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An ingrown nail is a disease that is accompanied by the introduction of the nail plate into the soft tissues of the lateral ridges of the finger. You can cope with the problem with conservative means, or with the help of a surgeon. If the nail has just begun to grow in and the process is not accompanied by suppuration, then treatment can be carried out at home.
Most often, the nail grows on the big toe. It doesn’t happen instantly. First, a person experiences discomfort and pain while walking, then the damaged soft tissues become inflamed, become red, and swell. The finger on the side of the ingrown nail increases in size. A clear fluid may ooze from the wound.
If an infection gets into the tissues, they begin to fester. This complication requires medical attention. This condition is especially dangerous for people who suffer from diabetes mellitus or diseases that lead to poor blood supply to the lower extremities.
How to grow a nail of the correct form?
To get rid of an ingrown toenail, you need to properly do a pedicure. Often, it is because of a violation of his technique that the edge of the plate begins to grow into soft tissues. You need to cut the nail at the level of the top of the soft tissues. The corners of the nail should not be rounded with scissors, they are cut in such a way that a right angle remains. So that he does not cling to clothes, he can be slightly filed. To do this, use a nail file, which gently process the edge of the nail. The nail plate should not be cut too short.
When the soft tissues of the roller are located high, and the corner of the nail grows into them, but there is no inflammation, you need to carefully move the skin away and cut off the sharp edge of the plate.
To make it easier to take care of ingrown nails, you can use pharmacy products:
Nogtinorm. This is a balm that needs to be applied to the nail 1-2 times a day.
Uroderm. This is an ointment that contains urea. Applying the tool to the nail allows you to soften it, making it easier to cut off the sharp edge.
Nogticimin. This tool should be applied only to that part of the nail that grows into soft tissues. It is enough to treat the problem area for 4 days, after which the legs are steamed in a soda solution and the ingrown nail is cut off.
Sholl. This is an ingrown toenail treatment. It is used 2 times a day for a week.
All of these tools make the process of nail care easier, help soften the hard edges of the plate and their exit from the periungual roller. In the future, with proper care, the nail will not grow into soft tissues.
Treatment of inflammation
If the nail has grown into soft tissues, then the person will experience pain. It always intensifies while walking. For the same reason, the processing of the nail plate is difficult. Therefore, a person faces the task of anesthetizing the affected area. The pain is especially severe, which is accompanied by swelling and inflammation. When you press on soft tissues, mucus can be released from under the nail. If no infection has occurred, the liquid will be clear. Sometimes it contains blood. When bacteria enter the wound, the exudate becomes purulent. Not surprisingly, this whole process is accompanied by pain. Inflammation should not be ignored, efforts should be made to eliminate it. Otherwise, complications cannot be avoided.
To cope with the problem at home, you need to do foot baths every day. Antiseptics are added to them, for example, Chlorhexidine, potassium permanganate, Furacilin, herbal decoctions (chamomile, calendula, celandine, eucalyptus, St. John’s wort, peony). To prepare a decoction, you need a liter of water and two tablespoons of dry raw materials.
After a foot bath, the nail will become softer, so it will be easier to cut off the sharp edge. When the treatment is completed, a bandage with an ointment or emulsion is applied to the finger. It is good if it contains an antibacterial or antiseptic component. It is recommended to use either Synthomycin or Levomycetin ointment.
To reduce pain, you need to use drugs, the composition of which is supplemented with Lidocaine. The inflamed tissues of the roller are gently pushed aside with a spatula or cotton swab. Gauze, which has been pre-soaked with an antibacterial agent, is inserted into the resulting space.
Vishnevsky’s ointment, or Levomekol, allows you to quickly cope with purulent inflammation. For the best effect, gauze should be applied at night, and changed in the morning. It is necessary to repeat the treatment of the nail every day, until the inflammation is completely eliminated.
Ingrown toenail treatment at home
There are 3 effective ways to make the nail grow, as usual, without ingrown:
After the nail is softened in a hot bath, you need to scrape its surface in the middle and lateral sections. This will make the plate thinner. Then, a gauze swab is introduced under the ingrown nail, which is pre-soaked with a disinfectant. Repeat the procedure until the nail edge is aligned.
You can set the sharp edge correctly in the direction of growth using a plastic plate. It is placed under the edge of the nail, as well as gauze. The plate is pre-treated with alcohol or Chlorhexidine. To prevent the plate from moving, it must be fixed with a bandage or plaster.
You can adjust the width of the nail if you saw it with a regular nail file. To do this, the finger is steamed, or the nail is softened using pharmaceutical products. Then the nail and nail file are treated with alcohol. The cut is made in the center of the nail, starting from the top and to the middle of the bed. The cutting width must not exceed 5 mm. In depth, it should be 2/3 of the nail. Two of the same furrows are made closer to the affected area. As it grows, the nail will unfold, its edges will rise, which will help to cope with the problem.
Video: “Dr. Vlad” will tell you more about this method: