Have You Tried These Expert Tips for Your Ingrown Toes?

Trimming your toenails short can be good for your aesthetic purpose. However, what do you do when it turns out to be a problem and causes an ingrown toenail condition? Las Vegas ingrown toenail specialists at Battle Borne Bone & Joint Center can help you through several nonsurgical and surgical treatment options to manage your symptoms. However, there are several tips you can apply to prevent or ease your ingrown toes but do not forget to seek expert care and help, particularly if your condition is severe.

Notice Your Toenail Length

One of the main reasons why you might have an ingrown toenail is cutting your toenail too short. Therefore, check the length of your toenail before cutting it. It might be unnecessary to cut it. Besides, if you are already suffering from an ingrown toenail and cut the toenail too short, it can only make your condition worse. Note that your toenail should extend past the skin underneath.

Soak Your Feet Before Cutting Your Toenails

It is difficult to cut a hard toenail, resulting in complications such as ingrown toes. However, soaking your feet makes the nails soft, making them easy to cut. Keep in mind that you should wash your feet in warm water and not cold water. If you already have an ingrown toenail, soaking helps relieve some of the pain. Besides, you can also add some Epsom salt in the warm water to reduce the pain.

Place Cotton Under the Corner of the Ingrown Toenail

If your toenail is beginning to become ingrown and you can lift it, putting a bit of cotton under it can prevent it from becoming more ingrown. However, it would be best if you did this gently, and you should not put much of the cotton as it can be uncomfortable. You also have to change the cotton twice a day for about two weeks or until you realize the ingrown toenail seems healed.

File the Nail

If your toenail is already short, there is no need to cut it. Instead, file it. Keep in mind that any nail that doesn’t exceed the toe’s skin should not be cut. However, while you file the nail, ensure it is straight across and not curved. Curving your nails at an angle can cause the ingrown toenail or make your condition worse.

Stay Away from Tweezers

If you have an ingrown toenail, all you want is to get rid of it and get relief from the pain. However, how you do it matters, and you need to be careful. For example, if you use scissors, tweezers, or other tools to remove the nail, you may end up breaking your skin. This can increase your risks for infection only to make your condition worse. This is where you leave it to the experts.

Use a Cold Press

If you are experiencing pain from your ingrown toenail, a cold press can help you relieve the pain and inflammation. You can achieve this by wrapping an ice pack in your towel and holding it on the ingrown toenail for about 10 minutes. However, be careful not to keep the ice for too long as you can end up causing some tissue damage or frostbite.

If your ingrown toenail affects your life, please don’t hesitate to contact your provider at Battle Born Bone & Joint Center for expert care and advice.