An ingrown nail is a common condition in the large toes of both men and women. The corner or the side of the nail grows in toward the flesh of the toe causing it to become irritated and painful. This condition is more often seen in industrialized nations because people who live in cultures that dont wear shoes rarely get ingrown nails.

The person suffering from an ingrown nail will have pain and inflammation around the toenail where the nail is growing from the sides or the corners into the toe. The area will be red, warm and possibly have pus develop.

There are several things that can cause an ingrown toenail. The first is a nail that is genetically just too large for the toe itself. The most common cause is either tight fitting shoes or improper cutting of the toenail. Wearing a tight fitting shoe will cause overcrowding of the toes pushing the soft tissue up against the edge of the nail.

An improper cut of the toenail will also leave the nail and toe vulnerable to the development of an ingrown nail. Nails should be cut straight across and not too close to the nail bed. When nails are cut curved at the corners or cutting them too short will cause the edge of the nail to turn in.

There are other causes that are less common such as bone spurs under the nail, trauma to the nail, multiple infection and certain medications. People who have problems with thickening of the toenails because of fungal infections or other issues can also have trouble with ingrown nails. Toenails that are unusually curved will be more prone to ingrown nails.

Treatment for ingrown nails can usually be done easily at home. But it is always best to have your foot evaluated by your doctor if there is any question that the toe isnt healing as its supposed to. The best treatment for an ingrown nail is always prevention.

Prevent this condition by wearing shoes that fit appropriately and dont crowd the feet. Cut your toenails once a week or every other week and keep them straight without curving the corners. Keep the nail beds soft and your feet exfoliated to keep the dead cells from accumulating.

But if, despite your preventative measures, you develop an ingrown nail, there are a few things you can do to treat this at home.

It should first be pointed out that if you experience severe discomfort, if the pus or redness appears to be spreading, if you have diabetes or if you have any circulatory problem in the lower extremities (legs and feet) you should seek the advice and help of your doctor or a podiatrist (foot doctor).

If an ingrown nail is left untreated it can cause pain and can potentially infect the underlying bone. This leads to a serious bone infection that requires weeks of hospitalization. Complications are more common if there are problems with circulation or diabetes. These complications can lead to surgery and even gangrene.

Treatment of an ingrown nail at home consists of several different things:
Soak your feet for 15 to 20 minutes three times each day in a warm salt water bath. Soaking will reduce the tenderness and swelling.
Use bits of cotton under the ingrown nail edge after each soaking to help the nail eventually grow above the edge of the skin.
Use a topical antibiotic and bandage the tender area.
Change to sensible footwear considering the issue. If you can use open toed shoes until the foot has healed this will help.
If you feel you need a pain reliever an over the counter preparation such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen will help until you can see the doctor.

If there is no positive improvement or if the toe continues to cause pain and discomfort after 2 or 3 days then make an appointment to see your physician. Your doctor will tell you that its better to have been seen and have nothing happen then to stay home and develop an infection in the bone that requires hospitalization and potentially surgery.