An ingrown toenail, also known as onychocryptosis or unguis incarnatus, is a painful condition of the toe. It occurs when a sharp corner or edge of the toenail digs into the skin at the end of or side of the toe. Pain and inflammation at the spot where the nail curls into the skin occur first.
What are ingrown toenails?
Ingrown toenails occur when the edges or corners of your nails grow into the skin next to the nail. Your big toe is most likely to get an ingrown toenail. You can treat ingrown toenails at home. However, they can cause complications that might require medical treatment and best to find a professional to help you.
What causes ingrown toenails?
Ingrown toenails occur in both men and women, more common in people with sweaty feet, such as teenagers. Older people may also be at higher risk because toenails thicken with age.
Many things can cause an ingrown toenail, including:
- cutting toenails incorrectly (Cut straight across, since angling the sides of the nail can encourage the nail to grow into the skin.)
- irregular, curved toenails
- footwear that places a lot of pressure on the big toes, such as socks and stockings that are too tight or shoes that are too tight, narrow, or flat for your feet toenail injury, including stubbing your toe, dropping something heavy on your foot, or kicking a ball repeatedly
poor posture
- improper foot hygiene, such as not keeping your feet clean or dry
genetic predisposition
- Using your feet extensively during athletic activities can make you especially prone to getting ingrown toenails.
Activities in which you repeatedly kick an object or put pressure on your feet for long periods of time can cause toenail damage and increase your risk of ingrown toenails. These activities include: ballet, football, kickboxing and soccer
What are the symptoms of ingrown toenails?
Ingrown toenails can be painful, and they usually worsen in stages.
Early-stage symptoms include:
The skin next to the nail becoming tender, swollen, or hard
pain when pressure is placed on the toe
fluid building up around the toe
If your toe becomes infected, symptoms may include:
red, swollen skin
pain
bleeding
oozing pus
overgrowth of skin around the toe
Treat your ingrown toenail as soon as possible to avoid worsening symptoms.
Ingrown toenails that aren’t infected can normally be treated at home. However, if your toenail has pierced the skin, or there is any sign of infection, seek medical treatment. Signs of infection include:
warmth
pus
redness and swelling
Complications of ingrown toenails
If left untreated, an ingrown toenail infection can cause an infection in the bone in your toe. A toenail infection can also lead to foot ulcers, or open sores, and a loss of blood flow to the infected area. Tissue decay and tissue death at the site of infection are possible.
A foot infection can be more serious if you have diabetes. Even a small cut, scrape, or ingrown toenail may quickly become infected due to the lack of blood flow and nerve sensitivity. See your doctor right away if you have diabetes and are concerned about an ingrown toenail infection.
If you have a genetic predisposition to ingrown toenails, they may keep coming back or appear on multiple toes at once. Your quality of life may be affected by pain, infections, and other painful foot issues that require multiple treatments or surgeries. In this case, your doctor may recommend a partial or full matrixectomy to remove the toenails causing chronic pain.
Preventing ingrown toenails
Ingrown toenails can be prevented by making several lifestyle changes:
Trim your toenails straight across and make sure that the edges do not curve in.
Avoid cutting toenails too short.
Wear proper fitting shoes, socks, and tights.
Wear steel-toe boots if you work in hazardous conditions.
Or call our professional ingrown toe nail pedicure service plus foot massage to help you get a healthy feet.
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