“It would seem that only the big toe should suffer from an ingrown toenail. But it was not there. The whole foot of a person hurts. And it doesn’t just hurt, but the pain is exhausting and does not allow you to think about anything else, does not allow you to be distracted and forgotten for a minute” [1].
“Why does an ingrown toenail cause such suffering? The fact is that there are many sensitive nerve endings in the tissues of the fingertips. Therefore, an ingrown toenail, especially when walking in tight shoes, makes itself felt by excruciating pain, sometimes causing a person to limp. Growing into the surrounding soft tissues, the lateral edges of the nail plate irritate and damage them until ulcers form.
How severe the pain is depends on the degree of inflammation . Most often, the nail grows from the outside, where it experiences pressure from tight shoes. Initially, pain appears along the edge of the nail. Redness and swelling of the soft tissues occurs in this area. When pressing on the site of inflammation with a finger or wearing shoes, pain occurs. Over time, it becomes constant and interferes with normal walking.
suppuration may also occur . Due to the proximity of the bone of the phalanx of the finger, there is a risk of developing inflammation of the periosteum of the phalanx - periostitis, and even inflammation of the bone itself - osteomyelitis" [1].
"Orthonyxia". Correction of ingrown toenails using plates: BS – Classic, BS-Quick, Onyclip. — Practice course 2 days.
“Currently, there is no single point of view on the causes of ingrown toenails . There is an opinion that ingrown toenails are a hereditary disease and can be passed on from generation to generation among members of the same family.
According to most authors studying this problem, the main cause of this disease is the anatomical disproportion between the growing nail plate and the nail bed. At the same time, it is obvious that anatomical discrepancy and this disproportion, in turn, can be a consequence of the influence of a variety of factors. These factors include:
It is possible that infection of the nail sinus , which can support the inflammatory process in the area of the nail fold, promoting its swelling and infiltration.
factors to the development of ingrown toenails:
Thus, according to most authors, an ingrown toenail should be considered a disease with many causative factors , however, it should be noted that almost all patients with this pathology are characterized by the presence of an infected sinus between the edge of the nail plate and the skin of the nail fold . The presence of such a sinus in the form of a narrow slit, especially as its depth increases, probably makes it difficult to carry out adequate hygienic measures for the patients themselves and to perform effective sanitizing procedures in these nail sinuses for medical personnel. All this, along with the above factors, can be the basis for the development of inflammation with an ingrown toenail.
An ingrown toenail is characterized by complaints of pain in the area of the 1st toe , especially when walking, which makes it difficult or impossible to use usual shoes. Local manifestations are characterized by hyperemia and swelling of the nail fold on the affected side. Most often, the lateral edge of the nail , but a number of patients have bilateral lesions - the medial and lateral edges of the nail .
The most common complication of an ingrown nail is the presence of purulent inflammation in the area of the nail folds in the form of paronychia, the presence of pyogenic granulomas and maceration of the skin of the finger.
The diagnosis of an ingrown toenail is usually not difficult to establish, but in some cases it is necessary to differentiate an ingrown toenail from certain diseases of the nail, nail bed, nail folds and the terminal phalanx of the toe, which are probably less common.
1. Pyogenic granuloma of the nail bed. When localized under the edge of the nail and on the nail fold, it initially looks like an inflammatory small nodule, which gradually increases to the size of a pea or nut. The surface is reddish, smooth, sometimes bleeds or becomes covered with serous-purulent plaque or dries out in the form of a crust.
2. Pyococcal and candidomycotic paronychia . On the first toe, pyococcal paronychia is usually a complication of an ingrown toenail. Characterized by a rapid onset with the development of severe inflammatory phenomena of the soft tissues of the nail fold.
3. Subungual exostosis is a benign tumor-like growth of normal bone tissue of the terminal phalanx of the finger, which is not classified as a true tumor. The cause is not always known, but in some cases patients indicate a finger injury. It is predominantly localized under the inner edge of the nail phalanx of the toe or at the free edge of the nail, but sometimes it is detected at the lateral edge of the nail. Initially, a hard small formation appears under the nail, which gradually increases in size and causes pain when walking, and then the pain becomes permanent.
4. Subungual and periungual fibroma is a benign mesenchymal neoplasm of soft or dense elastic consistency that occurs on both the toes and fingers. They can be of different sizes and shapes, painless, most often localized on the nail folds, but can spread to the nail bed. The gradually increasing pressure of fibroma on the nail or on the eponychium can lead to dystrophic disorders of the nail plate, including its destruction.
5. Subungual and periungual chondroma is a benign tumor of hyaline and, less commonly, fibrous cartilaginous tissue, formed from the rudiments of cartilage in the bone. More often it develops from the bone of the terminal phalanx of the toes and hands. It looks like a solitary tumor of varying sizes (up to 2 cm), very dense and even hard. But at the beginning of the disease, it is a small hard formation at the free edge of the nail, which, gradually increasing in size, lifts the nail plate (onycholysis), and in some cases leads to its deformation and destruction.
6. Dermoid cyst of the nail bed is a tissue malformation with the formation of a cavity lined with epithelium. It is localized in various parts of the body, but can appear in the dermis of the nail bed on the toes. The cyst cavity may contain keratinized scales and hair. As the cyst grows and its size increases, deformation of the nail plate may occur.
7. Glomus subungual tumors (Barre-Masson disease) is a benign vascular tumor that forms in the area of arteriovenous anastomoses (glomus). They are vascular glomeruli with a capsule of connective tissue and nervous tissue, ranging in size from 5 to 10 mm. When a glomus tumor is localized on the nail bed, it takes on the appearance of a bluish spot, usually at the proximal edge or in the center of the nail. Characterized by severe pain, slow development and benign course.
8. Malignant tumors of the nail bed and nail folds . Sarcoma and melanoma of the nail bed are rare diseases, but in some cases they can simulate paronychia, pyogenic granuloma and ingrown nails” [2].
“Correction of the shape of nails using Fraser spring staples” - Course 1 day.
What to do when your toenail hurts? Many people have faced a similar situation. We will talk to you about the causes of such pain. Nails are protective formations on the fingers that are designed to protect the fingers from various mechanical damage. These plates, despite the strength intended for them by nature, are susceptible to many diseases. Let's try to identify some of the causes of pain in the nail plate.
From an anatomical point of view, the legs are considered the most vulnerable place of a person. Pain in the nail is often accompanied by bleeding and inflammation of soft tissues. Pain increases when walking, especially in a situation where the shoes are narrow and uncomfortable. Tissue damage can lead to purulent discharge and swelling.
The nail most often grows on the big toe, and this disorder is accompanied by very severe pain. The swollen and reddened skin surrounding an ingrown toenail is easily susceptible to infection. Ingrown toenails are especially dangerous for people with arthritis, diabetes and poor circulation in the lower extremities. In this case, the absence of treatment is fraught with gangrene.
Since the nails perform a protective function, they take on the full force of the load during mechanical impact on the toes. Often, prolonged pain is caused by a pinched phalanx or a torn nail. Once damaged, the nail may darken and later break off. Complete replacement of the plate occurs only after a few months.
If, due to the type of work a person does, he spends a long time on his feet, his toenails are at risk of becoming loose. Wearing shoes that are larger than necessary especially affects loosening. Sliding when walking, the foot slips, as a result of which the tips of the nail plate are damaged. This creates pain. If your toenail hurts , the problem may be caused by a heavy object falling on your foot. With a minor injury, the pain goes away on its own after a few days. If the bruise affects more than a third of the nail plate, only a specialist can provide the necessary assistance.
Onychocryptosis - ingrown nails - is the most common situation. It is characterized by ingrowth of the nail plate into the lateral edge of the nail fold.
The toenail may also hurt after an improperly done pedicure or when wearing tight shoes. In addition, the causes of pain can be flat feet, nail fungus, orthopedic pathology of the feet, or congenital predisposition.
One of the signs of arthritis is periodic pain that occurs at night. At the same time, with a specific type of such disease, the pain is concentrated in one finger. This allows us to analyze the nature of the disease. For example, pain in the thumb indicates the presence of reactive or psoriatic arthritis.
Pay attention to toenail pain in a timely manner, identify the causes, and, if necessary, consult a doctor.
Some people are very familiar with the problem of ingrown toenails, while others are not even aware of this disease. In medicine, this disease is called onychocryptosis. And this disease is most likely to occur in people who are most prone to it due to heredity, namely, the peculiarities of the shape of the nails, the structure of the nail folds and the formation of the nail plate.
The main place where this disease occurs is the big toes. But this disease also occurs on other fingers, although it is rare. Ingrown nails into the skin occur in both men and women, as well as children.
The most likely causes of the disease are the following:
Most often, an ingrown toenail occurs on a square or rectangular nail shape. A strongly protruding transverse arch only aggravates the problem. Thus, improperly trimmed nails create sharp edges that cut into the tissue of the nail folds and, as they grow, go deeper into the skin.
How to best treat an ingrown toenail largely depends on the stage of the disease. After all, as you know, any disease is easier to cure if it is diagnosed as early as possible.
An ingrown toenail creates many problems for its owners. Not only is this a painful process, but there is also the possibility of surgery to correct the problem. Therefore, it is very important to get rid of this disease as quickly as possible.
How to cure an ingrown toenail?
Treatment of a nail that has grown into the skin comes down to removing the edge of the nail plate from the skin tissue or preventing ingrowth if a person is predisposed to this disease.
The inflammatory process in the finger is treated with medications.
Treatment for an ingrown toenail includes different methods:
Home treatment without visiting a doctor is possible only at the initial stage of onychocryptosis. At the first signs of illness, you should try to pull out the edge of the nail and cut it off. In order not to damage the skin of your feet, you need to steam three times a day for 10-15 minutes. After the skin becomes soft, the nail comes out easily and is removed. If you can’t solve the problem yourself or the situation gets worse, then you need the help of a specialist.
Conservative treatment consists of the following:
To relieve the inflammatory process, the doctor performs a tamponade procedure. A cloth soaked in antiseptic liquid is placed under the edge of the nail. Tamponade is done periodically until the inflammation goes away. In addition, if the nail is not deeply ingrown, then the fabric is used as a retainer so that the nail grows correctly. Other fixatives for proper nail growth are special splints, plates, tubes and resins.
Surgery is prescribed to the patient in cases where there is a purulent-inflammatory process in the finger or conservative treatment does not help. The abscess is opened and drained. Part of the ingrown nail is removed. Depending on the degree of ingrowth of the nail plate, the volume of its removal also depends. So, with a small ingrowth, only a small area of the nail is affected, and with a strong one, not only the ingrown plate, but also part of the matrix is removed. In some cases, the nail is completely removed. And in case of repeated relapses, phenolization (destruction) of the matrix is performed.
Laser nail removal is a more effective and painless procedure. Unlike a scalpel, a laser is more precise and the operated tissues heal faster. Laser therapy practically does not cause relapses. Which is very important for people who, due to their professional background, constantly experience stress on their feet. The laser removes part of the ingrown nail and matrix. At the same time, it effectively affects the inflammatory process, killing all possible pathogens.
Radio wave therapy, like laser, virtually eliminates relapses. It can be performed at any stage of onychocryptosis and has no contraindications. The operation is performed under local anesthesia. Highly sensitive waves do not damage adjacent tissues, do not affect the sensitivity of receptors and do not cause unpleasant sensations. The inflammatory process is completely blocked, and wounds after surgery heal easily and quickly.
You can treat an ingrown toenail at home before an acute purulent process appears. The procedures themselves consist of relieving inflammation with the help of antiseptics (furacilin, ethyl alcohol), anti-inflammatory medications (Vishnevsky ointment, ichthyol ointment), softening the skin with foot baths and removing a nail that has grown into the skin.
The basic rules for treating an ingrown toenail at home are as follows:
To quickly heal the inflamed tissue and soften the nail plate, followed by removal of the ingrown toenail, you can apply compresses at night:
To prevent ointments and compress ingredients from spreading, you should wrap your finger in film before bandaging.
How to trim an ingrown toenail at home?
After the procedures make the nail and the skin around it soft, you can begin removing the ingrown nail. For this you will need manicure tools. Scissors and nippers must be well disinfected by boiling or treating with alcohol solutions. In order not to injure the skin when pulling out the nail, it is better to use disposable manicure sticks made of wood.
Before the removal procedure, carry out standard steaming of the legs and treatment of the finger with an antiseptic. Use a stick to gently pick up the edge of the nail, pulling it out of the skin. Cut off the sharp edge, and again place the cloth with the medicinal agent between the nail and the roller and secure it with a bandage.
Before the next trimming, file the edges of the cut nail, and after steaming, pull out the area of the ingrown nail again and remove it with clippers or nail scissors.
To effectively remove an ingrown toenail, repeat the procedure once every two or three days until it is completely removed from the skin and the nail fold is healed.
If the problem of ingrown toenails bothers you periodically, then you should take preventive measures. It consists of the following:
This problem is most common on the big toes, which causes pain, discomfort and quite often becomes a consequence of purulent tissue inflammation. If you do not treat a diseased nail, you will subsequently have to resort to very serious therapeutic decisions, including amputation of the finger. An ingrown toenail is a painful process that occurs when the corner of the toenail cuts into the skin. In this case, you should be wary of infectious complications.
Patients most often seek medical help after some time, at the moment when the disease begins to progress or is already in an advanced stage, namely when the wound has become inflamed , reddened and festered. The reason for not seeing a doctor in a timely manner is that it is impossible to immediately determine this disease, since the symptoms are in no hurry to manifest themselves .
Still, this disease should not be taken lightly. Doctors advise seeking help in a timely manner as soon as the symptoms become noticeable, as complications such as aronychia ( purulent inflammation), which occurs as a result of the spread of inflammation to the soft tissue of the posterior cushion; phlegmon; finger felon; lymphangitis (inflammation of the lymphatic vessels); the addition of a fungal or papillomavirus infection , gangrene and other malignant diseases will not keep you waiting.
The first signs indicating the presence of this disease:
There are three stages of the disease:
Stage 1 . Manifestation of redness and swelling, sensation of pain when pressing.
Stage 2 . The appearance of infection, inflammation, and part of the grown nail plate becomes like a foreign body, from under which pus can be released.
Stage 3 . Formation of granulation tissue; the transition of inflammation to the chronic stage, which is fixed on the skin for a long time.
This disease incapacitates a person for a long time, so it is not entirely correct to consider the treatment of an ingrown toenail quick and painless.
This disease is fought in several ways: surgery, medication, folk and other means.
Let's look at several ways to treat an ingrown toenail. As you know, the disease is considered most common on the big toes.
If we talk about treating an ingrown toenail without surgery, then in this case special hypoallergenic corrective devices are used, which, with constant interaction with the nail plate, help straighten the deformed part.
Such devices include:
These devices are attached to the deformed nail and lift it, while the pressure on it decreases, and pain and inflammation disappear over time. This treatment method corrects nail growth, and the feet do not require special care.
This treatment is applied by applying special ointments and preparations to the wound to soften and eliminate the inflammatory process. This method is used during the first and second stages of the disease and reduces the risk of severe complications.
Noctinorm is a kind of balm that, when applied to a wound, softens the damaged part, reduces pain and relieves inflammation during the treatment period. It is necessary to steam your feet well before applying it. Do at least two procedures a day.
As for uroderma , its active ingredient is urea, which softens the tissue, which makes it much easier to trim the ingrown part. The cream is applied to a dry wound with a special spatula, then socks are put on the feet for 1-2 hours. The treatment period is 3 days, the procedure is repeated twice a day.
Vishnevsky ointment is applicable in case of infection. This remedy is applied to the painful area by applying a bandage overnight. The period of use of this ointment should be extended until the nail comes out from under the roller.
Ichthyol ointment destroys bacteria, eliminates pain, swelling with redness, inflammation; promotes softening. A bandage with the medicine is also applied at night. The product is quite effective, as a rule, the next morning you can please yourself with the result.
If the nail on the big toe grows and at the same time part of the skin thickens, i.e. Since ingrowth occurs quite easily, the surgeon can get away with removing part of the painful nail plate. With this surgical intervention, the risk of inflammation of the soft tissues of the foot is reduced. Several months after this treatment, the plate is restored.
In case of purulent discharge, as well as severe deformation of the nail, its complete removal is done. The wound is cleaned of pus and an anti-inflammatory and analgesic medicine is applied to it. The doctor changes the bandage every day for about a month. This operation is mainly associated with damage to the growth zone of the nail.
Surgical intervention is used only if conservative methods are unsuccessful.
The laser method is the most popular, less traumatic and most effective. This method of treating an ingrown toenail involves removing it, as well as the edges of its growth part. At the same time, foci of inflammation are neutralized. Treatment using laser technology is characterized by a significant reduction in re-ingrowth. This technique is also used against the background of fungal infection. However, there are also disadvantages:
Treatment of ingrown toenails at home is used at the initial stage of the disease and prevents possible complications. Traditional medicine is widely used here. However, you should treat them with caution, as many of them can cause an allergic reaction. Therefore, the best option for treatment with folk remedies at home is only after consulting a dermatologist.
One leaf of this plant is enough to get rid of redness and pain. It is necessary to crush the aloe leaf and add 30 drops of cooled boiled water to it, then mix everything until smooth, moisten the bandage, apply a wet compress, cling film on top of it and bandage the sore finger. Do this procedure at night, and cut out the ingrown toenail in the morning.
For this procedure you will need regular table salt. You can add 2 drops of iodine. A bandage of this composition softens the skin and makes the nail plate soft. Salt helps eliminate inflammatory processes.
This remedy kills germs and is excellent in healing purulent wounds. For 1 liter of warm water you need 1 tablet of furatsilin. Thanks to such baths, the pus will come out, so you need to apply a wet bandage to your finger several times a day.
Filing the nail in the middle.
This method is a kind of “deception” of an ingrown nail. Using a nail file, you need to thin the nail along the midline. This will quickly reduce the pressure on the soft tissues on the sides and cause the nail to thicken in the center rather than on the sides, which will make cutting it off less painful.
Lotions made from this oil relieve inflammation. It is necessary to bandage a compress soaked in oil to the painful area overnight, and after 3-4 days cut off the nail, lifting it at the wound site using gauze with fir oil placed under it.
It is necessary to prepare a composition of honey (1 spoon) and chopped onion, then spread it on a gauze cloth and add it to a bath of soda solution. Then apply the prepared compress, wrap it with film and put on a sock. Do this procedure at night, and in the morning remove and trim the ingrown part of the nail.
In order not to resort to treatment for ingrown toenails and in the future to avoid operations and various methods of treatment associated with ingrown toenails into the skin, you must follow the following rules:
This important procedure should begin with hygienic preparation. The necessary tools should be treated with an antiseptic solution, and your feet should be washed with soap. Pedicure is not done on dry nails, so immediately after washing your feet, we begin the process. You need to use nail scissors with a straight nose. The pedicure technique does not involve cutting the sides of the nail, rounding it; You need to cut your hair evenly and not short. It is enough to file off the sharp corners a little with a nail file; the cuticle should not be cut off too much, it is better to move it back a little after steaming.
An ingrown toenail is medically classified as onychocryptosis and refers to the ingrowth of the nail plate into the lateral edge of the nail fold. Most often this occurs on the big toes.
Patients with a similar problem seek medical help at a time when the site of the ingrown nail is already inflamed, red, and in some cases festered. And this happens because it is impossible to immediately determine an ingrown nail - the symptoms appear with some “delay.”
Doctors will not be able to name one specific cause of ingrown nails, but they have identified some factors that can provoke this process.
External causes of ingrown toenails:
Please note: many doctors claim that excessive stress on the lower extremities can lead to ingrown nails, but this theory has never received official confirmation.
Diseases that can lead to ingrown toenails:
In order to notice the problem in time and begin to solve it, you need to know the symptoms that will indicate an ingrown nail. The main and pronounced symptoms of an ingrown toenail include:
Please note: if the process is started, continues for a long time and no medical assistance is provided, then irreversible changes in the nail occur, its deformation, thickening and shortening, and the soft tissues become rough.
Please note that treating an ingrown toenail with conservative methods will be effective only in the initial stage of development, so you should not delay visiting a doctor - it will be easier to get rid of the problem. The following methods of conservative treatment of ingrown toenails can be used at home:
Some people recommend making a vertical groove using a manicure file on the problem nail. Over time, this groove will tighten, lifting/pulling the ingrown corners.
Please note: very often you can come across advice for throbbing pain and a pronounced inflammatory process at the site of an ingrown nail to lower your finger into very hot water for 10 seconds, and do such lowerings 20-30 times in a row. You should not perform this manipulation - firstly, the symptoms indicate the development of a purulent inflammatory process, secondly, you can get burned (additional problems), thirdly, an ingrown toenail will not cease to be such.
In order for the treatment of the problem under consideration to be successful and not take much time, you need to follow some rules during therapy:
If home remedies do not help, then when visiting a doctor, each patient with an ingrown toenail will receive medication. Let us list the most common and effective medications to solve the problem under consideration.
The drug is available in the form of a balm, which softens the nail plate, reduces the intensity of pain, and relieves the inflammatory process.
How to use: steam your feet until the corners of the nail appear from under the nail folds. Then this balm is applied to both the roller and the nail plate; 2 procedures should be performed per day.
The main active ingredient of this product is urea - it softens the tissues and the nail itself, which makes cutting the problem nail much easier.
How to use: apply Uroderm cream to a completely dry nail, and use a special spatula to “tuck” the product into the space between the nail plate and the roller. After treatment with the product, put socks on your feet and leave them there for 1-2 hours. You need to use Uroderm for 3 days in a row (2 procedures per day) and then you can trim the ingrown toenail.
If the problem of an ingrown nail is accompanied by an infection, then it would be advisable to use Vishnevsky ointment.
How to use: apply this product to the problem area under a bandage; it is better to do this “compress” overnight. As soon as the nail comes out from under the roller (this can happen after the first procedure), it needs to be trimmed.
Probably the most popular remedy for solving the problem of ingrown toenails. Ichthyol ointment destroys bacteria, relieves pain, inflammation and swelling with redness, and softens the nail plate.
How to use: a bandage (closed) with the given medicine is applied overnight. As a rule, in the morning you can trim the ingrown toenail.
Separately, it is worth mentioning brackets and special plates - they work on the principle of dental braces and even resemble them in appearance. Staples and plates are designed to lift the edges of the ingrown nail and free it from under the roller. Such devices are installed on the nail plate only by a doctor; they can be worn around the clock because they do not cause any discomfort even when wearing shoes.
If the problem in question is in an advanced state, the doctor may prescribe surgical treatment. This is done in three ways:
Please note: if a child’s nail has grown into the roller, you should immediately seek medical help. The fact is that in childhood the pain threshold is low, and any methods of getting rid of the problem at home can only aggravate the problem.
Firstly, after surgery for an ingrown nail, the nail fold takes a very long time to heal. And during the entire postoperative period, you need to beware of infection - observe the rules of foot hygiene for a month, regularly wash the nail fold with any antiseptic (for example, Chlorhexidine).
Secondly, in the first few days after surgery, it is necessary to provide the problematic leg with complete rest - the patient must remain in bed, even if he is at home and not in a hospital.
Thirdly, the patient must wear comfortable, wide/loose shoes throughout the entire recovery period (2-3 months - at the discretion of the attending physician).
Many people believe that an ingrown toenail is not something dangerous - it is just important to cut it out in time. In fact, doctors warn about possible complications due to the problem under consideration:
An ingrown toenail is not only a cosmetic defect - it is a problem that must be quickly resolved, often in tandem with doctors. Otherwise, this condition can lead to serious consequences.
Tsygankova Yana Aleksandrovna, medical observer, therapist of the highest qualification category
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Ingrowth of the edge of the nail into the soft tissue of the lateral ridge causes pain and often leads to inflammation. Most often, the nail grows in the middle of the toenail or towards the free edge. Ingrown nails can be congenital. But most often this is the result of inattention to one’s health.
Ingrown nails can occur in a chronic form, and can be accompanied by quite severe inflammation. Correcting the problem of an ingrown toenail accompanied by inflammation is extremely difficult, since inflammation prevents any professional manipulations, and sometimes they are strictly contraindicated until the inflammation disappears. The inflammation does not go away, since the cause of its formation - the sharp edge of the nail - remains in place in the soft tissues. Minimal harm from an ingrown toenail is discomfort in shoes and pain in dress or tight shoes. In the worst case, if dirt gets into the wound, the result can be purulent inflammation. Therefore, it is recommended to correct the problem of ingrown nails before the formation of inflammatory reactions. Then, with the help of corrective procedures and pain-relieving drugs, you can do without the intervention of a doctor.
Ingrown toenail - correction by installing a Fraser staple
An ingrown nail or onychoprictosis (in medical terminology) is a disease when the right or left side part of the nail plate (sometimes both at once) begins to grow into the skin of the side ridges. More often than not, only the big toes suffer from this diagnosis. If this problem is not dealt with immediately, a severe inflammatory process in the finger and even suppuration may begin.
As a result, there is a risk of being left without a nail or part of it; it is less often necessary to amputate the extreme phalanx or the entire finger, but this is in the most advanced situations and is performed extremely rarely. Increasingly, pregnant women in the later stages of pregnancy have begun to suffer from this disease; some patients experience ingrown toenails on all 10 toes at once.
The initial stage of the disease is very difficult to diagnose, since apart from redness the patient may not feel anything else. But if you press on the edge of the nail from the ingrown side, you can feel severe pain. Most often, discomfort occurs when walking, as shoes put pressure on the toes when walking. Further, due to the constant cutting of the sharp tip of the nail into the side ridge, an inflammatory process develops, which can later become more complicated and cause suppuration in this area.
Further, the finger becomes more and more swollen, the nail plate thickens, and blood or ichor may begin to protrude from under it. The soft side ridges around the nail grow higher and higher and take on the shape of “wild meat”.
What can cause ingrown toenails:
Video: What to do about an ingrown toenail:
To confirm the diagnosis, it is enough to visit the doctor once and share your feelings with him. If the cause of the disease is a fungal infection, then in most cases the nail must be completely removed.
If you notice that the nail has just begun to grow into the skin on the side, then you can try to fight this deviation yourself, but if after the first 3 days of treatment the result does not appear, then it’s time to go to the doctor.
Methods of treatment at the initial stage of ingrowth.
Before a more radical method of circumcision, you can try to solve the problem with a more conservative method - cutting. The nail plate of the ingrown edge is filed down approximately halfway.
The required thickness of the cut is determined by eye - you will have to see the nail bed, and then you should stop. A cover that is too thin will gradually grow and contract towards the center, so the nail will begin to take on the correct shape. Also, such a thin cover will be much easier to trim than a hardened and keratinized layer.
What causes of thickening of toenails exist are indicated in this article.
You can learn more about laser removal of ingrown toenails from the contents in this article: http://soinpeau.ru/lechenie/nogtej/lazernoe-udalenie-vrosshego-nogtya.html
But how to remove an ingrown toenail is described in detail in this article.
It is not recommended to immediately cut off the entire ingrown toenail, as there is a high probability of relapse. This procedure should be performed once a month.
You can soften an ingrown toenail only with the help of warm baths, which should be taken regularly - every evening. Salt (regular or sea), soda or manganese is added to the water. There is a whole list of folk remedies that will help, even after the action of water, to further soften the nail plate and soft tissues around: honey with onions, laundry soap and lamb fat, aloe, butter, lemon zest and vegetable oil, pumpkin. You can also turn to professional cosmetic products that masters use for pedicures.
You can even out the nail plate with an ingrown toenail at the initial stage of the disease using a solution of castor oil and sea salt. 100 ml of oil and a glass of salt are added to 3 liters of water, everything is heated, stirred and used as a foot bath. Castor oil plays a major role here; it helps change the direction of nail growth - it begins to grow upward.
But whether it is necessary to cut the cuticle on the nails is detailed in the contents of this article.
You may also be interested in learning about how to remove cuticles from nails; you should read the contents of this article.
But what inexpensive cream for toenail fungus is best to choose, the information from the article will help you figure it out.
What is the price of Tinedol ointment for nail fungus and how to use it correctly is indicated in this article.
But what antifungal varnishes for topical treatment of nail fungus exist and which of them are the best are indicated here in the article.
Another method of leveling is to scrape the surface of the nail in the center and sides. Next, a bandage roller soaked in an antiseptic solution or antibacterial ointment is placed under the ingrown edge. Also, the nail plate can be sawn vertically in the center or on the sides using a triangular file. The depth of the layer to be removed should be 2/3 of the total thickness of the nail. Using this method, the plate unfolds and the edges rise up, releasing the soft skin on the sides.
The video shows signs of an ingrown toenail:
It is much easier to deal with ingrown toenails at the initial stage of the disease than in advanced conditions. It is quite possible that you can cope with this task on your own. But we must not forget that it is still better to prevent a disease than to fight it, so you should pay more attention to the condition of your toes, monitor their cleanliness, health, and perform a pedicure correctly.
Particular attention should be paid to your feet if you have a hereditary predisposition. In cases where you are unable to cope with the disease on your own, you should visit a doctor as soon as possible.