Ingrown toenail remedies
The area that attaches the nail to the toe is called a sterile matrix. On either side of the nail are areas called grooves, where the skin of the toes meets the nail matrix and the edge of the toenail. In the case of ingrown toenails, the nail grooves begin to disappear, caused by many different factors. If there is pressure of the nail edge rubbing against the nail groove it causes the skin surrounding it to swell, and over-grow.
Before we move on to the ingrown toenail remedies , let’s look at some of the causes of ingrown toenails—
Ingrown toenails happen when the nail grows under the skin of the side of your toe. ingrown toenail infection Most common causes are:
-wearing snug shoes, socks or tights that impact the toenails
-cutting toenails too short, or not cutting straight across
-toenail injuries
-curved toenails
-thick toenails
-heredity factors
-weight gain-more pressure being added to the toes because of more weight
Many ingrown toenail cases are self-inflicted. Ripping off the toenail with fingers, instead of cutting them, leaves jagged edges. The edges can dig into the nail grooves when tight socks or shoes press against the nail. Cutting the nail too short and rounding nail corners can also do the same damage.
Ingrown Toenail remedies- signs and symptoms
Often, ingrown toenails become red and infected. They are a common condition and can be extremely painful, especially around teenage years.
-Pain/ tenderness inside the toe around one or even both sides of the toenail
-Redness around the toenail
-Swelling of the toe
Paronychia (painful infection) can happen when a toenail digs into the flesh. It starts out as just minor swelling, some redness and clear fluid oozing from the infected area feet hurt. It no treatment is sought after noticing this infection, then it can become painful and swollen. It can make walking excruciating. Puss starts excreting from the site and purple streaks can appear along the foot and up the leg. This is a sign of immediate medical attention, as it is a sign that gangrene has set in—although this is a rare condition.
ingrown toenail remedies —
There can be some options for at home treatments of Ingrown Toenails-Here are some ingrown toenail remedies:
-Soaking foot in tub filled with warm, sage and yarrow tea (1/2 cup of each dry herb per gallon of boiling water, ½ cup of sea salt, and couple drops of tea tree lavender essential oil) for 15 mins
-Use a drop of thyme, lavender or tea tree essential oil on it daily.
-Draining the abscess
-After draining, cover with ointment and gauze
-Soaking in soapy water, 4 times a day
-Placing a cotton piece in the corner of toenail, under the nail
-Regular professional trimming
-Washing infected area twice a day, keeping foot clean for rest of the day
-No high heels or tight-fitting shoes
– You may take a pain reliever like Ibuprofen.
-Damping a cotton ball with some hydrogen peroxide and using it to clean the affected toenail three or four times a day
-Applying a slice of onion on the affected toenail, covering it with a bandage, and allowing it to stay on overnight
-Applying a slice of lemon on the affected toenail, covering it with a bandage, and allowing it to stay on overnight
ingrown toenail remedies and prevention —
-Carefully clipping the toenails, straight across. It’s important to keep your toenails short, but not too short. Toenails should be slightly longer than the tips of the toes, as recommended. When trimming your toe nails, pay attention to the natural line of the nail if you want to avoid an ingrown toenail. Clip the nails carefully and straight through the natural line.
– When trimming your nails, never dig down into the corners of the nail if you want to avoid an ingrown toenail. You may want to use specially designed toenail clippers to help prevent an ingrown toenail. These clippers will help make sure you do not gouge into the corners of your toe nails when cutting. You may want to try using clippers such as the Eloi Ingrown Toe Nail Nipper: This is a podiatrist-grade clipper and is specifically designed to trim (and help prevent) an ingrown toe nail. Or you could try the Seki Slant Edge Ingrown Toe Nail Clipper offered by FootSmart. This clipper has The Podiatry Institute’s suggested straight cutting edge so that you can cut nails to avoid ingrown toe nails. The clipper is larger for a better grip.
-Wear well-fitting shoes
-Keep feet dry and clean.
-Try to wear sandals, flip flops or open-toed shoes until your toenail is healed.
Other Products for ingrown toenail remedies
Tender Nail for an Ingrown Toe Nail: This solution helps ease pain from an ingrown toe nail.
Professional Ingrown Toe Nail File: It has a very thin file on top and rounded edges. This ingrown toe nail file helps you work in difficult areas and give painful ingrown toenails special care.
Anna Leake is a health blogger that focuses on topics related to nutrition, fitness, and mental health. She was born in New York City but at age 6 moved to the Midwest where she spent her childhood exploring nature with friends and family. Anna graduated from University of Michigan-Ann Arbor with degrees in psychology & human development.