Top tips to prevent an ingrown toenail

Ingrown nails are painful! Seems like such a small thing to cause so much pain, but we hear you! We see many clients at Foot Right Podiatry that are suffering with ingrown toenails. Most ingrown toenails are caused by incorrect nail cutting and nail care.

Here are 5 Tips to care for your nails to prevent an ingrown toenail

1.     Cut your nails straight across, or follow the natural shape of your nail

2.     Keep your nails short, but allow some of the free edge of the nail to remain – if you cut your nails too short it can be just as bad as having them too long.

3.     Try to avoid cutting down the sides of your nail if at all possible. When you cut down the side of your nail you run the risk of cutting the skin, which can lead to inflammation and infection.

4.     Picking and tearing nails is never a good thing! If you need a hobby, I recommend knitting, or something else! When you pick at or tear your nails, you leave small pieces of your nails behind – these small pieces can form spicules (sharp pieces of nails) that can pierce the skin and start an ingrowing nail.

5.     If you have damaged your toenail by cutting incorrectly, treat the wound straight away. Apply betadine and a clean bandaid to the area and change the dressing once a day. This way, you are less likely to get bacteria into the wound, which could lead to an infection.

The Podiatrists at Foot Right Podiatry are able to treat all stages of ingrowing nails – if you are worried about an ingrown nail that is just starting, or an ingrown nail that has been around for months or even years (!), why don’t you give us a call or book online for an appointment? Life is too short for a tiny painful toenail! 

* If you are currently suffering from an ingrown toenail, this information is not for you right now, but please remember this for the future and hopefully you can use this information then. In the meantime, if you do need some help your painful toe, give us a call and come and see us! We'd love to give you a pain free toe!