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• To step
• Method 1 of 5: Recognizing an ingrown toenail
• Method 2 of 5: Try home remedies
• Method 3 of 5: Helping the toenail heal
• Method 4 of 5: Get professional help
• Method 5 of 5: Prevent ingrown toenails

In an ingrown toenail, the sides or corners of the nail curl down and grow into the skin of your toe. This can cause swelling, pain, and redness, and occasionally pus may also come out of the affected area. Also called onychocryptosis, this condition is most common in the big toe, but your other toenails can grow in too. The condition is easy to treat, but it can be quite painful while you wait for your toe to heal. After determining that you have an ingrown toenail, use home remedies to relieve the pain. If you are in severe pain or your toenail is infected, you may need to see a doctor.

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Method 1 of 5: Recognizing an ingrown toenail

1. See if your toe is swollen. An ingrown toenail usually causes a small swelling in the area next to your toenail. Compare your toe with the same toe on your other foot. Does your toe look thicker than usual?
2. Feel if the area hurts or is tender. The skin around the toenail will be sensitive or hurt when you touch or press the area. Gently press your finger on different spots to find out which area hurts and causes discomfort.
   • With an ingrown toenail, a small amount of pus can also come out of the skin.
3. Look where the nail is. In an ingrown toenail, the skin along the edge of the nail appears to grow over the nail, or the nail appears to grow under the skin along the nail. You may not be able to find the top corner of the nail.
4. Consider your health status. You can usually successfully treat an ingrown toenail at home. However, if you have diabetes or any other condition that causes neuropathy or nerve damage, then you should not try to treat the ingrown toenail yourself. You must then immediately make an appointment with your doctor.
   • If you have nerve damage or poor circulation in your leg or foot, your doctor will want to examine your ingrown toenail immediately.
5. Talk to your doctor. If you are unsure whether you have an ingrown toenail, it is best to see your doctor. He or she will be able to determine with certainty whether you have an ingrown toenail and recommend a treatment method.
   • If the condition is particularly severe, your doctor may refer you to a podiatrist or dermatologist.
6. Don't let the condition of your toe get worse. If you think you have an ingrown toenail, you should start treatment right away. Otherwise, there is a risk of more serious problems, such as an infection.
   • See a doctor if symptoms persist for more than 2 to 3 days.

Method 2 of 5: Try home remedies

1. Soak your foot in warm water. Use a large bowl, tub, or your bathtub to soak your foot. This will help reduce swelling and make your foot less sensitive. Soak your foot for about 15 minutes. Repeat this 3 to 4 times a day.
   • Add Epsom salt to the water. Epsom salt is known to soothe pain and swelling. It also helps soften your toenail. Put 270 grams of Epsom salt in a bathtub with a few centimeters of water, or in a foot bath.
   • If you don't have Epsom salt at home, you can also use regular salt. Salt water helps to reduce bacterial growth in the affected area.
   • Gently massage the affected area. This will help the water to soak into the ingrown toenail, which will help get rid of bacteria and reduce swelling and pain.
2. Use a cotton ball or piece of dental floss to gently pull up the nail edge. After you soak your foot, your toenail should have softened. Gently slide a clean piece of dental floss under the edge of your nail. Gently push the edge of the toenail up so that your nail cannot grow further into your skin.
   • Try this method after every foot bath you take. Always use a clean piece of floss.
   • Depending on how deep your toenail has grown into your skin, this can be a bit painful. Try taking a pain reliever to relieve the discomfort.
   • Don't push the wire too deep under your toenail. Your toenail can become even more infected, so you may need to seek medical attention.
3. Take a pain reliever. An over-the-counter pain reliever can help some of the pain and discomfort you are experiencing. Try a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) such as ibuprofen, naproxen, or aspirin. NSAIDs can help reduce pain and inflammation.
   • If you can't take NSAIDs, try acetaminophen instead.
4. Try a topical antibiotic cream. An antibiotic cream helps to fight the infection. In our country, antibiotic creams are only available on prescription. You could also use an over-the-counter disinfectant ointment instead.
   • An antibiotic cream may also contain a local anesthetic, such as lidocaine. This will temporarily relieve the pain in the affected area.
   • Follow the instructions on the cream packaging.
5. Bandage your toe to protect it. To protect your toe from further infection or snagging on your sock, wrap a bandage or gauze around your toe.
6. Wear open sandals or loose shoes. Give your feet a little extra room by choosing to wear open shoes, sandals, or other loose-fitting shoes.
   • Tight-fitting shoes can cause ingrown toenails or make an already ingrown toenail worse.
7. Try homeopathic remedies. Homeopathy is an alternative medicine that uses herbs and other natural ingredients to treat a variety of ailments. To treat a painful ingrown toenail, try one or more of the following homeopathic remedies:
   • Silicea terra, gamander (teucrium), nitric acid (nitricum acidum), graphite, magnetis polus australis, phosphoric acid (acidum phosphoricum), tree of life, causticum, sodium muriaticum, aluminum oxide or potassium carbonicum.

Method 3 of 5: Helping the toenail heal

1. Soak your feet for 15 minutes. Use warm water and Epsom salt and let the toenail soak for 15 minutes. This will help soften the nail so that you can pull it away from the skin more easily.
2. Push the toenail away from the skin. Gently push away the skin along your toenail. This will separate the skin and the nail so that you can see the edge of the nail. Use a piece of dental floss or a pointed file to push the edge of the toenail away from the skin. You may need to start with the side of the toenail that is not ingrown. Slide the floss or file towards the ingrown edge.
   • Make sure to sanitize the file with alcohol or hydrogen peroxide before using it.
3. Disinfect your toe. After pulling the nail away from the skin, pour a small amount of clean water, rubbing alcohol, or other disinfectant under the nail. This will prevent bacteria from collecting under your nail.
4. Put a piece of gauze under the nail edge. Take a small amount of clean gauze and tuck it under the raised nail. The goal is to prevent the nail edge from touching the skin. The nail can then grow away from the skin, instead of growing further into the skin.
5. Dab antibiotic cream around the nail. Once the gauze is in place, dab the area with an antibiotic cream. You can choose an ointment that contains lidocaine that will slightly numb the area.
6. Bandage your toe. Wrap a strip of gauze around your toe. You can also use a bandage or a toe sock, which is a special sock that covers your toes separately so that your ingrown toe is kept away from your other toes.
7. Repeat the process daily. Take advantage of this procedure to help heal an ingrown toenail. When the toe heals, the pain will subside and the swelling will diminish.
   • Make sure to change the gauze daily to make sure no bacteria builds up near your nail.

Method 4 of 5: Get professional help

1. Get medical attention after 2 to 3 days. If you have treated your toenail with home remedies and your toenail condition has not improved after 2 to 3 days, see your doctor. If you have diabetes or any other condition that causes nerve damage, see your doctor right away and consider seeing a podiatrist.
   • If you see red streaks on your toe extending from the affected area, see a doctor right away. This is a sign of a serious infection.
   • You should also see a doctor if you see pus near your toenail.
2. Talk to your doctor about your symptoms. Your doctor will ask when you first started having your ingrown toenail and when your toe started to swell or became red or painful. He or she will likely also ask you if you have other symptoms, such as a fever. Make sure you accurately describe all of your symptoms.
   • Your doctor will usually be able to treat an ingrown toenail. In more complex cases, you could choose to see a podiatrist. You can also do this if you keep getting ingrown toenails.
3. Get a prescription for antibiotics. If your toenail is infected, your doctor may prescribe an oral or topical antibiotic. This medicine will help clear the infection and prevent new bacteria from collecting under your toenail.
4. Have your doctor try to pull up your toenail. Your doctor will likely want to try the least invasive treatment. He or she will therefore want to pull your toenail slightly away from the skin. If your doctor can pull the edge of your toenail away from the skin, he or she can put gauze or cotton wool under your nail.
   • Your doctor will give you instructions on how to change the gauze daily. Follow these instructions to make sure your toenail heals.
5. Ask if your nail needs to be partially removed. If your toenail is heavily infected or has grown deep into the skin around it, your doctor may choose to partially remove your nail. Your doctor will administer a local anesthetic. He or she will then cut along the nail edge to remove the portion of your nail that is growing into the skin.
   • Your toenail will regrow in 2 to 4 months. Some patients are concerned about how their toenail will look after this procedure, but if your toenail grew in your skin first, chances are it will look better after partial removal.
   • Removing your toenail may sound drastic, but it actually helps relieve pressure and soothe the irritation and pain of an ingrown toenail.
6. Get informed about the permanent removal of part of your nail. If you keep having ingrown toenails, it might be a good idea to look for a more permanent solution. During this procedure, the doctor will remove part of your nail, along with the nail bed underneath the affected part of your nail. This will prevent your nail from growing back in that area.
   • The procedure is performed with a laser, chemicals, or an electrical current, or another surgical procedure is chosen.

Method 5 of 5: Prevent ingrown toenails

1. Trim your toenails properly. Often people suffer from ingrown toenails due to incorrect cutting of the toenails. Cut your nails straight, and don't cut the corners round.
   • Use a disinfected nail clipper.
   • Don't cut your toenails too short. You can also choose to leave your toenails a little longer. This way you can be sure that your toenail will not grow into the skin.
2. Go to a pedicure. If you can't get to your toenails and therefore can't cut them yourself, you can go to a pedicure to have it done. Ask at the hospital or the doctor for a good pedicure that can cut your toenails for you regularly. You can also check the website of the trade association ProVoet to find a certified pedicure.
3. Do not wear tight-fitting shoes. If your shoes pinch your toes, you may be at risk of ingrown toenails. The side of your shoe may press against your toe and cause your toenail to grow incorrectly.
4. Protect your feet. Wear protective shoes when doing activities that could injure your toes or feet. For example, wear steel-toed shoes when you are on a construction site.
5. Get help taking care of your toenails if you have diabetes. People with diabetes often have numbness in their feet. If you cut your own toenails, you may accidentally cut your toe and not feel it. Go to a pedicure or have someone else cut your toenails for you.
   • You should also see a podiatrist regularly if you have diabetes or any other condition that causes nerve damage.