Grishkova Marina | Updated: 2017-08-02
At least once in their life, everyone has encountered this problem. An ingrown toenail is a very common phenomenon, because often we simply ignore the discomfort and wear synthetic underwear and tight shoes, which are the main reasons for its occurrence.
If an ingrown thick nail has rotted or a large abscess has formed, then you need to contact a specialist, since home methods can only cause harm. Now there is a special operation, during which the plate is leveled and the skin around the nail, which prevents it from growing normally, is cut off. Laser surgery is used , it is expensive, but very effective, this way you can cure fungi, remove warts, and remove cracks in the heel and foot.
Only a laser, a radical remedy, will help you get rid of this trouble forever. But it is worth considering that such an aggressive effect on the body is not allowed for everyone. For example, there are many contraindications for pregnant and lactating women, as well as for young children.
When choosing a place to remove an ingrown toenail, give preference to trusted clinics where one of the specialties is plastic surgery. Read reviews about their work, be sure to ask your doctor how he plans to treat your particular case and how much it costs.
If an attack of pain occurs at home, what should you do? In any case, you can’t cut it off right away; first you need to steam the plate so that it comes out. To do this, you can use animal fat, preferably lamb and a bandage. Fix the fat with a bandage and wait a few hours, then remove the bandage and carefully trim the nail at the root.
You can use yarrow (aloe) juice. Grind the leaves of the plant with warm water (for one medium leaf we take no more than two tablespoons of warm boiled liquid). Spread the paste onto a sponge, apply it to the problem area, and leave it overnight. In the morning it will noticeably soften, and it can be cut off or trimmed with a pedicure file.
Photo - Ingrown toenail
A radical way to deal with an ingrown toenail is sandpaper and a wooden block . We wrap sandpaper on the stick and begin to file the plate halfway with light movements, very carefully so as not to damage the skin.
If inflammation has not yet begun, but pain bothers you, then you can simply take a bath with sea salt . In case of heredity or during pregnancy (when the body is particularly susceptible to the influence of external factors), it is advisable to do a pedicure on your feet at home several times a week:
If the nail is festering, then apply kombucha . This remedy will also help if you have fungus on your feet. You need to apply a fresh layer of mushroom and secure it on your finger, put on woolen socks to steam your feet and go to bed. In the morning, just cut off the problem.
An ingrown toenail causes us a lot of inconvenience, not to mention its unaesthetic appearance. Most often this is a hereditary disease. This can be eliminated with special filing. Using a nail file, an opening is made in the nail plate on the hand or toe so that an open “book” comes out. Now we just leave everything as it is, and after a few days the ingrown toenail will go up on its own.
Video: how to get rid of an ingrown toenail at home
Photo - Nail removal
Prepare a special onion ointment: one head of onion and one head of garlic, crush it all and mix it with lard (or fat). Apply the resulting mass to your foot.
It often happens that the nail grows from the root, in which case you need to saw the plate over the entire surface to thin it. Then the edges will begin to rise, and the nail will begin to grow correctly over time.
If your nail hurts a lot, you can make a bath of manganese . Add a little, literally a pinch of powder to warm water and dip your feet. The pain goes away in a matter of minutes, then apply onion ointment and put on natural warm socks.
A soda bath will also help quickly eliminate discomfort ; for five liters of water, four tablespoons of soda, five salts and a teaspoon of iodine. This way we will disinfect the wound and speed up healing. Pain-relieving baths:
How to deal with sharp pain due to an ingrown toenail? Apply a painkiller to it, for example, a sponge soaked in icecoin or chlorethyl. It won't help for long, but it will help quickly.
Photo - neat manicure and pedicure
If a child has an ingrown toenail, take a bath with a decoction of oak bark. This is an excellent remedy against inflammation and suppuration. In general, this happens very often in children: tight shoes, frequent stays in rompers or tights. Children's nails are much more flexible; they can be trimmed without steaming.
Children are often treated with calendula. It is necessary to apply compresses from a decoction of the plant. After a few days, the plate will be significantly leveled, and the roller will become more pliable, and it will be possible to trim the shape. But remember that this disease does not manifest itself in a child just like that; you need to look for internal causes.
Calendula ointment has proven itself to be excellent. You need to mix a spoonful of wax with two calendula decoctions and one aloe leaf, add a little oil or lamb fat to the porridge and apply it to the ingrown toenail. After a few hours, you can try to remove it, since the pain will have passed and the plate will have softened significantly.
Prevention after treatment:
Ingrown toenail disease can appear unexpectedly and in almost every person. Statistics of this disease are compiled annually and, alas, the number of people suffering from ingrown toenails does not change. This is due to the fact that ingrown nails can happen for any reason, for which the person himself is often to blame. But the most unpleasant thing in this situation is that this disease appears in very young, newly born children. Here, naturally, the reason lies in some pathology, and not in the lifestyle of the newborn, and especially in nail care.
An ingrown toenail in a baby can damage not only the big toe, but also all the other toes of the baby. A small child experiences more discomfort in this case than any adult. The newborn’s finger becomes red and swollen, and when it becomes ingrown, the skin immediately becomes inflamed, as an ingrown nail appears in the child.
The cause of an ingrown toenail in a baby may be a yeast infection that he or she may have picked up during childbirth. In many cases, an ingrown toenail in an infant is considered a congenital pathology, a genetic tendency to become infected. It can be noted that many adults whose relatives have had this disease have a high risk of becoming infected due to congenital pathology. But we cannot say that this is the only reason for ingrown nails. There are many other points that should not be missed.
There are many reasons that contribute to the development of ingrown toenails in infants:
If parents detect some anxiety on the part of their child: irritability, excessive tearfulness, then it is necessary to pay attention to whether the baby has inflammation on the skin, since if the child behaves this way, then this may indicate that the process of ingrown nails is ongoing and painful. baby.
An infant may experience a number of symptoms of ingrown toenails:
If a small child experiences exactly these symptoms, it is necessary to immediately consult a doctor, since the parents themselves will not be able to cope with this disease, and the malaise may only get worse.
If an ingrown toenail is diagnosed in a child, treatment is carried out both surgically and conservatively. During the surgical treatment method, all or part of the nail plate is removed, so if a child undergoes surgery to remove an ingrown nail, it is unlikely that it will be able to grow back, or it will grow differently than before – that’s correct. Even if a laser or scalpel is used during the operation, the risk that the child’s nail will not grow back remains. Therefore, doctors still recommend using a conservative method of treating this disease in children.
To straighten the nail in the desired direction, a procedure called orthonyxia (from Greek means “straight nail”) is used. A baby's nail plates are not as thick and rough as those of an adult, and therefore they are able to change in their growth and development. However, even this thickness of the nail can harm the skin and cause pain.
Most parents, in order to eliminate the first causes of ingrown nails, simply trim off its sharpest tip. But you can’t do this, because in this way the disease will not disappear, but will happen again. With every circumcision there is a risk of more inflammation of the baby's finger. Therefore, there are many ways to solve this problem in medicine.
There are a large number of ways to cure an ingrown toenail in a baby nowadays. However, each chosen one has both positive and negative sides. Any newly born child has its own individuality, so it will be quite difficult for him to endure each of the surgical methods, despite the fact that he is still very small. This may have a negative impact on his psyche. Therefore, many believe that the best option would be to turn to traditional medicine in the treatment of this disease.
At the initial stage of development of ingrown toenail disease, folk treatment can be carried out using baths to which chamomile extract is added. It can be purchased at any pharmacy. To make the right medicine, you will need:
dry chamomile (flowers from the pharmacy) - 6 tablespoons; regular boiling water - 2 liters.
Chamomile must be poured with boiling water into a container and closed tightly with a lid or towel. You need to insist it for an hour in a dark place. Then the resulting tincture will need to be filtered a number of times, and then heated on the stove. Dip the baby's legs into a container with the resulting chamomile liquid and wait until the water becomes cool (15-20 minutes). After this, you need to remove the baby’s feet from the container with the infusion and wipe them. The sharp ingrown corner of the nail will need to be cut off and a cotton wool soaked in iodine or brilliant green should be placed under it. This procedure must be performed until the disease is completely eliminated and the shape of the nail becomes smooth and correct.
The fastest way to remove an ingrown toenail in a newborn is a procedure that uses a bath with table salt.
To prepare this amazing remedy, which relieves inflammation after several procedures, you will need: boiling water - 1 glass; table salt – 1 tablespoon. Dilute the salt in water and warm the baby’s feet with this liquid. As a result, the inflammation located near the ingrown nail will disappear. If the baby had an area on his finger where pus was clogged, it can also be removed with salt and boiling water.
To alleviate the plight of your child with this disease: to remove pain and irritation of the fingers, you can use simple pork or beef lard. The main thing is that the lard is exceptionally fresh. Under no circumstances should you use lard from the freezer. To prepare a special ointment from lard, you will need to melt it over a gas stove or a burning candle. Then drop the resulting liquid onto the area where the child is inflamed due to an ingrown toenail. This procedure should be repeated twice a day. When the baby has gone through all the symptoms and feelings of discomfort and pain, you can gradually finish this procedure. At the end of the procedures, you need to steam the baby’s feet in hot boiling water and then trim the newborn’s ingrown toenail.
This treatment method is also intended to treat ingrown toenail disease.
To prepare a healthy mixture you will need the following ingredients: garlic – 1 clove; onion - one small head; aloe leaves – 1 pc.; ghee (butter) – 1 tablespoon; beeswax – 1 teaspoon. Mix all these ingredients in a container until smooth and place on the stove, where it will cook for about five minutes. During the cooking process, the pulp will need to be stirred periodically with a wooden spoon. When the gruel is ready, it needs to be removed from the stove and cooled to 20 degrees Celsius. It should look like ointment. The resulting mixture will need to be spread very thickly on the child’s area of inflammation of the finger. On top of the smeared one, you will need to put cabbage leaves, bandage the finger and put woolen socks on the child. This procedure is best carried out every day in the evening. The disease should go away over time.
There are many more ways to treat this disease. For example, an ingrown toenail in an infant can be prevented by lamb lard and crushed soap. A compress is made from them and placed on the baby’s finger for about four hours. This procedure needs to be done for about two weeks, and at the end the ingrown nail is removed.
There is also a treatment option for the first stage of ingrown toenail disease: use crushed aloe leaf. It must be placed on a piece of gauze or a sterile bandage, and then placed on the baby’s sore finger. Put socks on your child to increase the effect of this procedure. Leave it all for a maximum of four hours. This procedure is best performed in the evening.
Ingredients such as fresh lemon juice, its peel and sunflower oil also effectively fight the disease. Before this procedure, you will need to steam your baby’s feet and toes. Grate the peel on a fine grater. It is necessary to mix all these ingredients to make a paste. A compress is made from the pulp, which is subsequently applied to the infected part of the child’s finger, again in the evening. After this, you need to place a cotton wool under the ingrown nail, slightly lifting it. You need to adhere to these rules for two weeks so that the disease goes away on its own.
Beautiful and well-groomed nails must certainly be not only on the hands, but also on the feet, especially for women. This is why nails require special care and extra attention.
Often, under the influence of uncomfortable and low-quality shoes, as well as due to certain diseases, the toenails begin to change somewhat, which always causes certain inconvenience to a person: it does not look attractive at all and you constantly want to hide your feet from prying eyes. The normal thickness of the nail plate on the toes is no more than 1 mm, and the nail should look healthy: have a smooth surface and a slightly pinkish color.
Thickening of toenails is not uncommon and can occur for various reasons. Firstly, such a process can be hereditary, that is, embedded in the genes from birth - in this case, it will only be possible to visually correct the nail a little, but it is almost impossible to completely put it in order. Secondly, the nail plate may begin to thicken as a consequence of injury, for example, after hitting your finger on something hard. In such cases, the nail gradually recovers on its own as it grows back. And finally, thirdly, nails can become thicker due to various diseases. This option is the most common, but in order to understand what exactly is causing the thickening of the toenails, you should contact a qualified specialist, who will prescribe a treatment suitable for a particular case.
Experts recommend preventing this problem: buying only comfortable and high-quality shoes, maintaining foot hygiene and periodically taking relaxing antiseptic baths - all this will prevent thickening of toenails. Treatment can also be carried out at home. With hereditary thickening of the nail plates, doctors advise making sure that the body does not need any vitamins; for this, it is periodically recommended to drink special vitamin-mineral complexes, which can be bought at any pharmacy.
In addition, baths will help improve the condition of your nails. Here, for example, is how one of the simplest and most popular is done: pour hot water into a basin, add a few tablespoons of soda and steam your feet for 15-25 minutes, it is advisable to do this at night, so that after this your feet can be smeared with a nourishing emollient cream and lie down under the blanket. In addition to soda, you can add any medicinal herbs “to taste” to the same bath.
Another good treatment is herbal infusion. To prepare it you only need celandine herb. Pour 2 teaspoons of dry herb into a glass of boiling water, then place in a water bath and “evaporate” for 15 minutes. , then put in a dark place until it cools completely. Then you will need to moisten a cotton swab with the resulting decoction and apply it to the affected area for 15-30 minutes. The course of treatment is 3 weeks; if necessary, it can be repeated again after a month.
It would seem that few people would pay attention to the feet of a passing person, and especially to the condition of the nails, but nevertheless, thickening of the toenails causes a lot of trouble for any person. The reasons for this, as mentioned above, are primarily related to diseases of the body: fungal infections of the toes, impaired blood circulation, atherosclerosis, rheumatism, gout or inflammation of the joints.
If you have fungus on your feet, the main emphasis should be on treatment with antifungal drugs. But folk recipes can be used as aids. Here is one of the recipes based on pharmaceutical iodinol: mix iodinol powder with several teaspoons of dry ground celandine herb. The resulting paste should be applied to the affected nails for 30-50 minutes. You need to make such compresses every day for a week, after which the thickened nail will begin to gradually grow back, and a healthy one will replace it.
Thickening of the nail on the little toe is much less common than on the big toes, however, the causes, as well as the methods of treatment, are completely identical. A very popular home treatment method, which is most convenient to use on the little fingers, is a lemon compress. All you need is fresh lemon, cut into slices: they will need to be applied to the affected areas, you can secure them on top with a plastic bag and bandage and insulate your feet; warm woolen socks and a blanket are suitable for this. The course of such compresses is 10 days, and it is recommended to use them daily.
For thickened nail plates, milkweed solution is considered a fairly effective treatment at home. To prepare it, you need to pour a glass of boiling water into a few tablespoons of milkweed and let the resulting mixture warm up in a water bath for 30 minutes. Next, you need to fill a basin with warm water, add all the resulting milkweed, pre-cooled, and lower your feet. You should soak your feet in this bath until the water has cooled completely, then put warm socks on your feet. This procedure should be carried out for 1.5-2 weeks, after which noticeable improvements will become visible.
Don’t underestimate the seriousness of toenail problems and leave things to chance. If you do not start treatment in a timely manner, you can get serious complications and solve the problem in the future will be much more difficult.
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
Since our hands are constantly in contact with the environment, due to certain unfavorable factors, changes in the structure of the skin of the hands, as well as nails and near the nail fold, may be observed. Deformation of the nail on the thumb, as well as on other fingers and toes, is observed quite often in children and adults. This is usually not a problem, but is a cosmetic problem. Especially for women who attach great importance to the beauty of their hands, nail deformation becomes a serious problem.
But nail deformation can serve as an indicator of various ailments and functional disorders in the body, which are sometimes serious. Therefore, if you notice changes in the shape and structure of your nail plates and fingers and toes, consult a specialist. Do not leave any external changes in the skin and nails unattended, because... timely correction of internal disorders will help you avoid serious health problems in the future.
There can be many reasons why a fingernail or toenail becomes deformed, as well as types of deformities. A normal nail plate has a smooth, slightly convex surface. Due to the presence of closely spaced capillaries, the nail plate has a healthy pinkish tint and a white hole at the base. A nail in normal condition may have a matte surface and also be slightly shiny. In a healthy state, nails should not split or bend, and the presence of these signs indicates a lack of nutrients in the body (in particular, calcium).
Experts name several factors that cause nails to become deformed:
Constant mechanical stress (pressure, contact with moisture) often causes deformation of fingernails and toenails. In childhood, changes in structure may be associated with impaired intrauterine development, lack of nutrients (problems with their absorption). It is also common for a child to have deformed fingernails when sucking them. Children usually suck their thumb, which causes the nail to become deformed. Adults suffering from various nervous disorders (neuroses, obsessive states) can themselves deform their nails by constantly biting them (in science there is even a separate term - onychophagia).
Important! In mentally healthy adults, deformation of the fingernail is most often associated with a fungal infection of the nail plate, as well as various skin diseases. Onychomycosis (fungal infections of the nails), as well as eczema, psoriasis, fungal infections of the skin and other diseases also lead to deformation of the nail plate.
The second most common factor in changes in the shape and structure of the nail is constant exposure to chemicals. Detergents, solvents, pesticides, formaldehydes often lead to deformation of fingernails. Also, the reason for this may even be constant contact with water without protective rubber gloves. At risk of deformation of fingernails are cleaners, nurses, orderlies, hairdressers, cosmetologists and other specialists who come into contact with aggressive substances on duty and often suffer from deformation of the nail plates on their hands. The risk group also includes women who are keen on nail extensions and who do not properly process the cuticles during trimming manicures.
There are several types of changes in the shape and structure of fingernails:
What to do if your nails become deformed? Do not ignore changes in the structure of the nail plate and contact a dermatologist, onychologist or trichologist. If a fungal infection is diagnosed, the doctor will prescribe therapy. Show your nails to your doctor: a specialist based on their appearance can make a preliminary diagnosis of nail deformation on the thumb or other finger.
How to correctly and painlessly remove a nail affected by a fungus. Let's look at the available options in their process.
Onychomycosis, or nail fungus, is a disease in which the nail plate is affected by pathogenic fungi. To get rid of this disease, all kinds of external remedies are used - ointments, oils, drops. However, often these drugs are not enough and the patient is offered an emergency measure - removal of the diseased nail or its upper stratum corneum.
Basic methods for removing nails affected by fungus
The procedure for removing the affected nail involves not only mechanical removal of the nail plate, but also subsequent treatment. It is important to take precautions to prevent the infection from spreading to other fingers. There are several ways to remove a nail:
Each option has disadvantages and advantages that you need to be aware of before starting treatment.
The most unpleasant way to remove a diseased nail, but what can you do when the situation is critical and the form is completely neglected. We'll have to be patient.
The surgery, in which the entire toenail is removed, is performed under local anesthesia. This method of getting rid of onychomycosis is now rarely used, since it has many disadvantages:
Surgical removal is important for advanced stages of onychomycosis.
Many people like hardware pedicure because it feels like cutting your nails.
Using this method, you can get rid of damaged horny plates on the nail quickly and almost painlessly. In most cases, one session is enough to relieve the patient of an unpleasant illness. The procedure is performed exclusively in a medical facility under highly sterile conditions using a special apparatus.
The essence of the method is layer-by-layer removal of infected layers down to the soft tissue of the bed. This ensures rapid and deep penetration of antifungal agents into the nail. Before starting the procedure, the nail is disinfected, and then it is softened with special preparations. The removal itself is carried out using nozzles with diamond tips and metal cutters.
Hardware pedicure has a number of advantages over the surgical method:
Now it is possible to purchase machines with attachments for hardware pedicure and perform the procedure yourself. However, illiterate actions and failure to comply with sterility rules can aggravate the situation and lead to serious complications.
Hardware pedicure is not recommended for pregnant women, allergy sufferers, patients suffering from kidney or liver diseases, or those with dermatological pathologies.
Nowadays, there are a huge variety of medications that can be used to make the nail come off from its bed without surgical intervention. These are all kinds of plasters, solutions, folk remedies.
At home, you can remove damaged nails with special preparations sold in pharmacies. They are worthy competition to hardware and surgical removal methods. Their action is aimed at preliminary softening of the plate and its subsequent removal. The composition of the products determines the frequency of application, its method, as well as contraindications. Modern drugs contain substances that not only help soften the nail, but also actively act on fungal infections. The drugs “Nogtimitsin” and “Nogtevit” have gained a good reputation. They contain stearic acid and a natural antiseptic - tea tree oil.
Technology for removing nails damaged by onychomycosis using “Nogtevit”:
1. Steam the damaged areas in hot water with the addition of liquid soap and soda (1 tsp per liter of water). Wipe your fingers dry.
2. Carefully treat infected nails with the drug, without affecting the area of healthy tissue.
3. Cover your nails with a bandage and leave the bandage on for 4 days.
4.Remove the patch, steam your nails, and carefully scrape off any loose particles with a wooden manicure stick.
5. Repeated manipulations should be carried out until the nail is completely removed.
The required number of nail removal procedures depends on its thickness and the degree of infection penetration into the plate. One jar is enough to remove 3-4 nails.
Among other medications, the keratolytic patch deserves attention. The principle of its action is similar to ointment preparations. The patch is applied for 3 days. During this time, the active substances soften the nail and destroy the infection. Secure the treatment bandage with a regular plaster.
You can also soften the nail for subsequent removal with special varnishes, but during this period it is important that the damaged area does not come into contact with water.
When the nail plate becomes significantly thinner under the influence of medications, you should begin daily treatment of the surface with tea tree oil.
Traditional medicine will always occupy a strong position in the home medicine cabinet, the main thing is that these remedies are proven and safe!
The use of folk remedies does not provide a quick effect and guarantee complete relief from fungal infection. Moreover, their use can cause allergies, aggravation of the disease, infection, and the new nail may grow crooked.
The effect of folk remedies is to soften the stratum corneum. The products are applied to steamed nails, and after some time the diseased layer is removed using manicure accessories. The most popular and safe folk methods include the following:
Steaming your hands or feet in a very hot baking soda solution (as much as you can tolerate). You can add shavings of laundry soap and a few drops of tea tree oil to the liquid. After steaming, carefully remove the softened nail particles with a disinfected nail file. Treatment does not stop until the nail plate is completely renewed. Procedures should be done every 1-3 days.
Remember! Removing the nail for onychomycosis is a last resort. This procedure is prescribed when the process of rapid destruction of the stratum corneum has begun. Treatment started in the early stages of the disease will avoid troublesome and unpleasant nail removal procedures.
Thickened toenails
In my practice, I see thickened toenails very often among both women and men. The reasons for thickening can be completely different, but they cause equally much discomfort. Thickened toenails can peel, crumble, crack, put pressure on the nail bed, causing pain, and change the healthy color of the nail to yellow. All this, of course, does not look aesthetically pleasing and spoils the mood of the owners of such nails. Let's figure out what can cause thickening of nails and what can be done about it.
Trauma to the nail plate. Sometimes, after a strong blow to the nail, it can grow thicker, but if the matrix is not damaged, then this phenomenon is temporary, and when the nail plate is renewed, the problem will go away on its own.
To prevent thickening of toenails, comfortable shoes, careful walking, systematically performed pedicures and daily foot hygiene can be used.