Ingrown Toenail Files

Ingrown toenail files are very helpful if not essential for home ingrown toenail treatment as described in the previous post.

Whether you're treating recurring ingrown toenails or simply fixing a mildly inflamed ingrown toenail the two most important things to keep in mind when using any of the products shown below is:

1. If you're dealing with an ingrown toenail infection see a doctor for professional help immediately. If you're concerned about the cost of ingrown toenail removal that's a very valid concern and if you educate yourself on the matter you can find excellent professional help in the most economical way possible, e.g. speak to your insurance, research free clinics, etc.
2. Before and after every use of any of the ingrown toenail files below sterilize these tools in scalding hot water to kill bacteria and minimize the chances of giving yourself an infection. Boil some water on the stove and put your metal ingrown toenail file in the boiling water for a few minutes to clean it.. Don't burn yourself. Allow the file to cool before using it and also wash your hands thoroughly with warm water and soap before handling an open wound or irritated area of your toe.

Treatment of an Ingrown Toenail

Treatment of an ingrown toenail can range from mild ingrown toenail repair to the most sophisticated permanent ingrown toenail removal performed by doctors and similar professionals like specialized nurses that assist in podiatrists offices.

Practically speaking the treatments that can be done at home do come with a certain degree of risk and no doctor in good conscious would ever tell anyone to mess miss an infected ingrown toenail themselves when seeing a professional is an option.

Having said that there are some simple home treatment options that are noninvasive and when done properly can serve to mitigate pain until a consultation with a professional can be arranged.

READ THIS WARNING:

Before attempting the tactic described below make sure that the toenail clipper nail file you're using to create space between the nail and skin is completely sterilized in hot or preferably boiling water.

Also to further reduce the chance of spreading an infection to an open sore around your ingrown toenail wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water before attempting this procedure and finally if these instructions are unclear or confusing don't start blindly attempting experiments on your foot and instead at the very least search out some more info before trying anything drastic.

When dealing with uninfected mild ingrown toenails that are caught early enough the most popular strategy for curing an ingrown toenail is to apply a pain relieving topical solution like Outgro to the bothersome area for a period of at least a few days so that the skin around the trouble area is numbed and the sensitivity is reduced. Once the spot where the toenail is growing awkwardly into the skin is brought under control from a pain perspective the pointed nail file from a pair of toenail clippers (pictures below) can be used to work out the offending protruding small piece of toenail that's causing all the damage.

Often times it's a matter of working the small pointed nail file completely around the corner of the nail from back to front (around the troublesome area) so as to create space between the nail and the skin. This should be very deep and does not need to be very painful. Slowly work it out and do not further injury yourself by prying to deeply or aggressively. It may be helpful at times to use your fingernails to help work space between the corner of your toenail and the surrounding skin.

When the offending tiny portion of the nail is finally removed it's incredible to realize how such a minuscule piece of nail can cause such terrible pain.

Being relieved of that pain by your own research and efforts is a tremendous feeling.

Ingrown Toenail Repair

Ingrown toenail repair can mean one of these two things, either a short term solution like an ingrown toenail fix involving a toenail brace or a more dramatic procedure like surgery that offers a repair alternative that promises a more permanent ingrown toenail removal option.

For most people looking for repair information it's important to understand the limits as well as the risks of home ingrown toenail solutions and the answer of how to play the role of a doctor and mend your wounds can not necessarily be safely done by simply watching a video or studying an ingrown toenail photo series that you find in a textbook or online.

If you're going to see a doctor depending on your finances you may want to do a little research before your visit on the costs of ingrown toenail removal so that you're not later blindsided when a bill arrives that exceeds your expectations.

If you want to try some simple home style remedies like applying an ingrown toenail brace, getting a pain reliever like Outgro, or an antibacterial application like Tea Tree oil those are all potentially worthwhile avenues worth exploring that can be used in conjunction with one another. To reiterate when it comes to ingrown toenail repair the various treatments aren't necessarily mutually exclusive.

Regardless of what home remedies you're experimenting with if the area become inflamed or shows signs of infection go see a health care professional immediately to avoid making your situation even worse.

Permanent Ingrown Toenail Removal

Whether you're experiencing your first really bad ingrown toenail or dealing with recurring ingrown toenails the desire to find a permanent ingrown toenail removal procedure is completely understandable as anyone that has experienced this hardship even once understands better than ever what sort of motivation is behind doing what's necessary to insure that this problem doesn't have to be dealt with again.

There are numerous tips on how to help ingrown toenails which coincide with generally accepted practices on how to minimize the likelihood of having the problem. Among the most common pieces of advice is that toenails (unlike fingernails) should be cut is a straight across manner and not a curved arcing direction. To visually see this concept in practice jump over to the ingrown toenail diagram post from earlier to see what's being described.

The only sure fire way to permanently get rid of ingrown toenails is to see a doctor about surgical solutions. Many people hesitant about this strategy due to the cost of ingrown toenail removal don't need to be too alarmed because for many people this is not a necessary a recurring problem. What can be said though is that is poor habits (i.e. style of clipping toenails) are not changed the the resulting likelihood of developing the problem won't really change either. It was Einstein that is credited with saying, "the definition of insanity is to do the same thing and expect different results." With that tidbit of knowledge in mind understand that if your current actions and behavior have resulted in getting a painful ingrown toenail than the pattern is likely to repeat itself until you get to the root of the problem.