Ingrown toenail treatment
Ingrown toenail causes
What exactly is an ingrown toenail? It is when the sides of the toenail grow into the toenail borders and break the skin and create an infection. This can occur from chronic tight fitting shoes, picking or tearing at your toenails, or simply genetic predisposition.
Ingrown Toenail Symptoms
Redness, swelling, and warmth to the side of the toe where the skin and nail meet. There may be bleeding which eventually leads to dry blood on the nail plate or in severe cases which can be expressed from the area when pushing on the nail.
Ingrown Toenail Home Treatment
Begin soaking the infected toenail in a container of warm water with a tablespoon of Epsom salts or antibacterial soap for 20 minutes twice a day. Cover the toenail with a band aid and antibacterial ointment such as Neosporin. Attempting to remove the toenail yourself will most likely result in a failed attempt and a portion of the nail remains as seen in this video.
Ingrown Toenail Surgery
If the condition does not respond you should see a podiatrist to have the ingrown toenail removed. This is a simple procedure that we perform in the office daily and can allow you to return to activity immediately. Typically antibiotics are not required after the ingrown toenail is removed.
One comment
Mindy Jollie
September 26, 2019 at 1:03 pm
It’s good to know that you can get an ingrown toenail removed surgically if nothing else works. My son has an ingrown nail and it’s been sticking around for a while. We’ll have to see if we can find a treatment that will work for him.