Medicines for Ingrown toenail

What it is

An ingrown toenail is a common and often painful condition in which the edge or corner of a toenail grows into the surrounding skin, rather than over the top of it, causing irritation, inflammation, and sometimes infection. It most commonly affects the big toe. Ingrown toenails can be caused or contributed to by several factors, including: cutting the toenails incorrectly (particularly cutting them too short, or cutting down the sides or rounding the corners rather than straight across); wearing tight, narrow, or ill-fitting shoes that press on the toes; injury to the toe; sweaty feet; having naturally curved or thick nails; and poor foot hygiene. The symptoms of an ingrown toenail include: pain and tenderness along one or both sides of the nail; redness and swelling of the skin around the nail; the area feeling hot or sore; and, if it becomes infected, increased pain, swelling, redness, pus or discharge, and sometimes an overgrowth of tissue at the nail edge. Ingrown toenails are usually not serious, and mild cases can often be helped and prevented with good foot care and simple measures. However, they can be quite painful and can become infected, and some cases — particularly if severe, recurrent, or infected — need treatment. It is especially important to take ingrown toenails seriously and seek advice in people with diabetes or poor circulation, as foot problems in these groups can be more serious and need careful attention. The key messages are that ingrown toenails are common, that good foot care and correct nail cutting help prevent and treat them, and that treatment is available for those that are severe, recurrent, or infected — with particular care needed in people with diabetes or circulation problems.

How it is treated

Ingrown toenails are usually managed with self-care and good foot care for mild cases, with treatment available for those that are more troublesome, recurrent, or infected. For a mild ingrown toenail, helpful measures include: soaking the foot in warm water several times a day to help soften the skin and reduce discomfort; keeping the foot clean and dry; wearing comfortable, well-fitting footwear (and open-toed shoes where practical) to reduce pressure on the toe; gently pushing the skin away from the nail edge after soaking (without digging into the nail); and simple pain relief for discomfort. Importantly, cutting the toenails correctly — straight across, not too short, and not down the sides or rounding the corners — helps both treat and prevent ingrown toenails, and it is best to avoid picking at or trying to dig out the nail, which can worsen it or cause infection. If an ingrown toenail is severe, very painful, recurrent, or shows signs of infection (increasing pain, redness, swelling, pus, or feeling unwell), it is worth seeing a GP or podiatrist (foot specialist): treatment may include managing any infection, and procedures to treat the ingrown nail — for example removing the part of the nail that is growing into the skin, or, for recurrent problems, a procedure to remove part of the nail and prevent that part regrowing, done under local anaesthetic. A podiatrist can also provide ongoing foot care and advice. People with diabetes or poor circulation should seek advice for ingrown toenails and foot problems rather than self-treating, as these need careful attention. Preventing ingrown toenails — through correct nail cutting, good foot hygiene, and well-fitting footwear — is worthwhile, particularly for those prone to them. The reassuring messages are that ingrown toenails are common and often helped by good foot care and correct nail cutting, and that effective treatment is available for troublesome or infected cases — with particular care for people with diabetes or circulation problems.