If you have an ingrown toenail, you will know by the pounding pressure and pain underneath your nail. Your toe may also look swollen 
and bruised from fluid and blood building up underneath your nail. Ingrown toenails are common and they don’t always clear up without some help from your podiatrist. Your podiatrists at Family Foot and Ankle Associates of Maryland in Kensington, Clinton, Silver Spring and Olney, MD want to help you get relief from your ingrown toenail.
You can prevent ingrown toenails by following a few simple tips. Your podiatrists want you to remember to:
- Keep your toenails at an appropriate length; don’t cut them too short
- Cut your toenails straight across, with no rounded edges
- Always wear the appropriate shoes for sports or other activities
- Always wear comfortable shoes that don’t crowd your toes
If you do get an ingrown toenail, there are some great home remedies you can try which can help heal your ingrown toenail. You can:
- Wear sandals or open shoes until your toe heals
- Try placing dental floss beneath your toenail to keep it above your skin
- Take over-the-counter pain medications like Tylenol, Advil or Aleve
- Soak your toe in warm water for 15 minutes 3 times each day
- Apply antibiotic cream or lotion and bandages to your toe
- Cushion your toe with bandages or cotton
If you’ve tried home remedies and still suffer from your ingrown toenail, it’s time to see the experts, your podiatrists in Kensington, Clinton, Silver Spring and Olney, MD. They have several treatments to heal your ingrown toenail. They may suggest:
- Lifting your toenail and separating it from the skin, allowing your toenail to grow freely
- Trimming off part of your ingrown toenail to clear up infection and promote new nail growth
- Anesthetizing your toe and surgically removing part or your entire infected toenail to allow a healthy toenail to grow in its place
You can’t always treat an ingrown toenail yourself. Sometimes you need the help of the experts. If you are suffering from a stubborn ingrown toenail that doesn’t respond to home therapies, it’s time to call your podiatrists at Family Foot and Ankle Associates of Maryland with offices in Kensington, Olney, Clinton, and Silver Spring, Maryland to help you. Call today and get back on your feet!