Ingrown Nail - Prevention

Prevention

The most common place for ingrown nails is in the big toe, but ingrowth can occur on any nail. As ingrown nails are not present in people who are habitually barefoot, the best prevention for ingrown nails is not to wear shoes at all, however ingrown nails can be avoided by cutting nails straight across; nails should not be cut along a curve, nor should they be cut too short. It is important to avoid cutting the nail shorter than the flesh around it. Footwear which is too small or too narrow, or with too shallow a 'toe box', will exacerbate any underlying problem with a toenail. It may not be so critical that the nails be cut perfectly 'straight across' as this may imply that they be squared at the corners. Sharp square corners may be uncomfortable and cause snagging on socks. Proper cutting leaves the leading edge of the nail free of the flesh, precluding it from growing into the toe. Filing of the corner is reasonable. Some nails require cutting of the corners far back to remove edges that dig into the flesh, this may be done as a partial wedge resection at a podiatrist's office. Ingrown toe nails can be caused by injury, commonly blunt trauma where the flesh is pressed against the nail causing a small cut that swells. Also, injury to the nail can cause it to grow abnormally, making it wider or thicker than normal or even bulged or crooked. Stubbing the toenail, dropping things on the toe and 'going through the end of your shoes' in sports are common injuries to the digits. One home remedy is that a V should be cut in the middle edge of the ingrown nail. The reasoning is that if one cuts a V in the nail, the edge of the nail will grow together as the nail grows out. This has been reported to cure some cases of ingrown toenails and is free. After cutting the notch it will take a few days before the nail has corrected itself but results can be noticed almost immediately. Please note that cutting a notch may do harm if cut too deeply.