Ingrown Toenail : 8 Quick and Effective Remedies to Get Rid of it

A toe protector is basically a sleeve that you put around your toe.

Why put a tube around the affected toe? Basically, it acts as a shock absorber until your toe heals completely.

In particular, it protects against the pressure exerted by your shoes. Rather logical, when you think about it!

Afterwards, you continue to wear it until the ingrown toenail disappears.

The toe protectors are available in 2 forms:

• In the form of rings, which cover and protect the affected part of the nail.
• In the form of tubes, which cover the entire toe.

#1 Try a nail straightener

I warn you, this is probably the most unusual solution on this list!

Here’s how it works: The nail straightener is made of a very thin composite material.

It is clipped onto the edge of the affected nail, with a thin layer of glue to keep it in place. And that’s where the magic begins.

The nail straightener will naturally lift the edges of the ingrown nail. For one thing, it keeps it from digging into the skin. More importantly, it allows your nail to grow back straight.

And that’s it! Goodbye, pain, swelling and company…

See your doctor for a treatment with antibiotics

Here’s what you need to know: If your ingrown toenail is not infected, doctors usually don’t prescribe antibiotics.

But wait… You should know that there are exceptions to this rule. And be careful, if this applies to you, it’s very very important! Do you have a chronic disease?

For example diabetes, heart disease, or an immune system disease?

Then go see a doctor without fail. And this, even if you don’t have an infection.

But if your nail is infected, treatment with antibiotics is probably the best solution for you. Here are the symptoms of an infected ingrown toenail:

– intense redness

– sharp, throbbing pain

– intense swelling

– Pus discharge

– a warm feeling in and around the toe

– bad smell.

As a last resort: surgical treatment

If none of the above remedies have been successful in removing your ingrown toenail…

Or if, despite all the treatments, the ingrown toenail keeps coming back… There is only one choice: surgical treatment.

The doctor will remove the part of the nail that hurts the skin. But don’t panic!

Of course, the procedure is done under local anesthesia. It also involves changing the curvature of the nail to avoid a recurrence.

Talk to your doctor and he or she will explain the steps to follow. The worst thing to do? It would be to let the condition of your nail get worse!

Ingrown toenail: when to consult a doctor?

On the surface, an ingrown toenail may seem like a minor annoyance. But for some people, it can lead to very serious complications.

I know, I’m repeating myself a bit…

But it’s so important to point out! There are certain circumstances where seeing your doctor becomes necessary, even for a mild case of ingrown toenail.

I can’t stress this enough… So, go see your doctor right away, if you suffer from a chronic disease like:

– diabetes

– heart disease,

– or an immune system disease

Similarly, go see your doctor if :

– the pain, redness, and swelling become more intense

– if the ingrown toenail persists despite home remedies

– if your skin has an allergic reaction to a treatment

– if you have questions about the best way to treat an ingrown toenail.

Again: Most of the time, an ingrown toenail heals very easily.

Using the above home treatments, it should disappear in about 1 week.

And this without leaving any after-effects. But very often, ingrown toenails have the annoying tendency to reappear!

That’s why you need to know how to avoid ingrown toenails. First of all, you have to make sure you cut your toenails properly.

And precisely, let’s talk about it…

How to avoid ingrown toenails ?

Yes, you should know: There is a right way and a wrong way to cut your nails.

Especially if you are trying to avoid ingrown toenails!

How to do it

1. Use nail scissors instead of traditional nail clippers. First of all, your gesture will be more precise with scissors.

And most importantly, scissors allow you to perfectly follow the curve of the nail.

2. Disinfect your scissors before each use.
3. Cut your nails after taking a shower or bath. This way, they will be well softened and easier to cut.
4. And most important: cut them straight.

This means that you should leave the nail slightly protruding on each side.

Exactly as in the picture above. If the edges are too short, your nails may grow into the flesh.

5. Finally, use a nail file to remove any small fragments that could penetrate the skin.