10 Home Remedies for Ingrown Toenails

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See how to keep your toes healthy and reduce discomfort from ingrown nails. See more home remedy pictures.
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Here's the good news: Treating ingrown toenails is easy and relatively painless. Now for the bad news: A simple nail infection, if not treated properly, can swiftly lead to further complications. When a sharp edge of a toenail grows into the skin folds at its edge, it results in pain and discomfort, especially if the wound gets infected. This article will offer some great home remedies for treating and preventing ingrown toenails, but first we need to add a few precautions.

If you have diabetes or any other condition that affects circulation, don't even think of trying to treat a nail infection yourself. In people with poor circulation, any foot wound or infection takes longer to heal. If not properly treated, an injury could worsen quickly and cause other complications; at worst, it could result in amputation. Reduced circulation also affects the foot's sensitivity to pain, which can delay detection of a minor injury. To complicate matters even more, people with diabetes often have nerve damage in the feet that further limits their ability to sense the pain caused by a worsening wound. So leave your foot doctoring -- and even your nail cutting, unless you have your doctor's okay -- to a trained health-care professional. But be sure to clean, dry, and examine your feet every day, and call the doctor at the first sign of a nail or foot problem.

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If you do need to seek medical attention, a podiatrist can solve the problem with minor surgery that permanently narrows the nail. After applying a local anesthetic, the doctor removes part of the nail's side border, as well as some of the cells that line the base of the toenail (this area is known as the matrix). Removing these cells at the root of the nail eliminates the corner of the nail that burrows into the skin.

People without nerve or circulatory problems, however, can usually take care of an ingrown toenail themselves, if they follow the home remedies from experts outlined in the next section.

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.

1: Soak Your Toe

spa foot treament
Soak your foot in warm water.
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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.

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.

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2: Apply Ointment

Pill bottles by medicine cabinet
Use a topical antibiotic dressing to prevent infection.
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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.

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3: Don't Play Surgeon

Ingrown nail on man's foot.
Don't attempt to fix that ingrown nail with your bathroom tools, as there is a high risk of infection.
©iStockphoto.com/Alberto L. Pomares G.

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.

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4: Trim Nails Properly

A man clips his nails.
Keep your nails neat and cut them straight across.
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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.

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.

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5: Wear the Right Socks

socks
Colored socks have dyes that might further aggravate your wound -- stick with white.
Reader's Digest

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.

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6: Buy New Shoes

classic loafer shoes
Shoes with a roomier toe and low heels can help relieve pressure on your toes.
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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.

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7: Get Some Sandals

flip flop
Sandals allow open air to speed healing.
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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.

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8: Watch Where You Walk

hiking
Make sure to wear closed-toe shoes for urban or cross-country excursions.
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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. Also, be careful to not stub your toe, as that can produce injuries that cause the nail to thicken or grow inward.

 

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9: Ignore Old Wives' Tales

little boy whispering into older woman's ear
Beware of old wives' tales.
©iStockphoto.com/AndreasReh

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.

 

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10: Pass on Some Pedicures

pedicure
When getting a pedicure, avoid metallic instruments.
Nancy R. Cohen/Digital Vision/Getty Images

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 here, and you'll be putting your best foot forward in no time.

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