Ingrown Toenail Treatment

It is possible to treat an ingrown toenail yourself if the problem is minor. An ingrown toenail occurs because the toenail is growing into the skin along its side.

An ingrown toenail treatment you can perform yourself involves cutting the toenail straight so it doesn’t penetrate the skin. This way the toenail should not become infected or cause other problems. Cutting the toenail in a v shape will not prevent an ingrown toenail from growing back.

When you do treat an ingrown toenail it would be a good idea to clean the ingrown toenail with a disinfectant. An antibiotic cream such as those used to treat wounds or substance such as alcohol should be applied to it to prevent infection. The area cut should always be disinfected after an ingrown toenail treatment. Soaking your foot in mouthwash can also prevent infection.

When to Seek Medical Help

In some cases a person will have to seek medical help for ingrown toenail treatment. It is best to seek medical help if the toenail is so painful that you have trouble walking or it appears to be infected.

You should also seek medical help if an ingrown toenail doesn’t respond to treatment, grows back or gets worse. In most cases it will be best to seek ingrown toenail treatment from a podiatrist (foot doctor). Since a podiatrist is a special many people will have to be referred to one by their regular doctor for insurance purposes. A family practitioner should also be able to treat an ingrown toenail.

Contrary to popular belief medical treatment of an ingrown toenail does not always involve surgery. If a person can get to the doctor early enough there are other treatments the doctor can perform to get rid of an ingrown toenail.

Medical Ingrown Toenail Treatment

If the ingrown toenail isn’t that bad the doctor can remove the portion of the toenail that is ingrown. This will usually get rid of the pain and infection associated with an ingrown toenail.

If the pain persists the doctor may have to repeat this procedure because there could be other spikes of ingrown toenail. This could require two or three doctor’s visits to get rid of the problem.

After the removal, the area operated on will need to be covered with antiseptic dressing for a few days. Persons with poor circulation or diabetes may have to wear such dressings for a longer period of time after ingrown toenail treatment.

If normal medical ingrown toenail treatment doesn’t work, the doctor could have to remove the entire. This is a minor surgery from which most people should recover in a few days.