A case-control study with 46 patients found no difference in the anatomic shape of toenails in patients with and without ingrown toenails. Repetitive trauma, such as running, kicking or inadvertent trauma like stubbing the toe, may be other ingrown toenail causes. Diabetes, obesity, thyroid, cardiac and renal disorders that may predispose to lower extremity edema can also increase the likelihood. In adolescence, feet perspire more often, causing the skin and nails to become soft, resulting in easy splitting.
This produces nail spicules sharp points that of the nail that can pierce the lateral skin. In older persons, spicule formation can become a chronic problem caused by their reduced ability to care for their nails, secondary to reduced mobility or impaired vision.
In addition, the natural aging process causes toenails to thicken, making them more difficult to cut and more inclined to exert pressure on the lateral skin at the sides of the nail plate, often becoming ingrown, painful and infected.
According to a Cochrane Review , rates of regrowth after treatment were 34 percent to 50 percent. In , Vandenbos and Bowers noted that patients who developed this nail problem tend to have an excessive amount of tissue at the sides of the affected nail.
They theorized that weight-bearing caused the tissue to bulge over the sides of the nail, which can result in the growth of the toenail into the skin. I want to note that an ingrown fingernail is similar in terms of how it happens. The usual causes of ingrown fingernails are due to improper trimming of the nail, an injury and even nail biting. And, like the toenail, sometimes the natural shape or thickness of the nail can make it more susceptible to becoming ingrown.
And if left untreated, it can become infected. By avoiding or minimizing some of these risk factors, it may be possible to prevent ingrown toenails. Once your ingrown toenail has progressed past the first stage, you may need to seek medical help. There are various surgical treatments of ingrown toenails your podiatrist may recommend. Wedge Resection: This involves the partial removal of the nail or a portion of it, after numbing your toe with a local anesthetic and draining any ingrown toenail infection.
Your doctor can perform this procedure in the office and the recovery time is anywhere between two weeks to two months, depending on the size of the nail portion removed. Matrixectomy: The matrixectomy procedure is also referred to as permanent or full nail avulsion. Vandenbos Procedure: The Vandenbos procedure has been around since the late s and involves removal of the skin directly underneath and on either side of the ingrown toenail. Recovery is longer with this procedure, but this is also the only procedure in which a doctor does not need to prescribe antibiotics for prevention of infections.
It also seems to be the procedure most likely to prevent recurrences of ingrown nails. Left untreated or undetected, an ingrown toenail can infect the underlying bone and lead to a serious bone infection. Complications can be especially severe if you have diabetes, which can cause poor blood flow and damage nerves in your feet.
So a minor foot injury — a cut, scrape, corn, callus or ingrown toenail — may not heal properly and become infected. A difficult-to-heal open sore foot ulcer may require surgery to prevent the decay and death of tissue gangrene.
Gangrene results from an interruption in blood flow to an area of your body. One example is if you wear the same shoes every day and those shoes compress your toes together or put pressure on the side of your toe and nail.
Instead of growing straight, the toenail edge curls down, digging into the skin and flesh. Several things can put pressure on or damage the nail, increasing the risk of an ingrown toenail. These include:. Injuring your nail by stubbing your big toe can lead to an ingrown nail. Other causes include chronic illnesses or not getting the right nutrients in your diet for healthy nail growth.
Family history or being on certain medications also increases your risk. It can also simply be anatomical. The shape and size of parts of your toe may make you more prone to getting ingrown nails. Your foot doctor can show you the best way to cut your toenails to prevent an ingrown nail. Knowing what is causing your ingrown nail can help prevent it from happening again. Additionally, talk to your doctor about the best types of nail clippers to use and the best footwear to keep your toes and nails healthy.
Learn the proper way to cut toenails. Our step-by-step process makes nail clipping easy and safe while reducing your chances for ingrown toenails…. Several different medical conditions or injuries can create problems with your toenails, and most of them can be treated. Learn about the causes of…. Once you've lifted the edge of your nail, pour clean water or rubbing alcohol under it to disinfect it.
Then, pack some gauze under your nail and bandage it, which will stop it from becoming more ingrown. Repeat this process daily until your toe nail is healed. To learn other remedies for treating ingrown toe nail pain, keep reading! Did this summary help you? Yes No. Log in Social login does not work in incognito and private browsers. Please log in with your username or email to continue. No account yet? Create an account. Edit this Article. We use cookies to make wikiHow great.
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Soak your foot in warm water. Use a large bowl or your bathtub to soak your foot. This will help reduce swelling and tenderness. Soak it for about 15 minutes. Repeat times per day until your nail has grown out.
Add Epsom salts to the water. Epsom salts are widely recognized for their ability to reduce pain and swelling. These will also help soften the toenail. Try adding 3 tbsp 75 g of Epsom salt to about 2 US qt 1. If you don't have Epsom salts, you can use plain salt.
Salt water will help reduce the growth of bacteria in the area. Gently massage the affected area. This will help water soak into the ingrown toenail, which will help clear out bacteria and may relieve swelling and pain. Use cotton or floss to gently lift the nail edge. After you soak your foot, the toenail should be softened. Carefully work a piece of clean dental floss under the edge of your nail.
Lift up the edge of the toenail gently so that it does not grow further into your skin. Try this approach after every foot soak. Use a clean length of floss each time. Depending on the extent of your ingrown toenail, this might be a little painful. Try taking a pain reliever to ease your discomfort. You can cause more infection, which may require medical intervention.
Also, if you cut your toenail, don't rip at it or cause any bleeding, as that will cause more swelling in the area. Take a pain reliever. NSAIDs can help relieve pain and inflammation. Try a topical antibiotic cream.
An antibiotic cream will help fight off infection. This type of cream is readily available at drug stores and grocery stores. Antibiotic creams also can have topical anesthetic such as lidocaine. This will temporarily relieve the pain in the area. Please be aware that topical antibiotics are difficult to accurately dose and there is also the possibility of local negative skin reactions. Bandage your toe to protect it.
To protect your toe from getting further infected or caught on your sock, wrap a bandage or bit of gauze around your toe. Wear open-toe sandals or loose shoes. Mayo Clinic does not endorse companies or products. Advertising revenue supports our not-for-profit mission. This content does not have an English version.
This content does not have an Arabic version. Diagnosis Your doctor can diagnose an ingrown toenail based on your symptoms and a physical examination of your nail and the surrounding skin. Treatment Ingrown toenail treatment Open pop-up dialog box Close. Ingrown toenail treatment Ingrown toenail treatment may include placing cotton under the edge of the nail to separate the nail from the overlying skin.
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