While an ingrown toenail, or onychocryptosis, is a common condition, it isn’t exactly the sort of topic most people talk about in casual conversation. For this reason, a lot of people who are suffering with an ingrown toenail don’t even realize that is what is causing their pain.

This often causes the symptoms to get worse, since if you don’t know what is causing the discomfort, you won’t know how to moderate your footwear or lifestyle to allow your toe to heal properly. As well, if you have any type of underlying medical condition, such as diabetes, a foot fungal issue or an autoimmune disorder, that may trigger or exacerbate an ingrown toenail, it is critical to seek professional medical care to be sure both issues are properly addressed at the same time.

This is especially important because ingrown toenails are neither as minor as the name implies nor as easy to treat as most people might expect. It can take time, persistence and patience to heal the injury and correct the nail’s growth pattern even if the case is still mild symptomatically. As well, letting an ingrown toenail go unaddressed can cause it to turn into a much more serious problem with other possible health complications.

For this reason, it is important to know how to identify, diagnose, treat and ultimately prevent ingrown nails from occurring. In this article, we offer you a comprehensive overview of how ingrown toenails form, major symptoms, diagnostic methods, ideas for prevention and a list of commonly prescribed treatment options.

Ingrown Toenail Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis and Prevention

You rely on your feet for so much in your daily life. For instance, they support you to walk, sit and stand, take you from place to place, help you stay balanced and most importantly act as messengers to signal you when something goes wrong.

In this section, learn about what causes an ingrown nail, the major symptoms you can watch for, how to accurately diagnose the issue and tips for preventing an ingrown toenail from forming.

Ingrown toenail causes

The causes of ingrown toenails are surprisingly varied.

Here are some of the main reasons you might be at risk of developing an ingrown nail:

Improperly fitting shoes

If you regularly wear shoes that are too small, too tight, too pointed at the toe end, too high or simply ill-fitting, your nail beds may begin to grow at an angle, which can cause an ingrown toenail.

Deformities in the toe itself

If you have a toe that is unusual in shape or is not straight, or you have a diagnosed toenail or toe deformity, your toenail may be more likely to grow into the flesh instead of straight.

Subungual exostosis

This condition refers to bone growth that extends beyond and out from the toe’s tip, pushing the nail bed up and often to the side.

Edema

Some people are more predisposed either by genetics or a co-occurring health condition such as diabetes to have lower-extremity swelling, or edema. This can cause the nail bed to become ingrown.

Ingrown toenail symptoms

Knowing the major signs and symptoms of an ingrown toenail can aid you in getting to the diagnosis and treatment phase faster so you don’t have to suffer as much.

Here are the most commonly reported symptoms of an ingrown toenail:

• Swelling of tissue surrounding the nail bed.

• Pain or tenderness along the sides of the nail bed.

• Redness around the nail bed.

• Any signs of infection in or around the nail bed.

• Visual evidence that the nail bed is growing in a sideways manner

Ingrown toenail diagnosis

In terms of making an accurate medical diagnosis, ingrown toenails are separated into three categories. These categories as as follows:

For most ingrown toenail cases, the diagnosis is based on the patient’s report of symptoms along with a physical examination of the affected area. Typically no further tests are needed unless there is infection, in which case there may need to be a test to determine the type of fungus or bacteria in order to prescribe the proper treatment.

Ingrown toenail prevention

Preventing an ingrown toenail from ever forming is clearly the best strategy. But this is only possible when you know what causes ingrown nails from forming in the first place!

Here is a list of expert recommendations for how to prevent an ingrown toenail from happening to you:

• Wear roomy, comfortable shoes that fit without being too tight or narrow.

• Practice daily foot hygiene that includes proper washing, nail trimming and foot/toe/nail exams.

• If your feet sweat, take your shoes off and allow them to dry.

• Trim your toenails in a straight across manner and to a moderate length (not too short).

• Always examine your feet if you have a co-occuring medical condition such as diabetes, since you can’t always rely on your senses and nerves to alert you to problems or pain.

• Protect your feet, toes and nails by wearing protective footwear for your job, sports activities and home projects.

Treating an ingrown toenail can be a multi-step process even in mild cases. Of course, the more severe your case becomes, the more invasive treatment may need to become.

For mild cases, you can typically treat the condition at home on your own. If you find that your own efforts are not producing the desired results, it is always best to consult a medical professional for further assistance.

Here are some medically-recommended methods for the treatment of an ingrown toenail at home:

Do 3 hot water/salt soaks per day

Soaking your feet in very warm water that contains epsom salt can keep infection and fungus at bay as well as soften the nail so it is easier to separate it from the surrounding swollen skin.

Dab some essential oils onto the tender area

Essential oils soothe, soften, moisturize and sanitize wounded skin. You can try tea tree oil, lavender oil, lemon oil, rosemary oil, clove oil or cyprus oil, all of which have natural anti-bacterial, anti-fungal and anti-septic properties. Combine them with a fractionated coconut oil base (a carrier oil) for longer-lasting relief.

Wear sandals whenever possible

Always opt for allowing your toe to be exposed and have access to the air to heal as long as it is safe to do so. When you need to wear closed-toe shoes, make sure they are comfortable and roomy so your toe can heal.

If your own efforts do not provide sufficient relief, you may need to seek professional medical attention for your ingrown toenail. If you decide to go this route, here are some professional treatment options to consider:

By understanding all of your treatment options, from the mildest at-home solutions to the most comprehensive medical and surgical treatment, you can feel confident that there is a way to resolve the discomfort and danger of an ingrown toenail. It may take trying a few of the methods listed here until you find the right solution for your needs.

As this article highlights, it is worth taking a few minutes of your time to learn more about how ingrown toenails can form with an eye towards preventing this painful issue from happening to you! But even if you are currently struggling to heal from an ingrown toenail, it is important to remember that this is a condition that is very treatable.

The most critical take away here is to not wait to take action, since your ingrown toenail is unlikely to just heal up on its own. Rather, try the methods outlined here and if you need to, be sure to consult a medical professional so you can start feeling relief as soon as possible.