Ingrown toenails, if you’ve ever had one, are considerably painful. This may be a surprising realization if you have been fortunate enough to avoid ever experiencing one, but for those of us who have dealt with this pesky problem, we’re fully aware just how awful ingrown toenails can be.
I’ve dealt with ingrown toenails since I was child, always on both of my big toes. When I was in university, it got to a point that I was unable to wear certain shoes or even walk properly at times, so I saw a specialist and underwent a procedure which involved having my ingrown toenails cut in hopes of preventing them from ever coming back.
In most cases, the procedure I had isn’t necessary, unless your ingrown toenails are extremely deep and are causing a lot of infection. If you think your ingrown toenails are severe, I recommend seeing a doctor, but if your case is a little more mild, consider trying out these home remedies for some relief, recommended by mayoclinic.org.
- “Soak your feet in warm water. Do this for 15 to 20 minutes three to four times a day. Soaking reduces swelling and relieves tenderness.
- “Place cotton or dental floss under your toenail. After each soaking, put fresh bits of cotton or waxed dental floss under the ingrown edge. This will help the nail grow above the skin edge.
- “Apply antibiotic cream. Put antibiotic ointment on the tender area and bandage the toe.
- “Choose sensible footwear. Consider wearing open-toed shoes or sandals until your toe feels better.
- “Take pain relievers. Over-the-counter pain relievers such as acetaminophen (Tylenol, others), ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB, others) and naproxen sodium (Aleve) may help ease the toe pain,” the mayoclinic website explains.
Ingrown toenails can lead to serious health consequences if left untreated. They’re no joke, and if you have been battling with them for a while now, it might be time to consult your physician.
ontheedgeofeverything 
informative article. I found sometimes the pain of the infected toe is increased by the pressure of its neighbouring toe. When this happens i find it helpful to put a spacer between the two toes,
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Good to know! Thank you for your advice and for reading. 🙂
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