Who is prone to ingrown toenails?

Anyone can get an ingrown toenail. People at higher risk include adolescents, athletes and those who have: Diabetes. Severe nerve damage in the leg or foot.

What is the main cause of ingrown toenails?

Ingrown nails may develop for many reasons. Some cases are congenital—the nail is just too large for the toe. Trauma, such as stubbing the toe or having the toe stepped on, may also cause an ingrown nail. However, the most common cause is tight shoe wear or improper grooming and trimming of the nail.

What percent of people have ingrown toenails?

Actually, the Institute for Preventive Foot Health reports a full 18 percent of American adults have had an ingrown toenail at some point in their lives. Some of these toenails resolve with proper trimming and warm soaks.

How do you dig out an ingrown toenail?

Use a pair of tweezers to gently push a tiny piece of cotton or gauze into the corner of your toenail where it’s ingrown. This helps to make a space between the nail and the skin. Cut the visible nail corner or the ingrown spur away to help relieve the pressure and pain.

Are Pedicures good for ingrown toenails?

Pedicures aren’t recommended by podiatrists and are actually believed to make the condition worse. The best way to treat ingrown toenails is to prevent them through healthy foot habits, starting at home. Ask your podiatrist for tips and tricks to prevent future ingrown toenails.

Is it bad to pull out ingrown toenails?

The American Academy of Dermatology also recommend that people avoid digging out or clipping an already ingrown nail. Sometimes, an ingrown nail can break the skin. This makes it easier for bacteria and other microbes to enter the skin, potentially causing a painful infection.

Can a pedicure fix an ingrown toenail?

Can pedicures get rid of ingrown toenails? Many may believe that visiting a nail technician for a pedicure can rid or prevent ingrown toenails. However, this isn’t the case. Pedicures aren’t recommended by podiatrists and are actually believed to make the condition worse.

What happens when you get an ingrown toenail on your toe?

Overview. Ingrown toenails are a common condition in which the corner or side of a toenail grows into the soft flesh. The result is pain, redness, swelling and, sometimes, an infection. Ingrown toenails usually affect your big toe.

Why do ingrown nails grow so fast?

According to Rauch, nail growth is a delicate balancing act between the stresses of growth and adhesion. If the nail grows too quickly or slowly, residual stresses can force the nail’s curvature to change, resulting in a painful cut into the surrounding skin. That helps explain why certain people are more prone to ingrown nails.

Should I talk to my doctor about my ingrown toenails?

Often you can take care of ingrown toenails on your own. If the pain is severe or spreading, your doctor can take steps to relieve your discomfort and help you avoid complications of ingrown toenails. If you have diabetes or another condition that causes poor blood flow to your feet, you’re at greater risk of complications of ingrown toenails.

What’s causing your toenail curvature?

Your big toe is an example of how “boundary conditions” can affect the curvature of a nail. (WIN-Images/Corbis) It’s easy to take your toes for granted—that is, until your flesh starts swelling, throbbing and burning with the pain of an ingrown toenail.