Ingrown Toenail Solutions

Today we're going to talk about ingrown toenail solutions and specifically how to solve the problem of getting ingrown toenails. This specific post will address preventative measures but if you're interested in techniques on how to help ingrown toenails or how to deal with ingrown toenail in children issues it's recommended that you shoot over to those portions of this website.

Now a far as preventive ingrown toenail solutions go it's important to think about the old saying that says "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure." What this means is that a minimal amount of effort in the way of doing a couple of simple things to decrease the likelihood of getting ingrown toenails can result in saving you lot of time and more importantly pain and suffering should you be unfortunate enough to get another ingrown toenail or even your first.

The most widely recommended technique by foot doctors is to clip your toenails often (but not too often) in a flat manner as opposed to the curved nature of fingernail clipping. Look at the picture below to get a visual idea of what the straight and curved cutting looks like.
If not done properly taking care of ingrown toenails can be a recurring problem throughout ones life and in many instances the challenge turns from looking for a cure to managing treatment and finding a way to enjoy the time in between inflammations.

The odd part is that many of us when first taught to cut our nails and maintain them aren't properly warned about the potential dangers of neglecting this seeming mundane task.

Be diligent in your efforts to maintain a healthy foot and hopefully you'll never find yourself in desperate need of ingrown toenail solutions.

Ingrown Toenail in Children

If you're wondering about how to treat an ingrown toenail in children issues it's important to realize that in some regards this can be pretty similar to handling issues that arise with adult ingrown toenails and in other regards it's something to be taken very cautiously because there can be some differences.

What to do:

There are in deed certain very simple measures that can be done to help alleviate pain and correct the problem without risk the health and safety of the child. One technique discussed in more detail in the post on how to help ingrown toenails is the idea of soaking the foot with the problem in warm water a few times a week. The water does not have to be uncomfortably hot, but just comfortably warm. Doing this even just two or three times a week for 15 or 20 minutes at a time can help relieve pain in some early stage circumstances.

What not to do:

Before going out to a nearby pharmacy to pick up a product like Outgro which is an over the counter type topical medication that is perfectly safe for almost all adults consult a pediatrician and/or a podiatrist for their professional opinions on the best way to handle this dilemma. The key is to seek out sound advice and to not do anything at all risky when dealing with a child's health.

Aside from causing a potential allergic reaction by applying a topic pain reliever to a child whose body is not yet equipped to handle the medication the worst mistake that a caring parent can do is to try to fix the problem with an instrument or tool (like nail clippers or tweezers that are unsterilized. Before applying any sort of apparatus to a child's sensitive ingrown toenail area make absolutely certain that the metal object has been scalded with hot water or even placed in boiling water to kill germs and bacteria that may be living on it.

NOTE: The tool (clippers, tweezers, etc.) being used should be cooled down so it's not uncomfortably hot to the skin when actually being used. After sterilizing with very hot water allow the item to return to room temperature so as make the process as kid friendly as possible.

NOTE: For many children just the routine choir of clipping toenails can be frightening because of the sharp object that's been handled around their sensitive and ticklish toes by someone else (probably a parent). Loving parents should just understand that it's perfectly normal for children to behave this way.

NOTE: It's very important to have ingrown toenails in children handled properly because the last thing that anyone wants is for the problem to persist well into adulthood and for the rest of their lives.