ingrown nail epsom salt
How do you know if you have an ingrown toenail? When do you see a podiatrist about an ingrown toenail? What is an ingrown toenail?
It’s the edge of a toenail that curves down into the skin. It can even pierce your skin and cause an infection. Often causing a lot of pain, discomfort and has to be treated by a doctor / podiatrist. If you’re diabetic or someone with poor circulation, it can cause severe infections and sometimes, gangrene.
Toenails usually are normally flat with mild curving at the edges. Wearing tight shoes, genetics, fungal toenail infections, trauma and cutting nails too short are some of the reasons why a person can develop an ingrown toenail.
How To Soak An Ingrown Toenail: 10 Steps (with Pictures)
Initial symptoms are mild pain while wearing tight shoes or with pressure. This can lead to swelling along the nail and redness. Eventually, infection develops and proud flesh forms. Proud flesh is a definite sign that the nail has pierced through the skin and must be dealt with right away. What if you don’t deal with your ingrown toenail? Recurrent infections cause scar tissue which leads to thickening of the skin/flesh around the toenail. This causes pain because now your toe is larger than it’s usual size and you’ll have to squeeze the toe inside a shoe. That’s no fun.
Before seeing your podiatrist, a foot specialist, start soaking your foot with the ingrown nail in warm (not hot) water and dish soap. Yes, dish soap! Epsom salt is OK too but dish soap soaks help diminish bacteria.
Your podiatrist will first anesthetize the toe. The portion of the nail that is incurvated is then avulsed and removed. At this point, if your toe is not infected, you may choose to have this portion of the nail removed permanently. A chemical is introduced into the nail bed that kills the matrix tissue. The matrix is what produces the nail. There is an approximate 95% chance that portion of the nail will not grow back again.
Here's How To Treat Ingrown Nails With Epsom Salts
I highly recommend removing the ingrown nail permanently if it’s a recurrent problem for you. Most of my patients who have had their ingrown toenails removed permanently tell me they wished they had done it sooner because they have fussed with their nails for so long. Think of getting pedicures without the pedicurist digging in constantly. Think of having permanent pain relief from ingrown toenails. Think of permanent pain relief when wearing your cute shoes!This article was medically reviewed by Troy A. Miles, MD. Dr. Miles is an Orthopedic Surgeon specializing in Adult Joint Reconstruction in California. He received his MD from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in 2010, followed by a residency at the Oregon Health & Science University and fellowship at the University of California, Davis. He is a Diplomat of the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery and is a member of the American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons, American Orthopaedic Association, American Association of Orthopaedic Surgery, and the North Pacific Orthopaedic Society.
Ingrown toenails are painful and may even require surgical removal if they become severe. But if you catch an ingrown nail early enough, then you may be able to heal it. This process requires you to be able to reach your feet, so ask for help if you cannot do it yourself. If your nail looks like it is infected (red, warm, swollen, and/or draining pus), then see your doctor as soon as possible.
This article was medically reviewed by Troy A. Miles, MD. Dr. Miles is an Orthopedic Surgeon specializing in Adult Joint Reconstruction in California. He received his MD from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in 2010, followed by a residency at the Oregon Health & Science University and fellowship at the University of California, Davis. He is a Diplomat of the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery and is a member of the American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons, American Orthopaedic Association, American Association of Orthopaedic Surgery, and the North Pacific Orthopaedic Society. This article has been viewed 73, 956 times.
Ingrown Toenail Treatment: Powerful Home Remedies
If you have an ingrown toenail, soak your foot for 10-15 minutes in warm water, up to 4 or 5 times a day. Dry off your foot and apply 1-2 drops of tea tree oil to the nail. Once the tea tree oil has soaked in, you can apply a dab of a mentholated rub like VapoRub to the area to help ease any pain. The next day, soak your foot again, then gently lift up the toenail and place rolled-up cotton beneath it to lift the nail. Repeat the process for up to 2 weeks, replacing the cotton each day. Keep reading for tips from our Orthopedic co-author on how to cut your nail to help it heal!An ingrown toenail can occur when a sharp edge of the toenail begins to grow into the skin at the margin of the toenail, pushing its way into the skin at the side of the toe.
The video in the link below, is narrated by a podiatrist and explains how an ingrown toenail typically develops and how to best address it.
There are also a number of in home remedies that can be helpful during the early stages, but the earlier the intervention, the better chances are for success. If you have diabetes, that complicates matters and you very well may be better off going straight to a podiatrist ASAP.
How Do We Treat An Ingrown Toenail At Home?
The most significant cause of an ingrown toenail is improper toenail trimming. When cutting your nails, avoid angling or rounding off the nail edge. Instead, make sure you cut them straight across. Also avoid cutting them too short.
Wearing tight toed shoes for long periods of time is also a major cause. Sideways pressure on the toes and the nails from poor-fitting shoes, combined with the moisture from sweat, is a recipe for ingrown toenails.
In the early stages, redness around the affected toenail along with pain is common. As time goes on, the pain will worsen as the inflammation progresses, sometimes into an infection. Eventually, the area may bleed and/or pus may begin to form. In serious cases, you may develop a fever.
How Are Ingrown Toenails Diagnosed? — Pioneer Podiatry
Most of the home remedies involve soaking your feet on a regular basis to soften the area and promote healing. A number of all-natural remedies can also be topically applied to address the infection.
Soak your feet for about 15 to 20 minutes, anywhere from four times a week to twice daily and make sure to thoroughly dry your feet afterward. The soak should be warm, but don't burn yourself.This article was co-authored by Mark Co, DPM. Dr. Mark Co is a Podiatrist who runs his own private practice in San Francisco, California. Dr. Co specializes in treatments for bunions, ingrown toenails, toenail fungus, warts, plantar fasciitis and other causes of foot pain. He also offers custom orthotics for the treatment and prevention of foot and ankle issues. Dr. Co completed a Master of Business Administration (MBA) at New York University and an MA in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at Johns Hopkins University. Dr. Co also completed his DPM at the California School of Podiatric Medicine and a residency and internship at the Kaiser Permanente Medical Center, Santa Clara, California. Dr. Co was awarded San Francisco's "Top 3 Podiatrists" in 2018, 2019, and 2020. Dr. Co is also a member of the CPMA (American Podiatric Medical Association).
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Ways To Get Rid Of Ingrown Toenails
An ingrown toenail (onychocryptosis) is usually caused by trimming your toenails too short, although some people are more predisposed due to heredity factors (such as having heavily curved nail beds) or lifestyle choices such as wearing narrow-toed high heels too often. Ingrown toenails cause pain and inflammation because the corner or side of the nail grows into the soft flesh of your toes, typically the big toe. According to podiatrist Mark Co, "You can often manage and resolve an ingrown toenail at home, partly by soaking it in warm water, but sometimes podiatric intervention is needed."
This article was co-authored by Mark Co, DPM. Dr. Mark Co is a Podiatrist who runs his own private practice in San Francisco, California. Dr. Co specializes in treatments for bunions, ingrown toenails, toenail fungus, warts, plantar fasciitis and other causes of foot pain. He also offers custom orthotics for the treatment and prevention of foot and ankle issues. Dr. Co completed a Master of Business Administration (MBA) at New York University and an MA in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at Johns Hopkins University. Dr. Co also completed his DPM at the California School of Podiatric Medicine and a residency and internship at the Kaiser Permanente Medical Center, Santa Clara, California. Dr. Co was awarded San Francisco's "Top 3 Podiatrists" in 2018, 2019, and 2020. Dr. Co is also a member of the CPMA (American Podiatric Medical Association). This article has been viewed 611, 438 times.
The content of this article is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical
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