How Can I Prevent Ingrown Toenails

Ingrown toenails might feel like an embarrassing issue that you need to deal with alone, but they’re fairly common. Roughly 18% of adults will experience an ingrown toenail at some point during their lives. 

At Rocky Mountain Foot & Ankle Center, Dustin Kruse, DPM, MA, FACFAS, Matthew H. Paden, DPM, FACFAS, and Brett D. Sachs, DPM, FACFAS, are here to provide the ingrown toenail care you need at our offices in Wheat Ridge, Granby, Evergreen, and Thornton, Colorado.

We also want to help you avoid ingrown toenails, though, so we rounded up our top tips for preventing this issue. 

First, though, let’s take a moment to understand how ingrown toenails develop in the first place. 

Top causes for ingrown toenails

Ingrown toenails develop when the corner or edge of your toenail starts to grow into the soft flesh of the toe. While this most commonly occurs on your big toe, you can develop an ingrown toenail on any toe. 

Some of the top reasons an ingrown toenail develops include:

• Injury, like stubbing your toe
• Wearing too-small shoes that crowd your toes
• Trimming your toenails too short
• A family history of ingrown toenails

Beyond that, health conditions that affect your circulation (e.g., diabetes) can heighten your risk of developing ingrown toenails.

How to identify ingrown toenails

Ingrown toenails are usually marked by:

• Redness
• Toe pain
• Swelling in your toe, particularly at the side of the nail 

Left untreated, your ingrown toenail can result in an infection. 

In many cases, you can deal with your ingrown nail at home. For a simple but effective remedy, soak your foot in warm water and Epsom salt. The nail and skin will become soft, allowing you to clip the affected area and apply an antibiotic ointment. 

That said, if you’re experiencing severe pain or redness or you have a health condition like diabetes that restricts blood flow to your feet, it’s time to see a professional about your toenail. Our team at Rocky Mountain Foot & Ankle Center can step in to treat your ingrown nail and avoid serious complications.

Preventing future ingrown toenails

To avoid the discomfort that comes with ingrown toenails, you can take some preventive action. Help yourself avoid ingrown toenails by:

• Wearing properly-fitting shoes
• Trimming the nails straight across 
• Moving any furniture on which you regularly stub your toe
• Avoiding toe trauma by wearing protective shoes when running or playing sports
• Regularly cleaning under your nails

If recurring ingrown toenails are a problem for you, our team of ingrown toenail experts can help. Don’t hesitate to make an appointment with our team by calling Rocky Mountain Foot & Ankle Center or scheduling your toenail care visit online today.