An ingrown toenail is usually caused by trimming your toenails too short, although some people are more prone due to lifestyle choices such as wearing narrow-toed high heels too often.Ingrown toenails cause pain and inflammation because the corner or side of the nail grows into the big toe.You can often manage and resolve an ingrown toenail at home by soaking it in warm water, but sometimes medical intervention is needed.
Step 1: Prepare a warm bath.
The purpose of soaking your toe/foot in a warm bath is to reduce the pain and make it easier to trim it or put something under it to relieve the pressure.Put a big container with warm water in it for your entire foot.It is possible to reduce pain and swelling by adding some Epsom salt.The magnesium in the salt will help the foot muscles relax.Salt acts as a natural antibacterial, but other ingredients can be added to the water to deter a potential infections.The more fluid you pull out of your toe, the less swelling it will cause.If you can find a foot jacuzzi, use it for the bath because the jets will provide better water circulation and a gentle foot massage.If you don't have any Epsom salt at home, you can use table salt.
Step 2: Take your foot and toe out.
Once the bath water is warm enough, submerge your entire foot in it and let it soak for 15 minutes.If you want to repeat the foot bath three to five times daily, don't throw the water out.It's a sign that fluid was sucked out of your feet/toes when you use Epsom salt.Blood circulation can be improved by flexing your toes in the bath.If you have swelling in your toe, follow the warm salt bath with cold therapy and ice to numb it for 10 minutes.Ice reduces inflammation and dulls pain.
Step 3: You can massage your toe in the bath.
While your toe is soaking in the warm bath, massage the tissue gently in order to reduce the inflammation.The massage will likely reduce the pressure and pain in your toe by releasing blood into the water, which is fine.Push towards your ankle and lightly massage the most inflammatory part of your toe, using your thumb and forefinger.It's best to only massage your toe for about five minutes in the bath.
Step 4: Make sure your foot is dry.
Make sure to dry your foot with a clean towel after you're done with the warm foot bath.Keeping your toe dry is important becausebacteria and other potential pathogens prefer moist, warm conditions in which they can flourish and reproduce.After you've dried your toe/foot, elevate your leg on a few cushions while you sit in order to promote blood drainage out of your foot, which helps combat inflammation.Whenever it feels like the nail is causing you pain, you repeat the entire process.
Step 5: Use antibiotic cream.
Just before you go to bed in the evening, apply antibiotic cream, lotion or ointment to your affected toe at least a couple of times.After the cream has absorbed into the soft tissue surrounding the toe, apply a sanitized bandage.You should change the bandage every time you apply antibiotics.Clorox bleach, hydrogen peroxide, white vinegar, baking soda, and fresh lemon juice are some of the compounds that have antibiotic properties.If the skin has been cut by a sharp ingrown toenail, most home remedies that act as antiseptics will sting.It doesn't sting or irritate the skin when applied to it's surface.It can be found in health food stores.
Step 6: There is cotton or dental floss under the toenail.
After soaking your foot in a warm bath, the ingrown toenail will loosen up and allow you to slip a small piece of cotton, gauze, or dental floss under the nail, which will provide some padding for the sensitive soft tissue.Pull the skin back and lift the toenail with a nail file, or something similar, and push the cotton under it.The cotton should be changed daily.It may take a couple of weeks for the ingrown toenail to grow enough to no longer poke into the skin.Attempting "do-it-yourself" surgery by cutting into the toenail can cause the condition to get worse.
Step 7: The toenails should be trimmed properly.
Don't make the same mistakes when the toenail is long enough to clip.Cut the toe straight across and don't clip it at angles.Don't cut them too short as it will make the injured toe worse.If you have your toenails done by a pedicurist, make sure your nails are straight across and not too close to the skin.You should be able to fit your nail under the side of the toenail.If home care and changing your trimming technique doesn't help or prevent your ingrown toenails, then you should see a foot specialist.
Step 8: The cause of the pain should be determined.
If one of your big toes starts to hurt, take off your socks and take a closer look at it in order to determine the cause of the pain.If the condition develops slowly, getting worse over the course of many days, and you have a history of trimming your toenails short or wearing tight shoes, then you're likely dealing with an ingrown toenail.It's easy to see where the toenail is digging into or piercing the soft tissue surrounding the nail bed.Other signs to look for include redness and tender to touch, along one or both sides of the nail.Athletes are more likely to have ingrown toenails.
Step 9: Look for signs of illness.
The most serious consequence of an ingrown toe is a disease caused by a breakdown in the skin surrounding the nail bed.If you have an ingrown toenail, it will get even more swollen and tender, firm and warm to touch, and eventually discharge pus that smells foul.Some skin will peel off due to the warmth and swelling.Your immune system sends white blood cells to kill anybacteria within the injury, which is good, but sometimes thebacteria grow faster than the immune cells can contain them.If an affected toe doesn't go away within a week, then you should see your doctor.The ingrown nail wedge may be removed by your doctor.If your toenails are curved with the shape of your toe, you're encouraging the toenail to grow into the skin on the sides.
Step 10: Other causes of toe pain should be ruled out.
If you have an ingrown toenail, you should be aware of a number of other painful conditions.Gout (an inflammatory type of arthritis), bunions (chronic toe sprain leading to deformity), broken or dislocated toes, rhythym (tissue death due to lack of blood supply), and neuropathy related to diabetes are some examples.A gout attack can happen within hours and can cause intense pain and inflammation in the big toe.Gout is related to eating too many seafood and organ meats.A big toe is caused by wearing narrow shoes for a long time.It's a chronic joint injury.The tell-tale signs are a crooked toe and achy joints.Ingrown toenails can be caused by rubbing your toe or other foot injuries.