If ingrown toenails are causing you discomfort and you are self-conscious about wearing sandals this summer, learn how to eliminate ingrown nails and naturally alleviate pain with the following steps. Once pain has been eliminated and your toenails look better, care for them on a regular basis to prevent problems from occurring in the future.
Soak Your Feet and Clip Your Nails the Proper Way
Fill up a pan that is a few inches deep with warm water. Sprinkle some epsom salt into the water and wait for it to dissolve. Epsom salt may assist with alleviating pain around the ingrown nails and may reduce swelling in your feet. It might also prevent a skin infection if the ingrown toenails are severe and are putting pressure on the skin surrounding them. Soak your feet in the pan for several minutes. Once you are not feeling uncomfortable and the skin on your feet has softened, remove your feet from the pan and towel dry them.
Use a cuticle tool to push the skin back that surrounds the affected nails. Use sharp nail scissors to trim the top of each toenail. Make each cut as straight as possible, since uneven cuts can often cause ingrown toenails in the first place. Repeat all of these steps regularly to assist with eliminating the ingrown nails altogether.
Apply a Homemade Compress and Remove Shoes Often
Fill a sock with white, uncooked rice and knot the end of the fabric. Place the rice-filled sock in your microwave and turn the power to the appliance on for a minute or until the sock feels warm. Lay back in a recliner and rest toes that are painful on top of the homemade compress. The warmth that is emitted from the compress will temporarily soothe the pain that you are experiencing and may make it easier for you to rest.
Once the compress does not feel warm any longer, heat it up for another minute if you are still experiencing discomfort. Take off your shoes while not at work or completing duties outside of your home so that additional strain is not placed on your toenails, which could cause the ingrown toenails to become worse.
Treat Yourself to a Pedicure and avoid Ill-Fitting Shoes
Once your feet feel and look good, treat yourself to a relaxing pedicure. The pedicurist will cut your nails properly and may offer you tips that will further assist with preventing ingrown nails. Clean your feet regularly and keep your toenails maintained. Try on shoes before you purchase them and avoid wearing any that are tight near the toe area. If you are required to wear shoes that restrict your toes, remove them as soon as you can so that you can relax your toes. These steps will prevent ingrown nails and will help preserve the appearance of your feet.
If these steps aren't working for you, see a doctor about your ingrown toenails.
Share26 May 2016
Having a daughter comes with a number of challenges. One challenge that you will one day need to tackle is determining when to introduce your daughter to the gynecologist. Do you take your daughter to the same gynecologist that you see or take her somewhere else? Do you wait until she gets her first period or do you take her in to learn about the menstrual cycle from the doctor? There is a long list of questions you likely have about introducing your daughter to the world of gynecology. Having gone through this twice myself, I have learned quite a bit and have included a lot of helpful information in my site to help other parents get through this complicated time a little easier.
