Ingrown toenails can bring a lot of discomforts and even lead to an infection if not treated on time. If this problem keeps coming back to you, you may be genetically prone to it and should take care of your feet accordingly. This condition may not reveal itself early but occur over time due to lifestyle changes, for example, gaining weight or having to walk long distances.
If your ingrown toenails cause you pain, you should go through a procedure of medical pedicure to treat this condition. A regular pedicure specialist may not be able to perform this procedure; you need to search for one that qualifies for this kind of service.
If this problem keeps coming back, you may need to visit a podiatry center to determine the cause of this condition. In many cases, it’s associated with flat-footedness, but it also can be caused by poor foot care and wearing uncomfortable footwear.
How Do You Know You Have an Ingrown Toenail?
You may experience pain in your toes. You can feel it when you walk or in your sleep. Mostly, toenails grow into the skin on big toes, but other toes can also be affected. Don’t wait until the pain grows severe - the skin under the ingrown toenail can get inflamed and turn into an open gate for the infection.
The specialist will remove all the dead skin cells from the inside of the ingrown toenail, disinfect it and shape your toenail in such a way that it will be less likely to grow into your skin again. However, there is no guarantee that it won’t happen to you again, especially if you are prone to it.
How Can You Reduce the Risks of Having an Ingrown Toenail?
There are some tips that may help you reduce the risks of having an ingrown toenail. With smart foot care and doing the necessary prevention, you can minimize the risk of this condition affecting your quality of life.
1. Don’t cut your nails too short
If you make them too short, they are more likely to grow into your skin again. If you don't know how to cut them properly, don’t do it yourself - make an appointment with your medical pedicure specialist. They will choose the most appropriate shape for your nails to minimize the discomfort for you as they grow.
2. Ditch the idea of having gel or acrylic cover for your toenails
If you have a regular problem of ingrown toenails, no permanent cover is an option for you. It makes the nails hard so they will damage your skin more, and it will be more difficult to remove the ingrown part . Use a regular nail polish instead, or go with the natural look.
3. Wear comfortable footwear
If your toenail condition is caused by flat-footedness, you might want to consider special orthotic insoles to help distribute the load over your foot. Don’t wear tight footwear with a narrow front part that squeezes your toenails together or creates the pressure over your big toes. Try to choose footwear that is one size bigger than your actual foot length - this may help if your feet get swollen after a long walk.
4. Visit a medical pedicure specialist regularly
Even if you don’t need a full procedure of ingrown toenail removal, it’s still better to be supervised by a qualified specialist if you had that condition before. Your feet require special attention, and you need to be sure your toenails are cut in the proper way not to turn into a problem in the future.