How to ease the pain of an ingrown toenail: Ingrown toenails – Diagnosis and treatment

17.07.202327.06.2023 by alexxlab

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5 Tips for Easing Ingrown Toenail Pain

by Dr. Robert J. Spencer | Dec 5, 2022

Ingrown toenails are not only unsightly in open-toed shoes, but they can also be extremely painful. The good news is that you don’t need to suffer. As podiatrists, we’re happy to share some of our trade secrets with you.

An ingrown toenail is a very common issue that happens when the toenails have grown into the surrounding flesh. This results usually in a lot of pain, redness, swelling, and if you’re unlucky, an infection in your toe.

The good news is that there are some things you can do right now to try and fix your ingrown toenails. Here are our top five tips to help ease the pain right now.

1. Warm Water Soaks for Ingrown Toenail Pain

Soaking your toes in warm water helps soothe them and can reduce swelling and thus take the pressure off your toenail and skin. Try soaking your toes three to four times a day for about 15 minutes. Your feet should start feeling better quickly.

Try adding Epsom salts to make your warm water soaks work even more efficiently because it can help prevent infection in the ingrown toenails. You can also help by massaging your toes gently to disperse fluid that has built up in your tissues, relieving pain even further.

2. Lifting and Supporting the Ingrown Toenail

Once you’ve soaked your nails, try to lift them gently around the front edge of the nail working toward the corners. Start by disinfecting dental floss or a simple piece of cotton and then nudging it under your nail.

The goal is to keep encouraging the nail to lift up and grow a little straighter. Nails are softer when they are damp and more pliable, so this is the best time to encourage straighter growth. It’s important to be gentle to avoid causing any other injuries in the process. If this is too painful, it’s time to contact our office for an evaluation as you might have an infection.

3. Using an Antibiotic Cream

Is the skin around your nail looking red and swollen? Perhaps it also feels sensitive to the touch. In that case, you may be heading for an infection. Dabbing the area with antibiotic cream can help prevent bacteria from entering through a small cut and turning into a bigger infection. With the right ointment, preventing infection is easy and fast.

If you can stand it, put on antibiotic cream and then wrap the ingrown toenail to help seal in the ointment and allow it to work even harder to fight against any infections forming. This will also prevent any dirt or bacteria from getting into the ingrown toenail. Make sure to regularly change out the dressing and reapply ointment until the ingrown toenail has cleared up.

4. Trying Different Pain Relief Methods

If your ingrown toenails continue to be uncomfortable or downright painful, try different methods of pain relief. Ice packs or ice cubes wrapped in a cloth work well and can be very effective at taking the pain away. They may also reduce swelling.

If ice isn’t enough to relieve pain, consider taking an over-the-counter painkiller. Ibuprofen or acetaminophen works well for most people and can alleviate more severe pain. However, if the pain will not go away, then contact our office for treatment.

5. Wearing Different Shoes

If the weather is warm enough, wear sandals. Open-toed shoes relieve any pressure against your nails. If you need to wear shoes or boots, make sure they fit correctly. Make sure they have enough room in the toe box that your toes are free to move around and not be bunched together.

Tight-fitting shoes may look beautiful, but they can be the underlying cause behind your ingrown toenails. If you continue wearing them, they will keep pressure on the injured nail and may make it worse.

Once your nail has healed, check your shoes to see whether some of them rub or irritate the skin. If they do, they might have been the cause of the ingrown toenail in the first place. Replace those as soon as you can.

When You Need to Come to Our Clinic for an Ingrown Toenail

Following these tips should have you back on your feet and walking comfortably in no time. However, if your ingrown toenails are not improving within a few days, it’s time to look for professional help. If you also happen to have diabetes or another condition that impairs the ability to feel your feet, you need to be seen by a podiatrist to prevent a major complication.

If the ingrown toenails become infected, you need to be treated by a medical professional. Our podiatrists have years of experience treating ingrown toenails and will answer any questions you might have. Southern California Foot & Ankle Specialists in Ladera Ranch, CA is just a phone call away at (949) 364-9255 (WALK), or you can request an appointment right now on our website. Let our amazing team of foot and ankle care specialists help you get rid of the pain of your ingrown toenails!

6 Options to Relieve Ingrown Toenail Pain at Home

Ingrown toenails are a common condition that can significantly impact your quality of life. Whether you’re hoping to hit the gym or slip into your favorite pair of heels, the pain associated with ingrown toenails can get in the way of your plans. While many people with ingrown toenails only experience minor pain and inconvenience, others develop serious complications such as infection (which can even turn into life-threatening bone infections). As such, it’s worth addressing ingrown toenails as soon as they arise to avoid making your symptoms worse.

If you or someone you know have got an ingrown toenail, don’t panic. The simplest way to resolve your issue is to give us a visit. If you’re short on time and your symptoms are relatively mild, however, it’s possible to treat your ingrown toenails at home, or at least lessen the likelihood of infection until you can come in. To help aid your recovery, we’ve put together a handy list of home remedies for you to try.

What is an Ingrown Toenail?

Ingrown toenails occur when the edges of a toenail curve around the edge of a toe and dig into the surrounding skin. As the toenail grows, it will cut deeper into the skin, causing pain, swelling, and redness. While it’s not always easy to determine the precise cause behind an ingrown toenail, common culprits include:

Toenail trauma.
Wearing ill-fitting shoes that rub against the tip of the toe.
Cutting your toenails in a round shape instead of straight across.
Trimming your toenails too short.
Failing to keep your toes clean and dry.
Being genetically predisposed to curved toenails.

Most ingrown toenails affect the big toe, although this isn’t always the case.

Remedies to relieve ingrown toenail pain at home

The following treatments are quick, simple, and will help relieve your pain. It is worth noting, however, that some treatments may be more effective than others, so you may wish to experiment with these options to boost your chances of recovery.

1. Soak Your Toe in Warm, Soapy Water

Soaking your foot could help reduce swelling in your toe and provide much-needed pain relief. It’s also a great remedy to try if you need a quick, cost-effective solution. For best results, we recommend soaking your foot for around 20 minutes at a time, around three times a day. Why not use it as an excuse to sit down and unwind with a gripping book or your favorite beverage?

2. Soak the Toe in Apple Cider Vinegar

While soaking your toe in soapy water represents an easy option, it’s less effective than other measures. If you’re looking to soak your toe in something more powerful, apple cider vinegar could represent a better option. Known for its anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving qualities, many sufferers of ingrown toenails swear by this common kitchen ingredient. To prepare your solution, mix a large bowl of warm water with a quarter of a cup of apple cider vinegar. Then, soak the foot for up to twenty minutes once per day. Remember to rinse and dry your foot thoroughly after soaking to prevent further infection and nasty odors!

3. Soak Your Toe in an Epsom Salt Solution

Epsom salts represent a common and often effective solution for mild cases of ingrown toenails. Epsom sales are widely available at reasonable prices in drug stores and grocery stores. Once you’ve got your hands on some salts, add a pinch of the salt to a bowl of warm water and soak for 20 minutes. Feel free to repeat this step a few times a day and massage the affected area to reduce painful inflammation.

4. Cleanse your Toe with Hydrogen Peroxide

Commonly used to treat a range of wounds, hydrogen peroxide is a widely touted remedy for ingrown toenails that could help prevent infection. Start by creating a solution of warm water and hydrogen peroxide, ensuring it includes at least 3% hydrogen peroxide. Then, soak the foot for around 20 minutes up to three times per day.

5. Wear Comfortable Shoes that Fit

One of the simplest and most effective ways to treat and prevent ingrown toenails is to invest in well-fitting shoes. Make sure that the shoes you wear have plenty of wiggle room and don’t rub against your toes while you walk. If you’re desperate to wear a pair of heels for a fancy occasion, try to limit the time you spend walking in the shoes and consider investing in toe protectors.

6. Apply Antibiotic Ointments

Applying antibiotic ointments such as Bactroban or Tricin to ingrown toenails can help to reduce the risk of infection and promote healing. Make sure to follow any instructions provided with the ointment and apply a bandage following application.

How NOT to Relieve Ingrown Toenail Pain at Home

Some people are tempted to try drastic ingrown toenail treatments to relieve their pain. While tempting, these treatments can make your problem worse. As such, we strongly recommend avoiding:

“Bathroom surgery”: While you may think you can treat your inflamed skin with sharp objects and cotton balls, attempting any kind of surgical procedure could trigger a serious infection. Only trained professionals should go anywhere near your toenails with surgical instruments.
Using prescription medicines, including topical antibiotics: You should only ever use prescription medications with guidance from a doctor. Failure to do so could lead to problems such as allergic reactions.

Struggling to Treat Your Ingrown Toenails? We’re Here to Help!

If your ingrown toenail is very painful or shows signs of infection such as pus or discharge, it’s time to make an appointment with our podiatrists. The good news is that our podiatrists are trained to treat ingrown toenails as quickly and painlessly as possible. To make an appointment, please reach out at (972) 690-5374 or fill out our simple contact form. One of our friendly team members will be in touch, and we’ll get you back on your feet pain-free in no time!

what to do, causes, treatment without surgery, complications, prevention

Eva Korneeva

podologist

Author profile

overgrown nail why such a problem occurs and returns again after treatment.

In the article I will tell you why nails can grow into the surrounding soft tissues and what to do about it.

Go to the doctor

Our articles are written with love for evidence-based medicine. We refer to authoritative sources and go to doctors with a good reputation for comments. But remember: the responsibility for your health lies with you and your doctor. We don’t write prescriptions, we give recommendations. Relying on our point of view or not is up to you.

What is an ingrown nail

An ingrown nail is an ingrowth of the nail plate into the surrounding skin. The medical name for the problem is onychocryptosis.

Onychocryptosis – Medscape

Occurs in adults and children of all ages: newborns, toddlers, adolescents. Big toes are more often affected, as they have the largest nail area and voluminous nail ridges.

The diagnosis of “onychocryptosis” is not uncommon – it occurs in 20% of patients who visit a doctor with foot problems.

Why nails grow in

Each toenail or toenail is surrounded by soft skin. Normally, the free edge of the nail, or a white stripe that is not associated with the nail bed, grows over this skin. But sometimes it happens that the direction of growth changes. The plate goes sideways, rests against soft tissues and grows into them.

The main reason is incorrect cutting of nails. Many people use scissors with rounded edges for pedicures. As a result, they cut off the corners of the nail plate. According to my observations, it is this factor that leads to ingrowth in 95% of cases.

The second common cause of onychocryptosis is nail fungus, or onychomycosis. With a fungal infection, the nail plate exfoliates and becomes brittle. It can bend, grow into the nail fold, damage the surrounding tissues.

/onychomycosis/

How to cure nail fungus and how much does it cost? The nail fold becomes soft due to the humid environment, and the edges of the nail plate injure it, causing discomfort.

Other possible causes:

wearing uncomfortable tight shoes, such as narrow toe;
sports, in which you often have to walk on your toes: ballet, dancing, and others;
repetitive injuries of the nail plate;
heredity – ingrown nails are more common in those whose parents also suffered from such a problem;
poor foot hygiene.

Diabetes, obesity, and thyroid, heart, and kidney conditions that predispose to lower extremity swelling can also increase the chance of ingrown nails.

How an ingrown nail manifests itself

An ingrown nail always injures the nail fold. The more neglected the process, the more painful the symptoms and the more difficult the treatment.

There are three stages of onychocryptosis:

First stage. There is pain when pressing on the nail roller, slight swelling is possible.
Second stage. Signs of inflammation develop. The nail roller turns red, pain is felt when walking. There are difficulties with wearing shoes. Possible purulent discharge.
Third stage. The inflammatory process progresses. The soft tissues around the ingrown toenail grow. Painful tumor growths are formed, which are called “wild meat”. An infection joins, suppuration begins. Due to severe pain, a person can no longer walk normally, lameness appears.

Ingrown toenails – DermNet Encyclopedia

How ingrown nails are treated

In mild cases, you can contact a podiatrist. Conservative treatment is indicated in the first two stages, if there is no severe pain and suppuration.

Ingrown toenail treatment – American Academy of Family Physicians

In severe cases, surgery is needed – only a doctor can treat this way, you need to contact a surgeon.

Overall, according to a Cochrane database review, surgical interventions are more effective than non-surgical interventions in preventing recurrent ingrown toenails. However, they can be more traumatic, so they are not always required in mild stages.

Do not self-medicate with onychocryptosis. Even if you have the first stage and the nail does not heal on its own, it is better to contact a podiatrist or surgeon, and if symptoms of the second stage are already present, you should immediately go to the doctor. To endure the pain and wait for everything to pass by itself is unlikely to work out, the situation may worsen.

/list/podology/

“Ordinary pedicure is about beauty, and podology is about health”: podologist Irina Katenina

In addition, you should adhere to the following restrictions:

Do not wear synthetic socks or tights, they do not absorb sweat and increase the risk of infection.
Do not lubricate the sore spot with lemon juice, honey, vegetable oils, or other folk remedies, as this may increase irritation and inflammation.
Do not try to pick out, file or trim an ingrown nail with manicure tools, so as not to further injure the nail.

When to seek help for an ingrown toenail and how surgeons treat ingrown toenails

Irina Starostina

surgeon, DocDeti and DocMed clinics

At the initial stages, you can do salt baths: hold your feet in warm salt water for 15 minutes, and then apply an antibacterial ointment, such as Levomekol or Bonderm. If there is no effect after 3-5 days of such therapy, it is time to go to a specialist.

You also need to go to the doctor if the inflammation is severe, there is acute pain, a feeling of pain even with a light touch on the finger.

The surgeon chooses the treatment method depending on the size of the ingrown nail and the depth of the ingrown nail. The easiest option is to remove part of the nail. This is done without anesthesia, if there is no pronounced pain syndrome.

In more complex cases, a marginal resection of the nail plate is performed with plasty of the roller. The operation is performed under local conduction anesthesia – with an injection into the lateral surface of the finger. The doctor makes incisions in the area of the corners of the roller and removes the ingrown part of the nail along with the growth zone, which is located at its lower edge. Then he puts the skin roller in place and fixes it with a bandage.

How to get rid of an ingrown toenail without surgery

Non-surgical treatments are used for the first and second stages of an ingrown toenail. It is virtually painless if you follow the protocol and use a good sports freeze.

Plugging, when a thin material is placed between the nail plate and the roller. If necessary, drugs with anti-inflammatory or antibacterial action are applied to it.

Plugging prevents contact of the nail with inflamed soft tissues of the lateral ridge, prevents its ingrowth. The padding does not create discomfort. With it you can swim, play sports. You need to wear it with periodic replacements until the nail plate completely grows back and takes the correct shape.

Nail packing

Correction systems with staples. In appearance, after installation, they resemble braces on the teeth. The staple is glued to the nail plate along the edges or wrapped around the nail and glued in the center where the loop is located.

This corrective system lifts the ingrown nail and relieves pressure on the nail fold. This leads to a correction of the shape of the growing nail and a decrease in pain. The force of impact on the nail plate is regulated by tensioning the clip.

Correction system installation example

Correction plate. This is a strip a few millimeters wide, which is fixed with special glue across the nail. The strips can be made of different materials, they are selected taking into account the thickness and softness of the nail. They allow you to correct the bending of the nail plate.

Correction plate lifts the nail, pulls it up, which prevents it from cutting into the side rollers. Such plates have to be changed periodically, because as the nail grows, their effectiveness decreases.

Modern plates and braces are comfortable, not felt when walking, do not cling to clothing. The procedure for placing staples or plates is painless and takes 20-30 minutes.

Staples and plates are very effective for treating ingrown toenails. Their only drawbacks are the duration of wearing, which ranges from several weeks to 14 months, and the need for replacement.

/bad-manicures/

How an unsuccessful manicure can harm

The patient does not need to take additional care of corrective braces and plates. It is enough to keep your finger clean, not to wear narrow shoes, go for correction and not try to take them off on your own.

Correction plate. Source: tongtool.com

Complications of an ingrown toenail

If left untreated, onychocryptosis can lead to infection and, in severe cases, even amputation of the toe.

Among the complications may be the following:

acute purulent inflammation of the tissues of the finger – panaritium;
purulent lesion, death of bone tissue – osteomyelitis;
death of the soft tissues of the finger – gangrene.

Especially quickly complications develop in people with circulatory disorders in the lower extremities. This happens with atherosclerosis of the arteries of the legs or diabetes mellitus – diabetic foot.

How to prevent ingrown nails

Trim your nails properly. Do not cut or round corners, use scissors with straight ends, after cutting, the contour of the nail should follow its physiological growth line.

Ingrown toenails – Mayo Clinic

Get regular medical pedicures, if you have serious foot problems. For example, circulatory disorders in the lower extremities, a tendency to fungal infections, flat feet, and others. It is done using a special apparatus with various nozzles, sterilized or disposable instruments are used.

Wear comfortable, loose-fitting shoes with stable heels that do not pinch your toes. This will help prevent not only ingrown nail plate, but also the formation of calluses and corns. It is also worth wearing corrective individual orthopedic insoles, if they are advised by an orthopedist.

Maintain foot hygiene. Wash feet daily, treat shoes with disinfectants. You should not use someone else’s shoes, as well as walk barefoot in public places, especially in pools, so as not to get fungal infections.

Community 12.07.22

How safe are communal footwear?

Remember

An ingrown nail is an ingrowth of the nail plate into the skin around it.
Ingrown nails are most often caused by improperly trimmed nails. Also, ingrowth is possible due to fungal diseases, uncomfortable shoes, improper foot hygiene and other reasons.
If the nail grows in and does not go away on its own, or the inflammation and pain become stronger, it is better to contact a specialist.
In the first and second stages of an ingrown nail, surgical removal of the nail plate can be dispensed with.
To prevent ingrown nails, you should wear comfortable shoes, cut the nail plate correctly without cutting the corners, and wash your feet daily.

Health news, interviews with doctors and instructions for patients in our telegram channel. Subscribe to keep abreast of what is happening: @t_zdorov.

list of top 7 inexpensive and effective products according to KP

Incorrectly done pedicure, short cut corner of the nail, injured fingers and foot deformity, genetic predisposition: there are a lot of reasons for nail ingrowth into the skin roller. The nail grows constantly, and constantly cutting it off at the first sign of ingrowth, we only exacerbate the problem. Every day the pain begins to intensify, and soon swelling and inflammation join. As a result, as a rule, the patient gets to the doctor already when the pain becomes unbearable.

In pharmacies there is a huge selection of ointments for ingrown toenails. Let’s figure out how to properly care for your nails to prevent their ingrown.

List of top 7 ointments for ingrown toenail according to KP

Important! All drugs have side effects and contraindications. Our material is an overview and does not serve as a guide to action.

Levomekol

Known combined preparation contains a broad-spectrum antibiotic and an immunostimulating agent dioxomethyltetrahydropyrimidine. The ointment helps to reduce inflammation and heal after surgical treatment of an ingrown toenail. The antibiotic in the composition of the product helps to fight purulent processes in the wound and prevents the development of complications. The product is available in the form of a white ointment with a yellowish tinge.

Contraindications : hypersensitivity to the components of the drug, lymphogranulomatosis, hemoblastoses, malignant diseases of the bone marrow, children under 3 years of age.

Uroderm

This product is available as a white ointment with a slight ammonia odor. Due to the urea in the composition, the drug helps to loosen the nail plate and retains water in it. Due to this, the nail softens and becomes more flexible. True, such drugs can only help in the initial stages of an ingrown nail.

Contraindications : hypersensitivity to the components of the drug.

Dimexide

It is a colorless or yellowish gel. Also, the drug is available in the form of a solution for external use.

The product contains an anti-inflammatory and analgesic component dimethyl sulfoxide. Penetrating into the focus of inflammation, the drug has an antiseptic, absorbable and anti-edematous effect. It can be used as part of the complex therapy of an ingrown toenail, as well as bruises and sprains. In addition, it is a conductor for other medicines, for example, for antibacterial ointments.

Contraindications : severe liver or kidney damage, angina pectoris, myocardial infarction, severe atherosclerosis, various types of stroke, glaucoma, cataract, coma, children under 12 years of age, pregnancy, lactation, hypersensitivity to the components of the gel.

Stellanin-PEG

This is a dark brown ointment. The drug has antibacterial and anti-inflammatory effects, helps relieve inflammation, reduce pain and prevent suppuration, and also reduces discomfort and swelling. The ointment can be used for acute purulent wounds of the skin and soft tissues, trophic ulcers, abrasions, cuts, scratches, cracks.

Contraindications I: hypersensitivity to the components of the drug, thyrotoxicosis, thyroid adenoma, severe renal failure, simultaneous therapy with radioactive iodine, children under 18 years of age, 1st trimester of pregnancy.

The following are remedies that may be helpful if a fungal infection has made the problem worse.

Terbinafine

The product is available as a white cream. The active substance of the drug is reflected in its name, it destroys the cell membrane of the fungus, causing the death of microorganisms. With an ingrown nail, it is advisable to use the drug if a fungal infection has joined.

Contraindications : hypersensitivity to terbinafine or any of the ingredients of the formulation.

Nizoral

Antifungal drug is a white homogeneous cream with ketoconazole in the composition. The drug helps relieve itching and swelling, has an anti-inflammatory effect. Indications for use are fungal skin lesions and candidiasis.

Contraindications : hypersensitivity to ketoconazole or any of the excipients of the drug.

Pimafucort

It is a homogeneous ointment from white to light yellow. It contains 3 active ingredients: the antibiotics natamycin and neomycin, as well as the glucocorticosteroid hydrocortisone. The combination of these substances helps to eliminate inflammation, itching, and fight fungal and bacterial infections.

Contraindications : skin tuberculosis, skin manifestations of syphilis, viral infections of the skin, open wounds, acne, rosacea, anogenital itching, skin tumors, hypersensitivity to the components of the drug.

How to choose ointments for ingrown toenail

There is no single remedy for ingrown toenail for different patients, however, doctors give some useful tips when choosing:

then for prevention, you can use ointments that moisturize the skin of the feet. Also, several times a week you need to do warm oil-salt baths;
if the inflammation has already begun, then antiseptic ointments are applied, which will prevent the inflammation from spreading to the surrounding tissues;
if ingrown toenails lead to infection and pus, then wash the inflamed area with antiseptic solutions 2-3 times a day and apply bandages with ointments containing antimicrobial substances ³ ;
if there was a surgical intervention – daily dressings with wound treatment with antiseptic solutions;
If the ingrown toenail was corrected with a properly selected corrective system, then normal moisturizing treatment is sufficient ³ .

Reviews of doctors about ointments for ingrown toenail

Many surgeons believe that if the ingrown toenail is not treated, the situation can repeat itself from time to time. In this case, drug treatment (anti-inflammatory, antibacterial drugs) give a short-term effect. And doctors remind that with self-medication there is a risk of spreading the infection. Therefore, at the first sign of an ingrown toenail, it is better to immediately contact a specialist.