Treat the in-grown toe nails!

Hello!

 An ingrown toe nail is the one that grows downwards or side ways, into the skin of your toes. It does get pretty painful at times but it is treatable.

The two most important things you can do to prevent an ingrown toenail are:

1. Cut your toenails straight across, not in a rounded shape. Cutting your toenails in a rounded shape or cutting them too close to your skin makes them more likely to grow downward into your skin as opposed to outward.

2. Don’t wear shoes that are too tight or too short, which can apply unnecessary pressure on the tips of your toe because they can also cause your toenails to dig into your skin. This can be a problem especially if you walk a lot or participate in sports.

If you already have an ingrown toenail, home care might prevent it from getting infected.

• Make sure to soak it in warm water mixed with some Epsom salts three or four times a day.
• It’s also important to keep your toenails clean and dry,
• Consider wearing sandals until the condition clears up. (Of course sandals should be avoided if you’re going to be taking a hike on rocky terrain, where you can easily stub your toe, , where dirt and who knows what else from city streets can get on your feet.)
• It also will help to apply an antiseptic like hydrogen peroxide or an antibiotic ointment once a day after a bath or shower, which will help to keep an infection at bay.
• If the toenail does get infected (is red, swollen and causes you excessive pain), it will require a doctor’s attention. Usually, a doctor will have to perform toenail surgery to remove the ingrown toenail.