What causes ingrown toenails?
Ingrown toenails are caused by clipping your toenails too short, excessively curved toenails, or foot trauma that damages your toenails. As your toenails grow, they begin to press into the sensitive skin surrounding your nail bed, leading to redness, swelling, and pain.
Why are ingrown toenails so painful?
Ingrown toenails cause pain because they irritate the sensitive layers of skin around your nail. The affected skin has rich blood supply, which is why cutting ingrown nails yourself can cause significant bleeding and increases your risk of infection.
Dr. Shwer recommends that you come in for treatment, rather than trying to cut or dig out the nail yourself, which can make the situation worse.
Ingrown toenails can become infected easily if you don't keep your feet clean and dry. Wearing sweaty shoes and socks and walking barefoot make it easier for your feet to pick up harmful bacteria. Signs of infection in an ingrown toenail include:
- Swelling
- Redness
- Tenderness
- Skin that's warm or hot to the touch
- Pus around the nail
- Foul smell coming from the ingrown nail and surrounding skin
Dr. Shwer can prescribe topical medications and oral antibiotics to clear up infections from ingrown toenails when necessary.
How can I avoid getting ingrown toenails?
The best way to avoid ingrown toenails is to keep your nails trimmed to about the length of your toe. Cutting your nails shorter or along a curve increases the chances of your nail becoming ingrown as it grows.
If you’re prone to getting ingrown toenails, make sure to wear shoes that give your toes room to move and keep your feet clean and dry. Soaking your feet in warm water can soften the skin and make it easier to push your skin away from your nail as it grows.
How do podiatrists treat ingrown toenails?
Dr. Shwer first cleans the area around your ingrown toenail before carefully cutting your nail to remove the ingrown portion. She does this as gently as possible so that you don’t need pain medication, though a numbing cream or gel can be applied to your skin if needed.
Once the ingrown nail is removed, Dr. Shwer applies a topical ointment to prevent infection and help the area heal. For recurring ingrown toenails, different medications and procedures can be performed to prevent a future ingrown toenail.
To get treatment for your ingrown toenail, call the office or schedule your visit online now.
