An ingrown toenail, with the side edge of your nail growing into the skin, can make you painfully aware of a toe you don’t normally notice. As the nail continues to dig into the skin, it irritates it, causing pain.
Although the toenails are those that tend to grow in the flesh, the same can happen with the ones on the hands. It is important to cut them properly to prevent problems.
It is important to know how to prevent ingrown nails. These can be very painful, turning an ordinary day into a real nightmare if you need to walk or wear tight shoes. Although incarnate nails are not unusual, sometimes they can develop so that we can no longer grasp objects easily.
In this article I will show you how to prevent ingrown nails.
Why do incarnate nails appear?
Nails act as a barrier that prevents bacteria from entering the body. It is important to keep them in optimum condition not only for aesthetic reasons, but also for health and hygiene reasons.
It is well known that a badly cut nail can cause many problems (including its growth in the flesh). If you are wearing tight shoes or with a sharp tip, the problem becomes worse and can become so painful that you can only focus on it.
Ingrown toenails not only cause pain, but also redness and inflammation of the affected finger as a result of the pressure exerted on it. In extreme cases, pus can also form.
Cut your nails correctly to prevent them from growing in the flesh
You need to know how to prevent ingrown toenails. If you are prone to growing nails in the flesh, you must pay particular attention to their cutting. You can call a professional or you can do this at home, but carefully to avoid pain.
Take advantage of a free afternoon to give your nails a complete treatment.
- Tools required
- Exfoliating soap
- Solvent for cuticles
- Nail pile straight
- Nail pile made of cardboard
- A toothpick
Instructions
- Before you begin, I recommend soaking your feet in warm water. You can add lavender flowers, eucalyptus, Epsom salts or whatever else you prefer.
- Soften the feet for 15 minutes to make the nails soft and easy to cut.
- Exfoliate your feet well (focusing on the heels) and massage them. Don’t forget to rinse and wipe them well with a soft towel.
- Apply cuticle solvent to soften those areas and remove dead skin with a toothpick.
- Cut the right nails to have a square shape. You can also use nail polish.
- Do not cut the nails too short at the corners as they increase the risk of them getting into the flesh.
Technique of cotton wool for ingrown nails
Learn how to prevent nails embedded with a piece of cotton
If you didn’t know how to prevent ingrown toenails and you already have this problem, but you can’t go to a podium to treat it, there are a few natural remedies you can call home. These include the technique of cotton wool.
To start with, you need to soak your feet in the hot water you added a handful of Epsom salts to. Hold them for at least 15 minutes.
Besides softening the nails, this technique helps prevent infections.
- Tools required
- A piece of cotton
- Tweezers
- Nipper
- Antifungal antibody
- A bandage
Instructions
- Cut the right nails without sharp points at the edges.
- Gently lift the nail in the tweezers and place the small piece of cotton underneath.
- Gently push on it so that it does not protrude and cut off the excess cotton that goes beyond the tip of your finger.
- Apply the bandage to prevent infections and apply the bandage as tightly as possible.
- Try not to wear very tight shoes or socks in the next few days.
- Change the piece of cotton every day or once every two days.
- Natural remedies for ingrown nails
- In addition to the correct nail trimming and the use of cotton wool, there are other effective natural remedies that can help you if you have ingrown nails:
Solution with water and iodine
Every day, after you come from work, get off your shoes and soak your feet in a bowl of warm water in which you have added a measure of iodized povidone. This medicine has strong antimicrobial properties and prevents the formation of pus around the nail grown in the flesh.
- Cut a slice of lemon and place it on the affected nail.
- Wrap it in a bandage and let it stay that way overnight.
Essential oils
The oils moisturize and soften the skin, reducing the pressure of the nail on the meat when wearing certain types of footwear.
I recommend you use tea tree essential oil (it is antibacterial and antifungal) and baby oil (it has a pleasant smell).
You can reduce the pressure of the nail on the skin by pulling the nail back with an adhesive tape or patch. After the redness is reduced and the inflammation recedes, you can try to cut the nail.
How to prevent ingrown nails
Nail care is essential, whether we have ingrown toenails or not. Keeping them in optimum condition is not a heavy and costly task. It is very important to have the right tools and be very careful.
I also recommend that you keep your nails short and straight to prevent them from growing in the flesh. It is advisable to cut them about 3 weeks or once a month.
Don’t do your pedicure if you have an ingrown toenail, as it will worsen the situation. First, you must reduce inflammation and infection.
Only wear shoes when needed. When you are at home, stand on your bare feet or wear slippers that leave your toes uncovered.
Most ingrown toenails aren’t serious. They should improve within a week or so without causing permanent damage with the proper home care. Left untreated, ingrown toenails may cause severe pain and infection that could spread to the bone.
It’s common for ingrown toenails to recur, especially if you don’t take steps to prevent them.
I’m reading this article and already found two or three typos:
1. It’s not “nail pile”! It’s called “nail file”.
2. You don’t go to a “podium” to have your feet treated. A podium is something a band plays on. You go to a “podiatrist”.
3. “Antifungal antibody” ?? (under supplies). It doesn’t exist.
4. You reduce the pressure of the nail on the “flesh”, not on the “meat” (meat is animal flesh that we eat).