An ingrown toenail is one that is embedded in the skin and does not grow properly. Normally, it's creates a pretty painful inflammation around the nail and redness, and though this can happen both in hands and feet, they are more frequent in the latter. It's important to take care of this condition and treat it as soon as possible to soothe pain with some natural remedies. Keep on reading this OneHowTo article to find out how to cure ingrown toenails naturally.
One of the most common causes of ingrown nails is cutting them incorrectly and not caring for them, for example, when we cut them too short. If the wound created by the sunken nail is not very severe, you can treat it yourself following this method. Put the affected toe in water for a couple of minutes to make your nail softer, dry it with a clean towel and get hold of some previously disinfected tweezers. Try to softly lift the ingrown toenail and put some damp cotton wool right under the nail.
However, if the ingrown toenail creates a more serious injury and gets infected, it's important to go to your doctor, especially if it gives you a fever.
If the wound is not too severe and want to relieve the pain and swelling from the ingrown toenail, you can try this natural remedy. One of the most popular solutions is to take advantage of the anti-inflammatory properties of onion and apply a bit of its juice on the nail with a cotton disk.
A salt water solution is also very soothing to treat ingrown toenails. Moreover, we recommend you add some chamomile tea, as this plant is ideal to reduce inflammation and calm discomfort. Before going to bed, dip in your finger in this solution for 10 to 20 minutes, dry them carefully and you'll notice the difference.
Garlic is antisepticand a great natural remedy that can help you relieve the symptoms of an ingrown toenail. Rub half a garlic clove over the affected area or crush the clove and leave it to stand on the ingrown toenail with a gauze covering it to keep it in position and leave it on for 20 to 30 minutes.
Another way to cure ingrown toenails naturally is with tea tree oil, a great antiseptic that is used to prevent infections and treat lesions of this kind. You only need to pour some drops of this oil on the ingrown toenail, leave it to sink in the skin and let it do its job.
In some cases, bad habits when caring for your nails and even wearing the wrong footwear can cause ingrown toenails, this is why we should try to avoid their appearance by following these recommendations:
- Cut your toenails correctly using a clean nail clipper and avoid the borders from being too short. The ideal is to cut your nails when they're slightly over the flesh of the fingers.
- Keep your feet clean and dry at all times.
- Don't break your nails with your fingers.
- Wear shoes that allow your feet to move freely, so make sure they're wide enough.
- As long as it's possible, wear open shoes to let them breathe, avoid using the same shoes for lots of consecutive days.
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- Keep applying the treatment to get results.
- If in doubt, see a professional.