Greetings, salaam, shalom and namaste to you and all. I trust you’re safe, well and in good spirits.
Ingrown toenails are one of the most common foot problems and fall into two categories.
A chronic ingrown toenail is when a misshapen nail is digging into the skin or when the skin is pushing into the nail due to tight footwear or misshapen toes. There is no break in skin, just discomfort.
An acute ingrown toenail is when the nail has penetrated the skin, causing a wound which then festers and becomes inflamed and, in some cases, infected.
First aid will depend on the cause and can include these steps:
- Identify the footwear that is causing pressure and stop wearing them.
- No break in skin – gently insert cotton wool into the side to push the skin away.
- Break in skin or infection – use cotton wool soaked in iodine tincture.
If caught early these simple measures will settle the condition down before it worsens.
The best thing to do is to prevent and the following steps will reduce the risk of ingrown toenails:
- Trim nails regularly.
- Do not cut them too short.
- Do not allow them to over grow.
- Cut nails, in the shape of the end of the toe.
- Make sure you can see the corners of the nail.
- File any sharp corner and do not cut them down the side.
- Wear comfortable and spacious footwear during active hours of the day.
Thanks for reading and on behalf of everyone at the Foot Comfort Centre we hope you have a great day.