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If you don’t catch it soon enough, the toe will
become inflamed where the nail is digging into the
soft skin of your toe. People who ignore their
ingrown toenails end up having surgery, because
things can get infected pretty fast. I saw a
picture of a neglected toenail once, and I’ll
never get the image out of my head.
If you think you’re getting an ingrown toenail,
soak your foot in hot water, and even add some
lavender or tea tree oil to help soften the skin
further. After you’ve given it a good soak, say
twenty or thirty minutes, see if you can pull the
embedded nail up on the corner, lifting it away
from the skin. You can use a nail file for this
delicate operation, just barely, slowly sliding it
under the edge of the nail. Be careful that your
hand doesn’t slip –the pain will be enormous. (I
probably don’t have to tell you to be gentle –the
agony in your toe will make you ever so careful!)
--Editor's Note --------------------------------------------------------------
Step into a Relaxing Foot Bath to Steam Your Ingrown Toenail Away
 Did you know that the common household $35 footbath could be the relaxing end to your ingrown toenail woes? Don't fret over visiting the doctor to remove your ingrown toenail before you try to this common home remedy.
Try a little self indulgence. See some inexpensive foot bath styles that are readily available.
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Sometimes it takes more than one soaking to get
the nail soft enough to lift from the skin.
Especially if you have thin, sharp nails, they are
more likely to bite into the sides of the toe. If
you don’t succeed the first time, dry off your
poor foot, dab on lavender or tea tree oil (they
both have antiseptic and antibiotic properties) or
some Neosporin, and try again tomorrow. In the
mean time, stay off your foot as much as possible,
and when you put your shoes on in the morning,
first wrap your toe with a thick, soft bandage to
cushion it.
A newly ingrown toenail will usually concede
de-feet (har-har) after three or four days of
gently soaking and cautious prying. Once the nail
lifts past the skin, trim the nail with a small
pair of scissors, and if your toe’s not too sore,
file it smooth. Now you will have a tender, pink
channel in your toe where the nail once pressed.
Keep it bandaged and clean. To prevent infection,
apply antibiotics after bathing until your toe
doesn’t hurt anymore.
If the toenail is stubborn and you can’t get it
out after several tries, hobble off to the doctor,
who will put it to rights for you.
Ingrown toenails are like ear infections: some
people go their whole lives without having a
single toenail upset, and others are plagued by
then. Once you get one, it’s more likely to recur,
so make sure you treat your feet nicely, buy good
shoes that fit right, and pay attention to any toe
pain that arises.
I like to read the old books on how to be
beautiful, and one important adage is to buy the
most expensive shoes you can afford, even if your
feet are strange sizes and your shoes have to be
custom-made. It makes sense, considering the
importance of foot health to daily life. Bad shoes
can add corns and bunions even to young feet, and
they affect your posture and back health. Not sexy
topics, but prevention is everything when it comes
to caring for your ten dancing toes!
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(1) Cleanse skin no more than twice daily with a mild cleaner that doesn't over dry you skin. Be sure to use a cleanser meant for your skin type (2) Gently exfoliate your skin on a daily basis to remove dead skin cells and expose newer, healthier glowing skin underneath. (3) Apply a moisturizer. A moisturizer with sunscreen of at least SPF 15 should be applied during the day.
