Home Remedy Treatments for Ingrown Toenails
Ingrown toenails can be quite painful, especially if the toenail gets infected. Read on to learn about home remedies to take care of an ingrown toenail, as well as things to definitely not do.
Go soak your toe. To relieve the soreness, soak your foot in a basin of warm, not hot, water mixed with a tablespoon or two of Epsom salts. Soak your toe for five to ten minutes, once or twice a day.
Try a different solution. Some doctors recommend a product called Domeboro Astringent Solution, an antibacterial, anti-inflammatory soak that you can buy without a prescription at most drugstores. Dipping your feet in this solution for 20 to 30 minutes each night should help bring down inflammation so that the nail can grow out naturally.
Apply ointment. If the nail has already broken the skin (or is close to doing so), spread a topical antibiotic dressing, such as Neosporin, on the wound to prevent infection.
Don't play surgeon. You're not helping matters by performing bathroom surgery on your toe. You risk giving yourself an infection, since the implements in your medicine cabinet are probably chock full of bacteria and who knows what else. And if the nail has grown in deeply, your skin may already be infected. So see a podiatrist.
Go straight. No more curved toenails! When trimming your toenails, get in the habit of cutting them straight across. If the corners seem too sharp, it's okay to file them down a bit.
Don't cut too short. When you stand up, the weight of your body places pressure on your feet. That pressure pushes up the skin in front of the toenail. If you cut a nail too short, it may dig into the skin as it grows. Always trim a nail so it is flush with the front end of your toe.
Wear the right sock. White socks only, please, if the nail has cut into the skin. Dyes used in colored hosiery can run and may leak into the wound. This could cause further complications, especially if you are allergic or sensitive to dyes.
Step into a different shoe. An ingrown toenail may be nature's way of telling you to go shopping for new shoes that don't pinch your toes. If you're a woman, avoid high heels; try a lower heel (about one inch high) to relieve the pressure on your toes. Men and women alike should shop for shoes with a roomier toe.
 ©2007 Publications International, Ltd. Open-toed sandals to give your ailing toe extra room and allow it to breathe. |
Get some sandals, too. If the weather allows, wear open-toed sandals to give your ailing toe extra room and allow it to breathe. Put yourself in your toes' place: If you were sick, would you want to be cooped up all day in a dark, damp, hot room? Healing will be speedier in the open air.
Watch where you walk. While padding around in sandals is a great idea, open-air footwear isn't suited for all terrains. In particular, avoid wearing sandals in the city, where the sidewalks may be covered with bacteria that could enter your injured toe, or on uneven ground, where an open toe is more vulnerable to bumps and cuts. Wear sandals around your home, but choose shoes with closed toes for urban or cross-country excursions.
Guard your toes. Even while wearing shoes, accidents and mishaps can hurt your toes pretty badly. For instance, drop a bowling ball on your toe and you could lose the nail, which may grow back as an ingrown toenail. If your job poses any danger to your feet, or if you have a habit of dropping things, wear steel-toed shoes.
Don't stub. Stubbing your toe can produce injuries that cause the nail to thicken or grow inward.
Ignore old wives. There's an old wives' tale that says by cutting a V in the top center of the nail, pressure will be relieved. But doctors point out that nails grow from the base of the toe, so this folk treatment makes little sense. Some people with ingrown toenails swear by rubbing coal oil into the affected area, though there's no medical reason this therapy might help.
Pass on some pedicures. If you intend to have a pedicure, be sure the person who is performing it does not use metallic instruments to remove dead skin; pumice stones are okay. And make sure all of their tools are sterilized before being used on you.
Don't let an ingrown toenail get the best of you. Follow the home remedies and guidelines described above, and you'll be putting your best foot forward in no time.
- To see all of our home remedies and the conditions they treat, go to our main Home Remedies page.
- Another painful ailment that can befall your feet is athlete's foot. Learn how to treat this condition in Home Remedies for Athlete's Foot.
- Though it is your body's way of trying to protect you, calluses and corns can also be painful. Check out our Home Remedies for Calluses and Corns to alleviate this problem.
- Whether your feet or hurting or not, their smell can be painful. If your feet stink, check out our Home Remedies for Foot Odor.
- Sometimes your feet can hurt just from overuse or the shoes you're wearing. Learn more in Home Remedies for Foot Pain.
Timothy Gower is a freelance writer and editor whose work has appeared in many publications, including Reader's Digest, Prevention, Men's Health, Better Homes and Gardens, The New York Times, and The Los Angeles Times. The author of four books, Gower is also a contributing editor for Health magazine.
Alice Lesch Kelly is a health writer based in Boston. Her work has been published in magazines such as Shape, Fit Pregnancy, Woman's Day, Reader's Digest, Eating Well, and Health. She is the co-author of three books on women's health.
Linnea Lundgren has more than 12 years experience researching, writing, and editing for newspapers and magazines. She is the author of four books, including Living Well With Allergies.
Michele Price Mann is a freelance writer who has written for such publications as Weight Watchers and Southern Living magazines. Formerly assistant health and fitness editor at Cooking Light magazine, her professional passion is learning and writing about health.
ABOUT THE CONSULTANTS:
Ivan Oransky, M.D., is the deputy editor of The Scientist. He is author or co-author of four books, including The Common Symptom Answer Guide, and has written for publications including the Boston Globe, The Lancet, and USA Today. He holds appointments as a clinical assistant professor of medicine and as adjunct professor of journalism at New York University.
David J. Hufford, Ph.D., is university professor and chair of the Medical Humanities Department at Pennsylvania State University's College of Medicine. He also is a professor in the departments of Neural and Behavioral Sciences and Family and Community Medicine. Dr. Hufford serves on the editorial boards of several journals, including Alternative Therapies in Health & Medicine and Explore.
This information is solely for informational purposes. IT IS NOT INTENDED TO PROVIDE MEDICAL ADVICE. Neither the Editors of Consumer Guide (R), Publications International, Ltd., the author nor publisher take responsibility for any possible consequences from any treatment, procedure, exercise, dietary modification, action or application of medication which results from reading or following the information contained in this information. The publication of this information does not constitute the practice of medicine, and this information does not replace the advice of your physician or other health care provider. Before undertaking any course of treatment, the reader must seek the advice of their physician or other health care provider.
