What Is an Ingrown Toenail?

An ingrown toenail is a condition in which the corner or side of your toenail grows into the soft flesh of your toe, resulting in swelling, pain, redness, and in some cases, an infection. Ingrown toenails usually occur on your big toes and do not always require you to see a doctor; however, if the pain is severe or spreads and you think you have an infection, visiting a doctor can help relieve the discomfort and avoid potential complications. To treat an ingrown toenail properly, it can be useful to know some typical symptoms of one and the best time to seek medical attention.

Symptoms of an Ingrown Toenail

Following are some common symptoms that may indicate you have an ingrown toenail:

• Pain and tenderness in your toe along one or both sides of your big toenail
• Redness around your toenail
• Swelling in your toe around your toenail
• An infection in the tissue around your toenail

You should seek medical attention immediately if you have any of the following symptoms, as these may indicate potential complications:

• Severe discomfort in your toe, pus, or redness that seems to spread
• Diabetes or any circulatory impairment to your lower extremities

Treatment for an Ingrown Toenail

In most cases, you can treat an ingrown toenail with lifestyle and home remedies, such as soaking your foot in warm water and applying an antibiotic cream. If the pain continues or you see pus coming out of your toe, you should visit your doctor, since he may need to remove part of your toenail and prescribe antibiotics for an infection. Following are some common treatment options for ingrown toenails:

• Place cotton under your toenail: if you have a slightly ingrown nail with redness and pain but no discharge, you can place cotton under the edge of your toenail to separate the nail from the overlying skin. This can help the nail grow above the edge of your skin.
• Visit a spa: if you have minor ingrown nail problems, you can visit a spa with pedicure specialists who can treat your problem through a mixture of soaking your affected foot and removing the ingrown part of the nail. However, you should always call a spa first to ensure they have qualified technicians that can perform this procedure.

An ingrown toenail can be extremely frustrating and painful, especially if you develop an infection because of it. While you can treat most issues with ingrown nails yourself or by visiting a spa with technicians that can specialize in removing ingrown toenails, it is important to know when to seek medical attention, as failing to treat a potential infection can result in severe health issues.