Mistakes You’re Making When Clipping Your Toenails: Eric Blanson, DPM: Sports Medicine

Mistakes You’re Making When Clipping Your Toenails: Eric Blanson, DPM: Sports Medicine

How you cut your toenails may seem trivial in the grand scheme of things, but it’s actually an important part of maintaining your overall health and wellness, especially if you’re a diabetic.

Here at PMC Foot and Ankle Clinic in Spring, Texas, Dr. Eric Blanson and our team see lots of patients whose improper clipping techniques have caused complications that require medical attention. 

To help you avoid such complications, we’ve put together this guide on common mistakes people make and the correct technique to ensure your podiatric health.

Ingrown toenails: A common problem

Any nail can become ingrown, but the most common nail is the one on your big toe. Ingrown nails occur because:

• The skin on the toe grows over the nail itself
• The nail grows into the skin around it

Both occurrences usually result from clipping your nails improperly, and they lead to a hard, painful, red swelling at the corner of the nail. If left untreated, these leave you vulnerable to either a bacterial or a fungal infection.

Bacterial infections usually leak pus and, sometimes, blood. Fungal infections produce discolored toenails that are thick, brittle, and smell bad.

Complications from an ingrown toenail can become especially severe if you have diabetes, which causes circulatory problems that lead to poor blood flow in the feet, as well as nerve damage resulting in the loss of sensation. A simple cut can lead to an infected ulcer.

Common toenail-clipping mistakes and how to correct them

Here are a number of common mistakes people make and how to avoid them.

Using the wrong tool

Using regular cutting scissors or even knives for your nails doesn’t do the job properly, and you run the risk of cutting yourself in the process.

The correct tools are dedicated nail clippers or manicure scissors. In fact, you should have two pairs, a smaller one for your fingers, and a larger one for the broader, thicker nails on your toes.  

In addition, by using separate clippers, you reduce the chance of bacterial or fungal contamination between your feet and hands.

Thoroughly clean each of your clippers between uses with 70%-90% isopropyl alcohol, rinsing them with hot water and drying them completely before putting away.

Clipping nails while wet

It’s tempting to wait until you get out of the bath or shower to cut your nails, as they’ll be softer. The trouble is, your nails are likely to bend or tear when you try to cut them, and you run the risk of injury.

Unless you have thick toenails, which soften in the bath, you should cut them when they’re dry to ensure a clean cut.

Clipping your nails too long or too short

Lots of people cut their nails way back, so they don’t have to do it too often, or they leave them too long, for appearance. 

The problem is, if your nails are too short, you run the risk of developing an ingrown toenail; if your nails are too long, they’re likely to snag on your sock or shoe and tear uncomfortably.

The best length to leave your nails is at 1-2 millimeters (0.04 to 0.08 of an inch) above where they attach to the toe.

Curving the edges

Some people think that curving the edges of the nail makes it look more attractive or keeps it from getting damaged, but you’re more prone to ingrown toenails if you round them.

Instead, cut your toenails straight across, preferably with two cuts. Make the first cut with the clippers slightly off the nail’s side to create a straight edge. Then make the second following that line all the way to the other side.

Trimming the cuticles

You may think that cutting or pushing back the cuticles may make the nail look more attractive, but it’s also bad for your foot health.

The cuticles protect the nail root, so when you trim or cut them, it’s easier for bacteria and fungi to enter the body and cause an infection. Nail infections can take a long time to heal.

Failing to moisturize the nails

You keep your hands and the soles of your feet moisturized, so why wouldn’t you moisturize the nails? Moisturizing after you’ve trimmed the nails helps to keep them flexible. This is particularly important when the air is dry, because dry nails split more easily and can cause a cut or a tear.

Want to learn more about how to trim your nails to ensure better foot health? Give PMC Foot and Ankle Clinic a call or schedule a consultation online with us today.

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4 Helpful Treatment Options for Joint Pain

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Complications of an Ingrown Toenail

Most people have had an ingrown toenail at some point in their lives. Even though it’s a common problem, ingrown toenails can have complications that require medical care. Here’s what you need to know.

What You Should Know About Foot Care If You Have Diabetes

When you have diabetes, you have to watch your blood glucose levels. But you should also pay careful attention to your feet, because high blood sugar can cause serious foot problems. The following tips keep your feet healthy.

Does an Ingrown Toenail Require Medical Assistance?

If you have a painful ingrown toenail, you may wonder if it’s really doctor-worthy. Most ingrown toenails aren’t serious and resolve on their own. But in some cases, you need to see a podiatrist to avoid serious complications. Here’s how you know.

7 Shoe Mistakes You’re Making That Hurt Your Feet

Whether you sport cleats, flip-flops, or stilettos, anything you strap onto your feet can affect their health. If you choose shoes based on their cool factor, you may be harming your hoofers. Here are seven ways your shoes can hurt your feet.

How to Cut Your Toenails and When to Ask Your Podiatrist for Help

Apr 12, 2022 | Podiatry | 0 comments

We all need to cut our toenails every six to eight weeks. You probably don’t give it much thought, but it’s easy to make mistakes that lead to painful problems.

Happily, this doesn’t need to be a problem. Here’s our guide to help you cut your toenails the right way

1. Have a Bath or Shower First

This makes things easier by softening the nails, and it keeps infection away. Your feet are wrapped up in shoes and socks all day, and the warm, damp environment encourages bacterial infections and fungi.

2. Use the Right Tools

Toenail scissors may work for you, but as toenails tend to be thick and tough, toenail clippers are the best option. They have better cutting power and they are the right size, which also helps prevent sharp and jagged edges.

3. Clip or Cut Straight Across the Nails

Don’t be tempted to follow the curve of the toe to round off the ends. This encourages the nail to grow into the skin and leads to ingrown toenails. A straight cut leaves a sharp point at each end but that’s absolutely fine.

Make sure you don’t cut the nail too short as this damages the nail bed, and that’s going to hurt. Leave 1-2mm of the white end of the nail visible; if you can’t see this, you’ve gone too far.

4. File the Edges

Jagged, sharp edges should be carefully filed smooth with a good emery board. This is much better than taking an extra cut to round things off.

5. Keep Your Tools Clean

Scissors and clippers should be cleaned regularly with antibacterial soap. This prevents fungal infections or transferring infection from one foot to another.

When Should Your Podiatrist Help?

If you suffer from certain conditions, it’s unwise to cut your toenails yourself. It’s best to let your podiatrist do it in a safe and sterile environment to prevent causing yourself extra problems.

Diabetes

Nerve damage is common for diabetics, and this severely reduces feeling in toes and feet. Circulation problems will also impair the body’s ability to heal, so toenail cutting can have serious implications if it goes wrong.

A tiny cut to the skin may go unnoticed and this leads to infections such as diabetic ulcers, sores and fungal issues. Of course, this can happen to non-diabetics as well, but for sufferers the healing process will be harder. It’s always easier for someone else to do the cutting so leave this to your podiatrist.

Toenail Fungus

This unpleasant condition makes nails brittle, discoloured and smelly. They also get thicker and the edges crumble. It’s a contagious infection so it can easily spread to other toes and indeed people if you’re not scrupulous with hygiene.

Your podiatrist can safely cut your nails and remove fungus without spreading it. They can also prescribe antifungal creams and sprays to help the nail heal.

Ingrown Toenails

This occurs when the corners or edges of the toenail grow into the surrounding skin. It usually affects the big toe and can be very painful. Poor cutting technique, injury or badly fitting shoes can cause the problem.

Your podiatrist will safely cut and shape the nail to ease the problem and even remove it altogether if necessary. Don’t leave this untreated as it can lead to nasty infections.

Toenail Care in London

For pain-free toes, talk to the experienced professionals in one of our London foot clinics.

Contact Feet By Pody or book online.

How to cut toenails, ingrown toenail? How to soften toenails?

A regular home pedicure helps keep your feet looking well cared for and neat. In the process of its implementation, it is important to cut your nails correctly. Incorrect processing of the plates can lead to damage to the surrounding soft tissues, the development of a fungal infection, and suppuration.

Features of the growth of toenails

Pedicure differs significantly from manicure due to some nuances in the structure of the toes. Toenails grow back more slowly than fingernails. The average value is 0.1 mm per day, but this indicator is individual. The horny plates on the feet experience more stress, especially when wearing closed shoes. For this reason, they are dense and hard, it is more difficult to trim toenails if they are not softened first. Another feature is that the free edges of the plates on the sides are located very close to the skin, which is why there is a high risk of ingrowth if the borders are not processed correctly.

How often should nails be cut?

An adult decides when to perform a hygienic pedicure. Among the recommendations on how to cut toenails correctly, from podologists and foot care masters, there is advice on the regular shortening of the plates every 10-14 days. The exact timing depends on the individual speed of their growth, personal preferences in design and decoration.

Some women prefer long toenails, but even if they look beautiful with trendy nail art, it is not desirable to wear them all the time. A lot of bacteria and fungi accumulate under the free edge, which can cause an inflammatory process. Even if you systematically clean the plates, make antiseptic baths and use disinfectants, it is difficult to avoid infection.

When is the best time to cut your toenails?

It will take time to carry out a good hygiene procedure, so it is advisable to schedule it in the evening or on a weekend. If the plates are regularly varnished, it is easy to determine when to cut the toenails – their growth is visually noticeable. Without design, you need to follow the length by yourself. The free edge should not protrude beyond the border of the fingertip, cling to socks or shoes.

How to cut toenails?

You can cut extra millimeters with nail scissors, but not with rounded blades. The best option is toenail clippers or tongs. They cope better with hard and thick plates, provide a smooth edge. In the question of how to properly cut toenails, many women are interested in whether it is possible to use a nail file. Sharp corners and a free edge can be softened, but it is better to take a tool made of glass or paper-based. Metal files damage the structure of the plates, which provokes their delamination.

How to cut toenails?

Hygienic pedicure requires careful preparation, especially if there are any problems with the feet – fungus, ingrown, fragility and fragility of the plates.

The correct way to cut toenails includes:

• cleansing;
• softening;
• antiseptic treatment;
• directly pedicure;
• hydration and nutrition.

How to soften toenails?

The horn plates on the toes are characterized by increased density due to the stress they constantly experience. The recommended method for trimming hard toenails is to avoid “dry” trimming. The free ends are too thick, and such processing can lead to cracking of the plate along. The toenails are preliminarily softened with the help of special trays. First, the feet are thoroughly washed with toilet soap, dirt and varnish coatings are removed.

Herbal bath

Ingredients :

• yarrow – 1 teaspoon;
• chamomile – 1 teaspoon;
• oak bark – 1 teaspoon;
• boiling water – 250 ml.

Preparation and use

1. Mix herbs.
2. Pour boiling water over them, stir.
3. Infuse the solution for 20 minutes.
4. Strain the product.
5. Add the resulting decoction to a bowl of warm water.
6. Soak your feet in the bath for 15 minutes.
7. Dry them well with a soft towel.

Salt bath

Ingredients spoons;

lavender essential oil – 5 drops.

Preparation and use

1. Dissolve the salt in a bowl of warm water.
2. Add essential oil.
3. Soak feet in the bath for 20 minutes.
4. Wipe them with a towel and proceed to the pedicure.

How to cut healthy nails?

If there are no problems with the feet (fungus, pathological keratinization, delamination), the procedure will take a few minutes.

How to properly cut toenails:

1. Disinfect tools.
2. Leaving 1-2 mm free edge (white rim), cut nails in a straight line. Do not round the ends.
3. Carefully file sharp edges and corners with a nail file.
4. Remove burrs with wire cutters.
5. Use a moisturizing or nourishing cream.

How to trim ingrown toenails?

The described pathology is called onychocryptosis. With this problem, the plate cuts into the skin, inflammation begins, toenails and fingers hurt. Without proper treatment, onychocryptosis can provoke purulent phlegmon and other dangerous complications. If the toenail grows into the skin, it is advisable to contact a podiatrist for qualified therapy. Pedicure is also better done by a specialist, at home the risk of infection and accidental damage to soft tissues is too high.

When an ingrown toenail has not yet caused inflammation, you can try to treat it and cope with the early stage of onychocryptosis yourself:

1. Wash your feet thoroughly with soap and water.
2. Instead of a cosmetic softening bath, hold your feet in warm water with any antiseptic (Miramistin, Furacilin, Chlorhexidine) for half an hour.
3. Gently rub bactericidal ointment – Levomekol, Bactroban and analogues into the affected periungual roller.
4. Disinfect tools and hands.
5. Pry off the ingrown angle and bring it out of the skin as much as possible.
6. Cut the free edge of the plate vertically along. The nail will tend to grow together and begin to tighten, leaving the soft tissues of the finger.
7. If possible, place a small sterile bandage soaked in brilliant green solution under the ingrown angle.
8. Do not cut the root plate. Do not remove an edge that is ingrown.
9. During the treatment period, wear loose shoes, wash your feet frequently and change socks and tights regularly.

How to cut nails affected by fungus?

It is difficult to get rid of fungal infections, such diseases tend to recur and become chronic. Fungal spores quickly spread to healthy areas, because of this, toenails break, crumble and exfoliate. The plates turn yellow and become stained, striped, may darken in some areas. The skin is flaky, the feet sweat and acquire an unpleasant odor. Additionally, there is a thickening of the toenails, the growth of several layers of horny cells. It becomes more difficult to care for them, but it is important to do it regularly.

There is a myth that it is forbidden to shorten the plates in case of mycosis. The explanation for not cutting fungal toenails is the risk of transferring spores to healthy areas on the scissor blades.

This ban is unreasonable, hygiene treatment is necessary, it just needs to be done correctly:

1. Wash your feet well. Use disposable paper towels to wipe them off.
2. Disinfect instruments. For nails affected by fungus, you will need a separate set of accessories.
3. Soften the plates. It will be correct to use special preparations with an antimycotic effect (Nogtimycin, Bifonazole, Nogtivit and analogues).
4. Cut off the free edge of the nails in a straight line.
5. File as much as possible of all affected horny surfaces.
6. Apply antifungal.

Can I trim my nails with gel polish?

Occasionally a small chip or small crack will appear on a fresh coating near the free end. In order not to remove the gel polish and not waste time on a new design, you can cut your toenails a little, but use the file correctly. From the impact of scissors or nippers, the coating often cracks over the entire surface, and the pedicure will have to be redone.

How to cut nails for a newborn and a child at an early age

With the advent of the first-born in the family, there are many small worries and questions that can put any newly-made parents into a stupor.

The nails of newborns are small and thin, like paper, but no less sharp for that, and therefore they must not be allowed to grow, otherwise the baby will constantly scratch his body and face.

Let’s figure out how to cut a newborn’s nails, when is the best time to do this procedure and what is required for this.

Nail trimming tools

We note right away that adult nail scissors are too sharp and not suitable for small children. Any awkward movement – and the sharp end can injure the baby. It is better to buy special children’s scissors with safe rounded tips. Now in specialized children’s stores and pharmacies, there are a variety of kits for caring for children’s nails. They include: special scissors with rounded ends, tweezers and a soft nail file.

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There are also children’s scissors with a thick blade, but for many mothers it is inconvenient to use them, so carefully select the right tool for you – this will save you from unnecessary pain and unplanned expenses.

Wipe the instruments with a cotton swab soaked in alcohol before starting treatment. The device can also be sterilized by immersing it in boiling water for 10 minutes. And the last important point: do not use scissors for other purposes. By appointment only.

How to cut your nails properly

The process of cutting nails in a child is no different from the same procedure in adults, and you need to approach it with confidence. So, first of all, calm down. Usually, pediatricians do not recommend cutting the first nails of a newborn before reaching one month on the hands and up to three months on the legs, but these are general recommendations. Here you need to look individually. If they grow quickly, and the child begins to scratch himself, then it is better to cut them.

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In the case of legs, it is better to wait for the recommended time, especially since they will not cause such discomfort as on the hands.

To make things easier for yourself, it is better to cut your baby’s nails immediately after bathing. Steamed nails are soft and easy to trim. Slightly round the fingernails, and leave the toenails straight to prevent ingrowth later. Do not cut “under the root”, this increases the risk of ingrowth and injury. If you notice a tendency to grow into the skin, you can insert a thread under the corner of the nail and fix it with a band-aid. Can’t manage on your own? See a podiatrist.

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Remember not to use the file for adults. It can cause serious harm. You can file with a children’s nail file and only along the edge (without grinding), so that there is no violation of the soft nail plate. If the baby does not like the vibration from the process, then you should limit yourself to scissors.

It is necessary to carry out such a procedure constantly, as it grows, but not more than once every five to seven days.

You can see a visual process in the following video:

How to distract the baby during the process

Believe me, your baby is unlikely to lie still and wait until you finish the procedure. The child is constantly moving, but there are several tricks collected from pediatricians and pediatricians (including the famous Dr. Komarovsky) to make it easier.

• Tandem action. One of the parents holds the baby’s hand or foot and distracts him in every possible way while the other does a manicure or pedicure.
• In a dream. It is very convenient to cut nails when the baby is sleeping. In the deep stage of sleep, the body is relaxed, and the fingers are not clenched into a fist. The main thing is not to rush, so as not to wake the baby or hurt him. Hold your hand gently but firmly. The whole process will take two to three minutes.
• You can involve the child in the process, for example, let him hold the nail file.

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• You can distract a newborn with a fairy tale, rhymes about fingers and a song.
• Forget about the raised tone of voice and irritation. Nothing but a loss of confidence in yourself, you will not achieve. Do not pressure, shame or command. If the child is still naughty, then the best solution would be to leave him alone, and after a while return to this issue.

What to do if you cut your baby’s finger while cutting it

For this case, prepare a cotton swab or bandage in advance and, in case of a cut, stop the blood with them, then treat the damaged area with brilliant green or other antiseptic. If the wound does not heal or begins to fester, use an antimicrobial ointment and consult a doctor. Do not forget to also cut off the burrs and then lubricate them with vegetable oil so that inflammation does not start in this place. But if redness has begun in this place, and the skin has become hot, you should not rely on folk methods from the Internet. Remember, surgeons have an important rule: one sleepless night due to pain (when your finger boils) is an occasion to immediately consult a doctor.