How to treat an ingrown toenail on the big toe in the home

ingrown toenail The ingrown nail is a fairly common problem for many people. It is a disease in which the fingernail does not grow into the skin of the finger. In medicine, this disease is called "onychrictosis".

This is a very unpleasant phenomenon, first, because of severe pain, and secondly, because of a completely unesthetic appearance. Growth of the nail more often occurs on the big toe, although there are cases with the rest of the nails, but very rarely. The ingrown toenail on the arm can be found even rarer.

This happens most often with young people of the most active age - from 18 to 32 years, slightly less often in adolescents and elderly people, and very rarely in children and infants. It is worth noting one very interesting fact - women are subject to this ailment is much less than representatives of the stronger sex.

In this article, we will consider how to treat an ingrown toenail on the big toe at home so that the treatment is successful and without relapse.

Causes of ingrown toenail

Experts believe that the cause of ingrown nail on the big toe is just the wrong cut. This may be the main cause of nail growth on the legs, but in fact there may be more.

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These include the following reasons:

Wearing too tight uncomfortable shoes. As a result of squeezing the toes, the nail plate is pressed into the nail roller, which causes permanent trauma to the skin. On the skin appears a sore, and then there is a proliferation of granulation tissues (in common parlance - "wild meat").
Hereditary onochryptosis. The wrong shape of the nail, which is inherited, can also be one of the reasons why nails grow on their feet. This also includes flat feet as a hereditary factor that provokes ingrowth of the nail.
Fungal nail infections, causing a thickening of the nail and deformation, promoting the ingrowth of the nail into the finger.
Injury. Growth of the nail can occur due to a trauma of the thumb - a direct blow, the fall of a heavy object or walking at the fingertips.
Another factor in the onset of this disease may beindividual features of the structure: more rounded nails, too bent underlying bone or increased dermal exfoliation.

At the initial stage, ingrown nails can be cured at home. This is possible if the nail is not too deep inside, there are no obvious signs of pus, and the pain appears only when you touch the problem area or when wearing the crushing leg of the shoe.

Symptoms

The tips of the human fingers are hypersensitive, since there are a lot of nerve endings in the tissues. Therefore, the growing nail will let you know about yourself with a sharp pain that will intensify when walking in tight shoes.

The main symptoms of ingrown nails are:

painful sensations on the margins of the nail bed;
the onset of swelling of the finger;
redness of the affected area;
thickening of the nail plate;
changing the color of the nail, the appearance of spots and streaks;
soreness with pressure on the finger;
the appearance of suppuration, which can develop into a chronic form.

As a result of the progressive inflammatory process, the nail loses its natural shine, begins to flake off and becomes thicker from the edge.

Stages of

Doctors distinguish three stages of onochryptosis on the toes in terms of severity:

It is characterized by hyperemia and throbbing pain in the finger in the area where the process itself occurs.
The disease is greatly aggravated. The second stage is manifested by the ingrowth of the acute-angled edge of the plate into the soft tissues of the roller. The finger swells, a purulent-inflammatory process begins.
After the drainage, the wound begins to become covered with a granulation tissue. Inflammation begins to subside and recovery comes. If the ingrowth occurs further, the disease becomes chronic. In this case, there is no question of any full recovery, since relapse occurs very quickly.

Onychrictosis refers to chronic and recurrent diseases, which tend to grow continuously. Among other purulent inflammatory diseases, the problem of the growing nail plate on the toe is second only to traumatic diseases that have a complication in the form of infection.

How does an ingrown nail look like: photo

Look at how the ingrown toenail looks like on the big toe, we offer detailed photos of the ailment for viewing.

Diagnostics

To rule out the development of complications and quickly cure ingrown nails, one should consult a surgeon or a subordinate (stop disease). He will send to:

general blood test - to assess the severity of inflammation;
a blood test for glucose - to exclude diabetes mellitus.

If you suspect a nail fungus on your legs - you should consult a dermatologist for a comprehensive treatment, because in this case ingrown nail is only a consequence of a fungal lesion, and to treat the consequences, and not the disease itself - is futile.

What happens if I do not heal?

If the ingrown nail is not treated, the disease can progress and cause serious complications. Prolonged inflammation in the nail phalanx can cause attachment of other, more serious infections.

Increased risk of inflammation of the bones of the phalanx of the finger or even gangrene. In the end, if you do not treat an ingrown nail, you may need amputation of the nail phalanx.

How to remove an ingrown toenail?

If the process has gone far, you have to resort to surgical methods to remove ingrown nails. The operations are performed under local anesthesia. There are several operating procedures:

Removing the nail plate completely or partially. Simultaneously with this, the expanded granulation is removed and the plastic of the peri-oral groove is made.
Radio wave methode. Effective way to remove the affected area of any size. The radio knife combines several factors. The technique is painless and less traumatic. The treated area heals in a few days;
Treatment of ingrown nail on the thumb with a laser- the newest technique, which helps to solve the problem forever. The fact that the laser can remove simultaneously injured soft tissues, the growing portion of the nail plate and, most importantly, part of the nasal germ zone! In other words, the nail that grows afterwards will be a little bit already and will cease to grow. The operation itself lasts less than an hour, and the healing takes place much faster than with traditional surgical instruments.

Any method of surgical treatment requires professionalism of the doctor and careful care of the wound. Postoperative care consists in changing dressings and preventing infection. Even after laser treatment of ingrown nails, pain in the wound area may be disturbing, but they are removed with conventional anesthetics.

Vros nail on the leg, what to do?

An alternative to surgical intervention is the use of special corrective devices that are installed on the nail plate and gradually align its deformed part. Metal or plastic plates, springs, staples are attached to the nail.

They are small in size and do not interfere with a normal life, including wearing normal shoes and playing sports. They can be painted with varnish together with a fingernail. With the help of such devices for the treatment of ingrown nails, the nail plate is completely straightened, and inflammation and pain syndrome pass. For such procedures for the treatment of ingrown nails, you can turn to the master pedicure.

However, the use of conservative treatment, as a rule, is ineffective. After it again there are frequent relapses. Therefore, it is justified only at the initial stages of the disease, as well as in cases of patient's refusal from more radical methods or impossibility for any reasons of their use.

Than to treat ingrown fingernail at home

There are folk methods for treating ingrown toenails on the big toe, they can give quite good results, especially at the initial stages of the disease.

When the first signs of ingrown nail appear, when the signs of inflammation are not yet great, and the pain does not have a pronounced character, it is necessary immediatelyabandon narrow shoes in favor of a more loose with a wide front end, this will eliminate the pressure on the finger. At every opportunity, it is advisable to walk barefoot, or use shoes with an open nose.
If the patient or his immediate family has elementary medical skills, you can tryto lift a piece of a nail crashed into the skin. Before this, you need to twist gauze or a small piece of cotton wool between your fingers and make a homemade swab. Place it in the formed gap and after every warm bath try to push the tampon farther and farther. Change the gasket every day. The whole process of home treatment by this method sometimes takes 7 to 15 days.
Saline procedures. Everyone knows that an ordinary stone salt is considered an excellent remedy for inflammatory processes. Hot salt baths have a softening effect on the skin, and immediately remove unpleasant pain. For advanced cases of ingrown nails, salt baths will also work - they will help open the pustules.
Trays with medicinal herbs. Prepare the infusion of chamomile, St. John's wort, calendula or string. Proportions - 1 l of water - 2 tbsp. l. raw materials. Soak the herbs, let it brew for 30-40 minutes, strain. In a warm infusion, hold your feet for 30 minutes, gradually adding hot water. Raise the steamed skin, place a piece of gauze between the nail and swollen tissue to reduce pain.
Butter. Rasparete fingers in a soda solution, then patch plentiful plaits with usual butter, top cover with a napkin and polyethylene, and then bandage your fingers. The next morning, remove the bandage, raspate nails again in saline solution, remove the ingrown nails and put cotton wool or bandage under them. This procedure should be done daily for two weeks, until ingrown nails grow.
Aloe. The healing power of fleshy leaves is known for a long time. This tool will also help in the treatment of inflammation of the tissues on the finger. Cut a fresh leaf, attach it to a sore spot, pribintuyte, but do not squash your finger. Do the procedure in the evening, in the morning cut off a sharp piece of the stratum corneum, attach a new bandage.
Honey onion compressperfectly softens the nail plate. To make it, mix the crushed bulb with a tablespoon of honey. After the soda bath, apply the prepared mixture to the problem area of the leg, wrap it in a film and bandage it. Doing such a compress is better at night, and in the morning try to bring out the ingrown edge of the nail.
Compress for the night, made withointment of Vishnevsky, will also help to soften the plate. Then you can easily remove the ingrown part of the nail.

Remember that you can cure an ingrown toenail on your big toe at home, but only if the problem did not go too far, that is, there were small pain and swelling. In case of severe inflammation and suppuration, do not bother with the question of how to treat a nail nail, and immediately seek help from a specialist.

Prevention

In general, prevention consists in the proper selection of shoes and nail care. Shoes should not impede the movement of the fingers. Cut nails need not too short and without cutting corners, so that their edge forms a straight line and slightly protrudes over soft tissues.

These simple rules are very important to observe not only during the treatment of inflammation, but also during the remission of the disease. This will help prevent its re-emergence. However, sometimes even such measures prove to be ineffective. This may be due to the peculiarities of the structure of the nail or its high growth rate.