Trimming the toe nails too short is one of the major reasons for getting an ingrown nail. After being cut short, your nail can grow directly into the skin across the toe leading to an ingrown nail. Even though, you could get an ingrown nail on virtually any toe, by far the most common location is the big toe. One more common issue which can result in ingrown toenails is without a doubt wearing improperly fitted footwear. This generally turns out to be a shoe that is too small for the foot, therefore it is vital that you make sure you get the right size shoes for your feet.
There are numerous different treatment methods for an ingrown nail. Quite often, simply soaking your feet in tepid to warm water several times a day might help to soften the skin surrounding the impacted area making it less painful. Don't wear shoes while you're at home; your feet need to breathe. Also, you need to always wear nice and clean socks every day. Open toe sandals make the perfect option if you will need shoes because they won't put pressure on your toe. But if your toe isn't getting better in a reasonable time period, you will have to go to talk to your physician. More than likely he'll start off your treatment plan with an antibiotic and then proceed from there.
You need to learn how to cut your toenails properly. Obviously, you want the feet to look their finest simply by having your toenails nicely cut and manicured. Sadly, this is simply not always achievable. If you have had ingrown toenails in the past, you have got to cut your toenails slightly differently than most of the people do. The ideal thing for you to do, would most likely be to not trim them in a curved shape; instead, it is advisable to cut them in a straight line across. This tends to keep your toenails from growing back into your skin as they grow longer again and this will significantly help towards avoiding further ingrown toenails.
By just following these 4 easy steps you should be able to steer clear of getting an ingrown toenail:
• Keep your feet clean and dry.
• Always put on clean socks.
• Do not trim your toenails with curved corners.
• Make sure your footwear fit correctly
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com
About the Author
Brian is a contributing author at All Natural Pain Relief and recommends this link.
