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Ingrown Toenails are painful if left alone. They cause your toes to swell because the skin surrounding the toenail begins to grow on top of it, leading to significant discomfort, inflammation and/or infection. The pain actually makes the toes feel sensitive to the touch and they may look reddish around the edges because of the swelling of the toenail.
The infection happens when the skin that digs into the toenail is cut by that nail, allowing any foreign contaminants to enter the open wound. What may seem like a throbbing pain at first can become a serious. To deal with ingrown toenails correctly is to take the proper precautions when needed.
Follow these suggestions for ingrown toenail relief:
- Correctly fitting shoes plays a large role in preventing ingrown toenails because the skin is no longer being pressed against the nails from the inside of your shoes. Try to make sure that there is ample space in the toe box when standing and walking with your shoes. If they feel snug, it’s time to get a new pair.
- Another helpful tip is to make sure your toenails are cut in a straight manner, with clean clippers.
- Keeping feet dry and disinfected can help prevent infections from occurring.
- In some cases, the actual toenail may need to be lifted a bit to allow the skin to heal and to potentially remove a part of the nail so that it no longer digs into the skin whatsoever. If the entire nail is removed, a special medication may be placed on the nail bed to kill the root and prevent it from growing again.
At Performance Foot & Ankle Specialists, LLC, located in Waterbury 203-755-0489 & Newtown 203-270-6724, Connecticut, our podiatrist, Dr. Joel S. Segalman, DPM, can evaluate the best possible treatment plan for your toenails so that they no longer dig into the surrounding skin. Please call our office at any of the two numbers listed above to schedule an appointment with us today so that we can start getting your toenails back in shape!