Alleviate Discomfort Associated With Ingrown Toenails And Prevent The Chance Of Infection
If you have been wearing shoes that are too tight while at your job and now are suffering from painful, ingrown toenails as a result, the following tips will help alleviate discomfort and prevent the chance of infection. With proper treatment during the healing process, your nails will grow back properly.
Soak Your Feet And Gently Lift Your Toenails
Fill a shallow pan with warm water. Pour a small amount of Epsom salt in the pan and stir it until it dissolves. Soak your feet inside of the pan for several minutes while sitting in a comfortable chair. Once you feel less pain and the skin surrounding the ingrown toenails has softened, dry your feet off with a towel.
Use a metal nail fie to gently lift the parts of each nail that are ingrown. To do this, slide the tip of the file under one side of each nail and move it along the nail. Lifting the affected nails in this manner will encourage the nails to continue growing in a normal manner, separate from your skin.
Apply Lanacane Cream And Gauze
Put on a pair of surgical gloves and massage a small amount of lanacane cream around each toe that has an ingrown toenail. Lanacane cream will temporarily alleviate pain and reduce the risk of infection on each toe that has an ingrown nail. Wrap each toe with a piece of gauze and secure the gauze strips with first-aid tape. The gauze will prevent the cream from rubbing off and will keep your toes clean so that they are not further aggravated by dirty residue.
Wear Open-Toe Shoes And Apply A Hot Compress
Wear open-toe shoes while at work or during times that you will be standing for long lengths of time, if possible. If not, purchase a pair of shoes that provide your toes with plenty of room. Select a pair that is made out of lightweight, breathable fabric. Remove your shoes while at home and apply a hot compress to your toes if they are swollen. A compress will assist with reducing swelling and will increase blood that is flowing through your feet.
If you follow all of these tips on a daily basis, pain will be eventually be eliminated and your toenails will grow back properly. If, however, you are unsuccessful and your toenails continue to grow in the wrong manner, make an appointment with a podiatrist in order to receive treatment that will assist with pain relief and proper healing. Visit a site like http://footfirstpodiatrycl.com to find a podiatrist who can help.