An ingrown toenail is a condition where the corner or side of a toenail grown into the flesh.
Ingrown toenails most often affect the big toe and people who have diabetes are at a higher risk of complications with ingrown toenails.
People with ingrown toenails may experience redness, swelling and pain at the affected nail.
Lifting or even removing the ingrown toenail can help and antibiotics may sometimes be needed.
Some ways you can get rid of an ingrown toenail are.
Soak your feet in warm, soapy water for 10 to 20 minutes 3 to 4 times a day until the toe improves.
Place cotton or dental floss under your toenail.
Apply petroleum jelly.
Choose sensible footwear.
Take pain relievers.
One of the fastest and easiest ways to treat a case of an ingrown toenail is to soak the affected toe in an Epsom salt solution.
The best way to do this is to put the toe in water while rubbing the Epsom salt into the affected area.
A Stage 3 ingrown toenail will usually have even more severe redness and swelling, be very painful, and be accompanied by an overgrowth of skin around the toenail.
More severe infection and a fever may follow.
Hydrogen peroxide, a powerful disinfecting agent, helps the skin around the ingrown nail to get soft.
It prevents further infection, and it also makes the lesion less painful.
In a basin, mix half a cup of hydrogen peroxide with water and soak your foot for about 15-20 minutes.
This may provide relief.
Ingrown toenails can have three stages.
During stage 1, there is erythema, trace edema, and pain at the lateral nail fold.
During stage 2, there is increased pain, discharge from the edge of the nail, and signs of bacterial paronychia.
In stage 3, hypertrophic granulation tissue forms on the lateral wall.