Care for an In-Grown Toenail at Home

In grown toe nails. Ouch! They hurt! The skin around the toenail can become red and inflamed, causing pain and tenderness to the touch. Catching it early can prevent infection, and a possible trip to the Doctors.

If you think you have an ingrown toenail, start by rubbing some warm baby oil, or olive oil to the nail and surrounding skin. Next, soak your foot in hot water for twenty or thirty minutes. Sit back, and relax. Allow the warm water to do it job, as it needs to soften both the skin and nail. After soaking, see if you can pull the embedded nail up at the corner, lifting it away from the skin. I use the end of a metal nail file for this. Slowly slide it under the edge of the nail. Work slowly with a gentle touch. Trying to dig the nail too roughly will cause quite a bit of pain. You'll know if your being too heavy handed. The pain will make you see stars.

Sometimes it takes more than one soaking to get the nail soft enough to lift from the skin. If you don't succeed the first time, dry off your foot, apply some over the counter antibiotic cream, and try again tomorrow.

Even the sorest in grown toenails can usually be worked out after three or four days of warm soaking and gentle prying. Once the nail lifts past the skin, trim the nail with a small pair of scissors, and file it smooth. Keep it bandaged and clean. To prevent infection, apply antibiotics daily until your toe doesn't hurt anymore.