it starts to show. Here are the steps on how to treat your ingrown toenails.
Following are the measures you can take depending on how much the nail has grown under the skin. You can look into it yourself and consider the solution that will be the most optimum and beneficial for you. You can treat it independently and get medical help depending on the severity.
Step To Step Guide To How To Treat Your Ingrown Toenails:
Now, how you can treat or get yourself treated for the ingrown toenails depends greatly on the extent to which you feel the swollenness and soreness in the toe and if the area around the nail is infected.
If it is just some soreness and redness that you are feeling because of ingrown toenails, then the following steps can prove to be the most effective for you:
1. Soak Your Feet
It is advised for people to soak their feet in the water if they have ingrown toenails. You can pour some medical reagents, double salts, or a small number of antiseptics into the water. The soaking water can be cold or hot as per your requirements, but try to repeat the process at least twice daily for nearly half an hour each time.
2. Tape the Nail
Use medical tapes to wrap around the toe that has the ingrown toenail. Make it a tight wrap, and let it stay in place for 6 to 7 hours. You can also put some antiseptic on the affected or soar skin before wrapping the tape around the nail. The antiseptic under the tape will moisturize the skin enough to easily slide the skin aside to cut the nail before it grows any further.
If the skin stays sore in the area, and you cannot cut the nail, continuously change the tape every 10 hours and try again after the 4th change.
3. Lift the Toenail
Snow, this method can be the most beneficial for you if the sharp end of your nail sticks out of the skin, but the other portion around the end is embedded in the skin. You use a thin filer to support the nail upwards and cut it with a nail clipper. This will ensure that the nail does not grow any further in the skin and help remove soreness in the toe.
4. Use Toe Brace
This device will help hold your tow in position so that it does not accumulate any further damage from the movement. And, over this brace, you can wear comfortable socks and slippers or apply ointment and wait until the swelling goes down over that area.
Ways in which a Medical Practitioner will help you
If the area around the ingrown toenail has gotten infected, then the best thing you can do is consult a medical professional. And he will help you develop the most optimum solution for your problem.
Also, dozens of ways and practices can help you get rid of the ingrown toenail, and the professional will help you get acquainted with the safest and most effective one.
1. Partial Removal
In this procedure, the medical practitioner will just numb your toe temporarily and remove the portion of the nail that has been embedded under the skin. And as it takes comparatively longer for toenails to grow out compared to fingernails, it will take a good 3 months for the toenail to grow back in full. In the meantime, your problems and the infection will be completely dealt with.
2. Complete removal of Nail
This method will only be used when the infection in the ingrown toenail area is too severe. To cope with any further problems that might arise, the whole skin tissue from the area is surgically removed and is finely treated following appropriate medical procedures.
And alongside that, the ingrown nail is cut off. This method is used to stop the nail from growing in the same area in the future, and chemical or laser techniques are used.
3. Gutter Splint
This is a supporting splint or plastic piece placed right under the ingrown toenail. And, as the toenail grows, it will support itself out of the skin. And there will be no soreness or possibility of infection in the area. This process is not done at home as any possible error can lead to infection.
Things not to do with the ingrown Toenails
1. Digging out the toenail
Do not dig out the nail that has been embedded under the skin tissue. This will only lead to further problems. This can lead to infection, or even a part of your nail might be embedded even deeper in the skin.
2. Forcefully placing something under the toenail
You can not place something under your ingrown toenail out of your own accord, as that object can lead to infection. And cotton is also included in that.
Take better care of your Toenails
1. Clip and File
Try not to clip your nails too short or in an irregular manner. When you clip your nails, ensure they are still pretty close to the upper pad of the toe, and then file the cut nails in a straight line. This will ensure that the toenails will no longer be embedded in the skin.
2. Soak your Feet in the water
Soaking your feet in water saturated with iodine solution, Epson salt, antiseptics, or apple cider can help prevent infection in the toenails to a great extent. Besides that, all these compounds are known to help improve skin health and texture.
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