How To Cure An Ingrown Toenail

Ingrown toenails are quite painful and can lead to an infection, so it's important to learn how to cure an ingrown toenail. An ingrown toenail occurs when the toenail grows into the skin, resulting in redness, pain, swelling and even infection. Ingrown toenails are caused by a number of factors, including heredity, trauma and improper trimming of the nail. Wearing the incorrect size in footwear can also result in ingrown toenails.

To cure an ingrown toenail, you will need:

• Warm water
• Epsom's salt
• Physician's care

1. While it’s not recommended, you can try to cure an ingrown toenail at home. You can try to correct the nail if there’s no sign of infection, but it must be done carefully. To begin home treatment for an ingrown toenail, soak your foot in warm water that contains Epsom's salt. After the foot has soaked for a few minutes, massage the toe gently to try to raise the nail from the skin, which will reduce inflammation. Don’t cut the nail out of the skin because this can cause an infection and can cause more ingrown toenails in the future.
2. If home treatment wasn’t successful, it’s time to seek care from a physician. After a complete examination, a physician will decide how to treat the ingrown toenail. In some cases, only an oral antibiotic will be needed, but for worse case scenarios, a minor surgical procedure may be needed to remove the toenail. If the surgical procedure is needed, the toe will be bandaged and an oral antibiotic may be prescribed.
3. After you have cured an ingrown toenail, preventative care is needed because the ingrown nail can reoccur. Preventing an ingrown toenail involves properly trimming the nail in a straight, smooth line. It’s equally as important to wear proper fitting footwear.

When you attempt to cure an ingrown toenail at home, it’s important to know not to dig the nail out of the skin because this will make the condition worse and increases the risk for infection. When trimming the toenail, don’t trim the nail's borders or trim the nail too short.