How to Treat an Ingrown Toenail

Ingrown toenails can develop for several reasons. Some people get ingrown toenails because they wear tight shoes. Other people get ingrown toenails because their toes get injured, they cut their nails too short, or they cut their nails at an angle.

If you have an ingrown toenail, then you probably experience intense pain. Our doctors have years of experience treating ingrown toenails and similar conditions, so they can help treat the condition and teach you how to avoid future ingrown toenails.

In our experience, the following four treatment options are very effective for ingrown toenails.

Use an antibiotic to reduce pain and swelling 

The swelling and pain that you experience with an ingrown toenail often come from bacteria that get trapped between the nail and your skin.

Have part of the toenail removed

Learning how to cut your toenails the right way and avoiding tight-fitting shoes usually prevents ingrown toenails in the future. Some people, however, can’t fix the problem on their own.

Unfortunately, their toenails grow in such a way that they will eventually cause pain.

Take over-the-counter pain relievers

The pain caused by ingrown toenails can get quite severe. Still, we find that over-the-counter pain relievers like aspirin and ibuprofen have enough strength to lessen the discomfort considerably.

If you have so much pain that you cannot walk, take a pain reliever to see how your ingrown toenail reacts. You may still feel some discomfort, but it should lessen quite a bit.

Soak the ingrown toenail in warm water or apple cider vinegar

While you wait for your appointment, you can get some relief from ingrown toenail pain by soaking your foot in warm water for 10 to 15 minutes. You can soak your feet up to four times a day for maximum relief.

The warm water will reduce swelling to reduce the pain you feel.

If you have apple cider vinegar around your house, you can soak your foot in it for relief. Apple cider vinegar will kill some of the bacteria in your ingrown toenail and reduce inflammation.