Effective home remedies for ingrown toenails

Ingrown toenail – a common disease that has the medical name "onychocryptosis" can easily get out of hand and require surgery. Run an ingrown toenail  not worth it, as the problem may worsen, and the affected area may become infected. What can lead to the appearance of an ingrown nail, what methods of treating an ingrown nail can be tried at home, and also in what cases it is necessary to seek help from a qualified specialist – You will find answers to these questions in the article prepared for you by the editors of estet-portal.com.

Causes of an ingrown toenail

Ingrown toenail – a problem that can occur on any finger or toe, although it is most often seen on the big toe. The structure of some people's nails makes them more prone to developing ingrown nails. Other causes of nail ingrowth into surrounding tissue include:

• wrong shoes;
• improper cutting of nails;
• injuries;
• infections;
• diabetes.

Ingrown toenail symptoms – how to understand that the nail is ingrown?

The symptoms of an ingrown toenail are easy to spot as they are fairly obvious. This is:

• pain in the finger area;
• redness and swelling;
• in case of infection – yellow pus or clear liquid with splashes of blood.

Ingrown toenail treatment at home

1. Foot baths

Foot baths – a very important part of ingrown toenail treatment as they soften the nail and surrounding skin, making other ingrown toenail treatments more effective.

Take foot baths regularly – at least 2 times a day for 20 – 30 minutes.

For baths, use warm or hot water.

Add the following ingredients to the baths:

• epsom salt;
• hydrogen peroxide;
• apple cider vinegar.

2. Ingrown toenail treatment with cotton

• take a small piece of cotton wool, twist it into a small ball with your fingers;
• carefully lift the nail and place the ball between the nail and the skin (this can be very painful, however lifting the nail will prevent it from growing in);
• leave the cotton ball under the nail until the next foot bath treatment;
• after taking a bath, replace the ball (each time try to stir it as deep as possible).

3. Topical treatment of ingrown toenail

The following substances can be applied to an ingrown toenail to prevent infection:

• apple cider vinegar (moisten a cotton ball and apply to the affected area several times a day);
• eucalyptus oil;
• tea tree oil;
• oregano oil;
• lavender oil.

lemon juice (cut a small wedge of lemon and attach it to the ingrown toenail with a plaster or bandage and leave overnight).

When treating an ingrown toenail, it's best to let them rest and walk barefoot for a few days (e.g. on weekends) to allow the ingrown toenail to heal.

If you notice signs of infection of an ingrown toenail, you should consult a doctor in order to avoid complications. For example, you can call a surgeon at home who will examine an ingrown toenail and recommend treatment that will help get rid of the infection and prevent its unpleasant consequences.