Ingrown toenails

[citylife]

My brother has horrible ingrown toenails and was wondering if anyone on here has any ways of helping or fixing this problem.
I look forward to your replies.

 

[Icu4dzs]

My brother has horrible ingrown toenails and was wondering if anyone on here has any ways of helping or fixing this problem.
I look forward to your replies.

First you have to resolve the infection which is caused by the little spike of toenail that is found in the nail fold. Then you have to get that "SPIKE" of nail that is buried in the nail folds removed as that is the basic cause. These form because the nail is not properly trimmed and often just torn off rather than trimmed straight across which leaves that spike of nail in the nail fold.

It will take a bit of "digging" to find those spikes. Soaking in hot water with disinfectant (I like Povodone Iodine which is available at any vet supply place or pharmacy) is needed, but it may take some anesthetic to control the pain when trying to elevate the spike. Once the spikes are IDENTIFIED, then put some silk thread, or dental floss under the ENTIRE toenail and change it daily for as long as it takes to get the toenail to grow out COMPLETELY on both sides.

Once you do this, the "ingrowing" will stop happening. It takes time and patience. This didn't happen over-night and won't go away over night. Cutting out the toenail and/or removing it is a VERY POOR second choice. At least if that is done RIGHT, the "spike" will be removed and the nail should grow back straight.

Important issue is good hygiene and care of the toenails. Lots of folks ignore toenails until something like this happens. Daily nail care of the toes is just as important as the fingers.

Hope this helps. This is how I do it in my own practice of medicine.

Trim sends
//BT//

 

[hqueen13]

Interesting remedy, ICU! I'm going to have to remember that...

I wonder if a clay poultice would work as well, since clay is very good at drawing out things.

 

[Hinotori]

I never thought about using some dental floss to keep the nail above the skin. That's a great idea.

I have issues on my big toes on the edge next to the other toes because my nails grow at a slight angle. I was around 10 the first time I had an ingrown nail there. I'm so very careful on my toe nails now. Cut across and I have to carefully use a file on the corner to make sure it's not sharp. Making sure the nail is not cut to short. Taking care of them, I haven't had an ingrown nail in 20+ years.

 

[Icu4dzs]

Interesting remedy, ICU! I'm going to have to remember that...

I wonder if a clay poultice would work as well, since clay is very good at drawing out things.

I've never used them so I can't comment. No matter what you use, it needs to clear up the infection first otherwise whoever it is will NOT let you touch that toe!
Trim sends
//BT//

 

[so lucky]

One of our old family remedies--I think this kinda works. I am not really prone to ingrown toenails, but I have done this when one starts to get inflamed: Use a nail file and file on the surface of the nail, just a little, to thin it on the top slightly. This is supposed to weaken the nail's tendency to curl downward, thus allowing the nail to grow flatter. Just use care not to file the nail too thin and cause an even worse problem.

 

[rhoda_bruce]

I've tried all of that. None of it ever worked for me. Finally I saw a podiatrist and he gave me permission to cut as much of my curley part of nail as I could to give me some relief. I told him about all the people who had been advising me for years to cut it straight across the top and something about a thick thread....forgot the name. He just told me if you have a flat nail and it sits on top of your toe, you can do that, but if I listen to them, I'd be in pain because my nail is rounded and digging in my toe. He told me to take care of it like that, until I couldn't and then he'd kill part of it.......which by now a podiatrist has had to permanately remove part of my nails.
Soak and treat the infection because if its swollen it will be more painful. I sometimes use orajel to kill the pain, until I can trim my nails.
A few weeks ago I thought it had returned and went to the podiatrist, but he said it wasn't ingrown, but the opposite....the skin and surrounding tissues had wrapped around the nail, so I may as well have had an ingrown. He played around with it and gave me a trim (very sensitive).
When I was working for a pediatrician, she refused to give advice to any of her patients regarding ingrowns after I was seen by a podiatrist, because she knew she was one of the many people who had told me to cut my nails straight across the top......straight won't change the fact that the nail is curling and is more than likely at a place very hard or impossibly to reach.
I can assure you, it has been bothering him more than you might think.

 

[tortoise]

I have curling toenails and a skin condition that causes buildup of keratin and terrific callouses. If you can lift the curled nail edge away and poke a bit of cotton ball between the skin and nail it will provide tremendous relief. This is assuming there is no infection and it is not seriously ingrown to the point of needing surgery.

I grow my toenails long and use a razor blade to cut the thick callous that would grow over the edge of my curled toenails, forcing them futher inwards.