Ingrown toenail: causes, elimination, prevention

An ingrown toenail is a phenomenon in which the edge of the nail cuts into the surrounding skin.  This problem may be encountered by people whose damaged nail begins to grow incorrectly or those whose skin around the nail plate grows too quickly, enveloping the nail. Usually this problem is familiar to those who abuse uncomfortable shoes or do a pedicure incorrectly. Nails should be trimmed straight, not rounded at the sides.

Why does the nail grow in?

A nail can grow ingrown for several reasons: firstly, if the nail plate puts strong pressure on the skin around it, and secondly, this phenomenon can be caused by the shape of the nail, which is predisposed to ingrowth. A genetic predisposition is caused by an excess of soft tissues that begin to tightly grip the nail. Thirdly, one cannot help but note the fact that incorrect pedicure technique can cause the nail to grow into the skin or change its shape. Fourthly, foot injuries can cause a change in the shape of the nail and lead to the appearance of such an unpleasant disease. Fifthly, the appearance of excess weight can cause the nail plate to grow into the skin.

This problem may be aggravated love, even to beautiful, but narrow and uncomfortable shoes. If you constantly wear such shoes, the toenail will grow deeper into the ridges and cause ingrown nails. In addition to all of the above, fungal infections can lead to problems with ingrown toenails.

Ingrown toenail: symptoms

If you begin to notice that the skin around the nail begins to swell, turn red, and with the slightest pressure you experience pain, then these are the first symptoms of an ingrown toenail. Most often, this problem appears on the big toes, which means that you will have difficulty wearing closed shoes.

Often, an ingrown toenail is accompanied by an infection. If you feel the pain becoming unbearable and pus coming out of your finger, it is most likely an infectious disease. Be careful: if you have diabetes mellitus, problems with the immune system, circulatory disorders in the lower extremities, without properly selected treatment, the infectious process can spread to other tissues, and the entire foot can suffer!

Ingrown nail: photo

Ingrown toenail in a child

In children, ingrown toenail disease is called “onychocryptosis.” It means that ingrown nails in a child occur due to pathology in the growth of the nail plate. Just like in adults, ingrown toenails are most common on the big toes because the big toes are the most susceptible to injury. The mechanism of ingrown nails is the same for everyone: gradual ingrowth of the nail plate into the side ridges.  The symptoms are absolutely the same: gradually increasing pain, then the appearance of swelling and redness. If this process is not prevented in time, then the occurrence of infection is inevitable.

An ingrown toenail is not a problem that appears immediately, so if your child complains of a sore finger, get it checked out right away. As soon as you notice that the edges of the nail are growing incorrectly, resting against the skin, take measures:

• prepare a warm bath of chamomile decoction or manganese solution;
• treat the inflammation with an antiseptic or a solution containing alcohol, spread with brilliant green or iodine;
• carefully trim the edge of the nail, which causes unpleasant painful sensations;
• Monitor the condition of your finger daily and repeat the procedures until the swelling and redness are completely removed;
• go through your shoes and replace narrow and uncomfortable ones with more comfortable options.

Ingrown toenail correction

Correction is needed to correct the direction of nail growth so that its side edges do not rest against soft tissue. There are several correction methods:

1. First you need to soften the nail using baths. Then we make the nail thin by scraping the nail plate in the center and on the sides. Under the edge where the nail grows we place a cotton or gauze swab soaked in antiseptic agents. This process must be repeated until the edge of the nail is aligned.
2. Another method is to straighten the nail plate by placing a plastic plate treated with alcohol under the edge of the nail. In this case, you will need to secure the plate with a bactericidal plaster and bandage your finger.
3. There is also a method of sawing the nail plate to reduce the width of the nail and straighten it. In order to file the nail, use a regular nail file. The preparatory procedure looks exactly the same: we prepare the finger by softening the nail with a bath. Next, we treat the nail and the nail file, which we will use for sawing, with alcohol. Then, from the center of the nail from the upper free edge to the middle of the nail, we cut off the top layer a little so that a groove is formed. The same procedure is done with the side edges. Thanks to this, the nail will unfold as it grows, and its edges will rise.

These procedures are needed primarily to relieve the inflammatory process and unpleasant painful sensations.

Remember that self-treatment for ingrown toenails is good and acceptable in the early stages of the disease. If you encounter more serious symptoms, you should definitely see a specialist to avoid possible severe consequences.

Treatment of ingrown toenails

To treat ingrown toenails at home, warm baths with antiseptics are used to relieve inflammation. For these purposes, potassium permanganate, Furacilin, Chlorogexidine are dissolved in water, or infusions are prepared from herbs such as chamomile, marigold, St. John's wort, celandine, etc. at the rate of one or two spoons of herb per liter of water.

After steaming in the bath, try to trim the edge of the nail that cuts into the skin. Before going to bed, it is recommended to apply a bandage and treat the inflamed area, for example, with Levomycetin. If you experience pain, use antiseptics containing lidocaine. You can place a gauze or cotton swab soaked in an antiseptic under the side edge, carefully moving the edge of the roller hanging over the nail with a cotton swab.

In the presence of inflammation, swelling and even ulcers, Vishnevsky ointment or Levomikol will be effective.  Bandages should also be applied before going to bed.

Continue to repeat all necessary procedures until all signs of inflammation are completely eliminated.

Treatment of ingrown toenails with laser

Ingrown toenails can also be treated with laser. When treating a disease with a laser, your nail plate and side ridges will be removed or evaporated with a carbon dioxide laser. With this method of treatment, during the procedure the vessels will be “sealed” and you will not lose a drop of blood.

This method of dealing with ingrown toenails has a number of obvious advantages:

• The highest precision when affecting the affected area allows you to eliminate the problem of ingrown toenails without affecting other areas of the skin.
• The duration of the procedure is only 20 minutes.
• Laser intervention does not injure, and no blood loss occurs during the treatment.
• Laser treatment guarantees sterility during the procedure.
• Has an anti-inflammatory effect, promoting rapid healing.
• Has an analgesic effect.
• After laser intervention, the patient will have no traces of hematomas, which prevents infections.
• The nail and finger will retain their natural shape after surgery.
• Laser treatment takes place under local anesthesia.
• The recovery period is quite short, 5-14 days. The restrictions only affect physical activity - the recovery period in this case reaches a month.

How to remove an ingrown toenail

You can trim ingrown toenails yourself at home.  In order to prevent abnormal nail growth, use a cotton or gauze swab soaked in antiseptic. To do this, slightly lift the side edge of the nail plate and place the prepared tampon there. Carry out the procedure at night until inflammation and swelling are completely eliminated.

If you cannot cope with the problem on your own due to severe pain, contact a specialist. The doctor will numb the lesion and remove the ingrown part of the nail. The more carefully you monitor the condition of your fingers, the lower the likelihood of this problem reoccurring.

Prevention of ingrown toenails

To avoid the problem of ingrown toenails, you need to properly care for your nails.

• Remember the most important thing: cut your nails not too short and in a straight line, avoiding cutting off the corners. With the right pedicure, your nail will have a square shape with a slightly rounded top. Do not use scissors with rounded edges.
• Prevention involves avoiding tight, uncomfortable shoes that put pressure on the big toes.
• Monitor the condition of your feet to recognize and prevent fungus at the slightest suspicion.
• Maintain good foot hygiene to prevent fungal infections. First of all, this refers to increased sweating.
• If you or your child have an irregularly shaped nail from birth, don’t worry! With the help of a properly performed pedicure, you can easily cope with this problem.

People with flat feet, club feet and other structural disorders of the foot should take a more careful approach to the prevention of this disease. Due to the different load on the foot, as well as its incorrect position in shoes, the big toe can be subject to pressure even in shoes that seem loose at first glance.