What To Do For Ingrown Toenails

You’ve got an ingrown toenail. Now what?

Ingrown toenails are nasty little issues. Rarely are they a cause for concern if you are otherwise healthy, but boy, can they be a painful nuisance. If you are dealing with an ingrown toenail right now or you deal with them frequently, here are some ways that you can treat them, as well as how our Avon, CT, podiatrist Dr. Richard Grayson can help.

Start With Home Care

If you’re dealing with minor redness and irritation but the nail isn’t showing signs of infection and you aren’t dealing with serious health problems such as diabetes, you can often treat an ingrown toenail from the comfort of home. Here are some helpful tips to ease symptoms,

• Soak the affected foot in lukewarm water with Epsom salts for about 15 minutes, 2-3 times a day.
• Make sure to always dry your feet thoroughly after soaking or showering.
• Wear open-toed shoes or shoes that don’t put pressure on your toes (avoid high heels or shoes with a pointed toe).
• You may wish to gently lift the edge of the nail away from the skin and a part of a cotton ball under there to keep it lifted away from the skin.
• As the nail grows out, only trim your nails straight across, never at a curve.

Turn to a Podiatrist

It’s important to know when it might be time to turn to our Avon, CT, podiatrist Dr. Grayson rather than treating the ingrown toenail yourself. Remember, if you have diabetes or nerve damage in your feet, even something as simple and minor as an ingrown toenail can easily lead to something more serious, like an infection. So it’s essential that you turn to our team right away if you develop an ingrown toenail.

If you notice that your symptoms are getting worse, you think you have an infection, or if symptoms have persisted for more than five days despite home care, it’s time to seek out care from our qualified foot care team. If you have an infection, you may need antibiotics to treat it. We may even need to remove part or all of the nail in some cases.

Avon Podiatry Associates is here to ensure that you have the care you need to deal with everything from ingrown toenails and heel pain to sprains, fractures and everything in between. Call our office today at (860) 677-7733 to schedule an appointment with our Avon, CT, podiatrist Dr. Grayson.