How Can You Prevent And Treat Ingrown Nails?

Ingrown nails are very painful. They can turn an ordinary day into a real nightmare when we have to walk or wear tight shoes. While ingrown toenails are fairly common, we can also get ingrown fingernails, making it difficult to grasp objects with ease.

In this article we explain how you can prevent ingrown nails.

Ingrown nails: how do they arise?

The nails play an important role, as they are a protective layer that stops bacteria from entering the body.

We shouldn’t cut them just for aesthetic reasons. It is also necessary that we keep them in good condition for the sake of our health and hygiene. Therefore, it is very important to know that clipping your nails incorrectly can cause many problems (including ingrown nails). 

If we add tight shoes or shoes with pointy toes, the problem can get even worse. It can even become so painful that we can’t think of anything else.

Ingrown nails are not only painful but also cause redness and inflammation of the area around the finger or toe. That’s because of the pressure. In more extreme cases, pus may even appear.

Cut your nails the right way so they don’t grow in

If we are prone to ingrown nails, then we need to pay close attention to how we trim our nails. We can ask for help from an expert or be very careful when cutting them ourselves. This is necessary to prevent us from causing further pain.

Take the time and set aside a part of the day to give your nails a full treatment at home.

What do you need?

• Exfoliating Soap
• A cuticle softener
• Nail clippers for straight nails
• Cardboard nail file
• Toothpick

What should you do?

• Before you start, we recommend soaking your feet in lukewarm water. You can add some lavender flowers, eucalyptus, Epsom salt, or anything else that comes to mind. Soak your feet for about 15 minutes so that your nails are soft and easier to trim.

• Then exfoliate the feet well (especially for the heels) and give your feet a massage. Don’t forget to rinse them afterwards, and dry them well with a soft towel.
• Then use the cuticle softener to soften the cuticle and the area around the nail. For example, remove excess skin with a toothpick.
• Cut your nails straight so they are square. You can use the file to help with this.

Don’t cut your nails too short in the corners.  This can increase the chance of ingrown nails.

Use the cotton ball technique to treat ingrown nails

When we suffer from ingrown nails and can’t get to a podiatrist, there are some home remedies that can really help. One such technique is, for example, the cotton wool method.

First, soak your feet in warm water with a handful of Epsom salts. Try to make the water as warm as you can tolerate. Do this for fifteen minutes. This will not only soften the nails but also help prevent infections.

What do you need?

• A ball of cotton wool
• tweezers
• Nail clippers or scissors
• Antibacterial ointment
• A connection

What should you do?

• Cut the nails in a straight line with no sharp points, close to the edge of the nail.
• Carefully lift the ingrown nail with the tweezers and place the cotton ball under it.

• Then press it lightly so that the cotton ball does not come out and trim away the excess cotton wool that extends over the toe.
• Apply the ointment or cream to prevent infection and then wrap the bandage around it as tightly as possible.
• Try not to wear very tight shoes or stockings for the next few days.
• Change the cotton wool every day or every other day.

Home remedies for ingrown nails

In addition to the proper way to trim your nails or the cotton ball technique, there are other very effective home remedies that can help you with this problem.

Water with an iodine solution

You can do this every day when you get home from work. Take off your shoes and soak your feet in a tub of lukewarm water and some povidone-iodine. This medication is a powerful antimicrobial agent that fights fungi and other infections and prevents pus from appearing under the ingrown nail.

A slice of lemon

The acid in this citrus fights infections and can help prepare the nails for clipping.

• Cut a slice of lemon and place it on the affected nail.
• Wrap it in a bandage and let it sit overnight.

Essential oils

Oils are good for moisturizing and softening the skin. In addition, they reduce the pressure of the nail on the flesh when wearing certain types of shoes.

We recommend tea tree oil (which is antibacterial and antifungal) and baby oil (this oil also smells nice).

Band aids

You can reduce the pressure the nail exerts on the skin by pulling the nail back slightly with tape or a plaster. When the area is less red and the inflammation decreases, you can cut the nail.

How do you prevent ingrown nails?

It is always necessary to take care of your nails, even if you are not prone to ingrown nails. Keeping the nails in good condition is not a complicated task and it does not cost a lot of money. If we do it consistently, then we can do it at home ourselves.

It is very important that you have the right material and that you are really careful. We also recommend that you keep your nails short and straight. This way you prevent them from growing in. You should trim them about every three weeks, or every month.

Also remember not to give yourself a pedicure if you have an ingrown nail as you could make it worse.

The first thing to do is reduce the swelling and infection. In the time it takes for the inflammation to heal, wear roomy shoes to avoid pain and prevent further ingrown nails.

Only wear shoes if you must. Walk barefoot at home or wear shoes that leave your toes uncovered.