Do’s and Don’ts for Dealing with Ingrown Toenails

ingrown toenails

If you’ve ever suffered from an ingrown toenail, we at Pasco-Hernando Foot & Ankle don’t have to tell you how painful it is. Below are some do’s and don’ts for handling this common podiatric condition.

Do: start by doing everything possible to prevent an ingrown toenail from forming. It includes:

  • Keeping toenails trimmed straight across and not too short. Curved edges encourage nails to grow down and into the skin surrounding the nail bed.

  • Avoid overly tight hose, socks, and shoes. These force the toes up against each other for extended periods, making ingrown nails more likely.

  • Treat other toenail conditions, such as toenail fungus and injuries promptly, as these may lead to an ingrown nail.

Don’t: miss the early signs of an ingrown toenail developing. A minor irritation around the toe usually precedes the redness, tenderness, and swelling that increases as the nail grows deeper into the skin.

Do: contact our Hudson office by calling 727-868-2128 or 352-683-5799 at the first sign of an ingrown toenail. Our podiatrist, Dr. Lawrence J. Kales, will want to look at your toe and treat it as soon as possible. Untreated ingrown nails are likely to develop a bacterial infection also.

Don’t: be nervous about getting your ingrown toenail treated. We will gently numb your toe and then remove the corner that is ingrown. Patients with ingrown nails inevitably leave the office in less pain than when they arrived! For some patients, ingrown toenails are a chronic condition, sometimes genetic. If this is your situation, the foot doctor may recommend removing the root of the offending nail to prevent it from becoming ingrown in the future.

Don’t: attempt to remove your ingrown toenail. It will likely result in injury and infection. Folk remedies like putting a piece of cotton between your nail and nail bed, or cutting a notch out of the nail, are also dangerous and ineffective.

If you have concerns about your toenails and any changes or pain you are experiencing in them, don’t hesitate to contact us.

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