How To Treat An Ingrown Toenail

If you are experiencing pain, swelling or redness on the inner part of your toenails, it’s time to understand how to treat an ingrown toenail. You can get an ingrown toenail if you wear shoes that are too tight, if you experienced a sport’s injury to your foot or if you cut your toenails too short. It’s a smart move to treat the injured toe promptly as untreated toenails might lead to infection.

Essentials:

• Cotton balls
• Topical antibiotic
• Over the counter pain relievers
• Small tub or bucket

1. Soak the foot with warm water. A good way to learn how to treat an ingrown toenail is to place your infected toe(s) in a bucket or tub of warm water. Do this three times a day up to fifteen to twenty minutes at a session. You will see the swelling go down and the color of the skin of the toe return to normal.
2. Use cotton as a cushion. Once you’ve soaked your feet, take a cotton ball, pull it apart and place part of that cotton underneath the ingrown nail. Do this after each time you soak your foot. With the assistance of the cotton, your nail should grow back evenly.
3. Use topical antibiotic cream. If you are experiencing pain, a solid way in how to treat an ingrown toenail is to apply antibiotic cream on the nail and wrap it with a bandage. Make sure you let your feet breathe by not wearing shoes at this point.
4. Take over the counter pain relievers. Some ingrown toenails are very painful and you may need to purchase some over the counter medicine to help reduce the pain and swelling. Be smart about taking the appropriate dosage as described on the pill daily.

If you do not see a change, the swelling doesn’t go down or the redness gets worse, you might want to consider seeking medical attention. Remember, any injury can lead to infection, which can lead to further complications.