Fixes & Myths About Ingrown Toenails
Ouch
They can really hurt - and you might even get little sympathy from those closest to you (or maybe not).
So what is an ingrown toenail? An ingrown toenail occurs when a portion of a toenail turns downward and grows into the skin around it. Normally, nails are nearly flat; in some cases however the border of the nail can turn downwards and it begins to injure the skin, causing pain and sometimes infection.
How did this happen?
There are several causes of an ingrowing toenail. Most commonly, not cutting your toenails properly (or picking) - down at an angle instead of straight across - can produce a nail edge that grows into the skin. Also, wearing narrow, poorly fitted or pointed shoes can apply pressure to a normal nail, encouraging abnormal growth. It is often a problem that runs in families, where the nail does not grow straight.
There are a lot of myths and “home remedies” floating around when it comes to fixing an ingrown nail, and I would like to dispel them once and for all for you.
Myths about ingrown toenails
Cutting a notch (a “V”) in a toenail will relieve the pain of ingrown toenails
When a toenail is ingrown, the nail curves downward and grows into the skin, often piercing it. Cutting a “V” in the toenail does not affect its growth; the nail will continue to curve in this way unless it is trained to grow. Cutting a “V” may actually cause more problems and is painful in many cases. Furthermore, I’ve seen many an infected ingrown from those attempting to fix it themselves.
Antibiotics fix ingrown toenails on their own
Antibiotics will fix an infection around an ingrown nail. But unless the sharp spike that has caused the piercing of the skin on your toe is removed, it risks becoming infected again.
So how do we fix it?
There are some conservative treatment options for less severe cases of ingrown toenails. These options are dependent on why the ingrowing nail has occurred, how long it has been a problem, its severity and your lifestyle. Conservative treatment includes:
- Removing the sharp piece of nail with specific podiatric instruments. We don’t recommend pulling or picking at it yourself as it can worsen the problem or create infection.
- Training the nail to grow out with regular packing of the nail sulcus.
- Choosing footwear that fits your foot shape and reduces pressure on your toe.
If conservative methods are not successful or indicated in your treatment, a minor surgery is often performed to remove a small portion of the sharp nail, and a chemical is used to prevent that area from regrowing. Unlike historic procedures, you can generally go to work the next day and experience little to no post-operative pain.
How to prevent ingrown toenails coming back
Most ingrown toenails start with the clippers. Cut your toenails straight across rather than curving down into the corners, and don’t cut them too short. The corners of the nail should stay visible above the skin. If an edge feels sharp, a light file is safer than more clipping.
Footwear does the rest of the damage. Shoes that squeeze the toes together press the skin into the nail edge, so choose footwear with room around the toe box, especially if ingrown nails run in your family. If your nails are thick, curved or hard to reach, regular care from a podiatrist keeps small problems from becoming painful ones.
If an ingrown toenail keeps coming back, is badly infected, or you have diabetes, book in with a podiatrist or your GP rather than battling it at home. And if foot pain has started to affect your balance or the way you walk, our physiotherapists can help with that side of the problem. Call 1300 871 249.