How to Treat Your Ingrown Toenail

Ingrown toenails are very painful. Ingrown toenails are often the result of tight fitting or ill fitting shoes. The shoes squeeze your toes together and press the toenail into your skin. An ingrown toenail can also be the result of an injury to the nail bed which then causes the toenail to grow into the skin surrounding the nail.

Instructions

1. Soak your feet as often as possible in very warm water and salt. Add about ¼ of a cup of salt to each gallon of water. Soak the ingrown toenail for 15 to 20 minutes each time.

2. Dip a piece of gauze in water. Place the wet gauze over the ingrown toenail and secure in place with first aid tape. Change the gauze and tape 3 to 4 times per day. The gauze should be slightly larger than your toenail.

3. Continue to place wet gauze on your toenail every day until the ingrown toenail grows out. The wet gauze will cause your toenail to become soft. By causing the toenail to become soft, it will not be as painful while it grows. The toenail will also not be sharp enough to dig into the skin.

4. Trim your toenail straight across once the nail has grown out. As soon as the ingrown toenail has grown out and has been trimmed discontinue the wet gauze and foot soaks.

Tips & Warnings

• Call your doctor if you notice any signs of an infection such as redness, swelling, pus, site feels very warm to the touch or pain radiating throughout your entire foot and lower leg.

• If you are a diabetic call your doctor and do not attempt to treat an ingrown toenail on your own.

• Never try to cut an ingrown toenail out.