Though common in occurrence, the development of an ingrown toenail can cause a great deal of discomfort to the affected person. The in growth can become excruciatingly painful and normally makes walking difficult if not halting and painful at most times.
What occurs is that the toenail grows towards the inner toe instead of in an outward direction and the nail cuts gradually into the soft tissue along one side of the toe of the affected person. The disorder is most likely to affect the big toe and due to its size, this toe is most vulnerable to ingrown nails especially when nail growth is not good or symmetrical in the person.
As the toenail bites into the tissues, it can cause inflammation to arise in the tissue it cuts through, the affected area of the skin can often become very red, it can also turn really hot and swelling occurs as a direct consequence of the inflammation in the area. It becomes very painful to wearing shoes while touch any part of the inflamed area and walking in shoes can often become near impossible and extremely uncomfortable to the person.
The beginnings of an ingrown toenail are said to occur as soon as a toe nail which has been clipped too short or close to the sides of the nail bed starts growing into the nail bed tissues. Ingrown nails can also easily develop following the physical and painful stubbing of the toe-by accidental tripping or kicking actions for example.
The skin surrounding the nail become injured really easily once the nail beings to press against the tissues surrounding the toe-as a consequence, this situation will easily allow an infection to occur and the result is persistent pain and great discomfort for the person so affected.
Supplementation can be carried out with the essential vitamin, the vitamin C, the presence of this vitamin will help in the prevention of hangnails and at the same time, it will also heal the infection and the result will be a lessening in the inflammation affecting the toe.
The presence of this vitamin will also boosts the functioning of the immune system and help in the repair of tissues affected by the ingrown toenail. The usual cause of hangnails in a person is because of a deficiency of the B-vitamin-this must be corrected by regular supplements of the vitamin.
The application of herbal remedies is suggested to prevent the occurrence of further infection and these herbs will also help in relieving the inflammation present in the affected toe-these topical herbal remedies must be applied on a regular basis.
Topical treatments include soaking the affected foot in warm water to which five drops of tea tree oil has been added-use about four qt. of warm water to ensure ideal infusion of the herbal oil.
After the foot has been soaked, dry it using a clean towel and then insert a very thin strand of sterile cotton gauze in the area between the nail and the flesh so as to gently lift the nail up and away from where it touches the flesh-though painful, this action repeated over many days will help the nail to grow out and away from the skin, it will result in the correction of the ingrown nail.
The cotton gauze must be changed on a daily basis. The affected skin on the toe can also be healed by adding a few drops of St. John's wort oil to application-this herbal oil will greatly soothe away the pain present in the affected toe. The inflammation in the tissues surrounding the ingrown toenail can also be healing effectively by applying calendula cream or tincture to the affected area.
Magnetis australis is known to be the most effective as well as well accepted homeopathic medication for treating ingrown toenail. This homeopathic remedy is outstanding and improves the health of the nail as well as putting off the cases of hangnails. You may use the homeopathic remedy Thuja for treating nail fungus infection that break easily. In order to get the optimum results, you will require taking this homeopathic remedy, available in pill form, two times daily continuously for a month.
In case the nail also becomes infected on the tissues surrounding the toenail, you may preferably use the homeopathic remedy Belladona. Provided the affected toe is painful, it is advisable that you use Hepar sulph.
However, you need to check with a qualified homeopathic practitioner in order to determine the dosage of these remedies that would be appropriate for you. This is important because the precise dosage for treating ingrown toenails entirely depends on the condition of the patient.
Using homeopathic remedies for ingrown toenails give you a unique advantage, compared to using other medications. Once you have used homeopathic remedies for this condition, your chances of becoming infected again diminish greatly. Dissimilar to undergoing other forms of treatment, which just help to get rid of the contagion, homeopathic remedies naturally help to fortify the immune system and aid the body in combating any infection in future.
As aforementioned, among all homeopathic remedies, Magnetis australis is most effective in putting off the development of ingrown toenail, as it makes the nails stronger. Similarly, the homeopathic remedy Thuja is most appropriate for treating toenails which are basically very fragile. In order to get the optimum benefits, you need to take these remedies once daily - at intervals of 12 hours, continuously for a month.
It is best to take Belladonna, in case you notice that your toenails have been infected. Provided that the tissues in the region of the toenail also become painful, you should consider using Hepar sulph. You may also consider using the homeopathic remedy Silica provided the ingrown toenail is healing very sluggishly.
You should take all these three homeopathic remedies mentioned here once at intervals of an hour and for a maximum of ten times daily. At the same time, it would be a good idea to talk to a qualified and veteran homeopath in case you find that there is no improvement in your condition. It is worth mentioning here that homeopathic treatment for ingrown toenail is not only safe and effective, but inexpensive too.
Try at all times to wear very soft, and comfortable fitting shoes or use open sandals-the priority is comfort not style at least as long as the ingrown nail persists in giving you trouble. The wearing of very tight or the pointed shoe types can aggravate the condition as such shoes will press the nail further into the affected flesh-causing more pain and discomfort.
When clipping toenails, try not to cut too sharply or closely to the corners of the toenails and do not cut too near the skin itself-this is the only factor for toenail in growth in other wise normal nails-always try to clip straight across the nail as this action will prevent the growth of the nail and new nail will not bore into the flesh as a result.
In order to get relief from ingrown toenail, add some Epsom salt to a bowl of tepid water and immerse the affected toes in it. Remove your toes from the water when it has cooled, dry it carefully and apply any anti-septic cream, such as Neosporin, to avoid infections. You may even tie a bandage loosely around the affected toe to prevent dust and dirt getting on it.
The infection may be reduced to a great extent if you immerse the affected toe in an astringent solution or soak it in a solution that includes anti-bacterial or anti-inflammatory ingredients. In order to prevent the nail from digging further into the skin and causing more harm, place a small cotton wool between the broken skin and the edge of the nail. It is advisable that you continue with this process till the time when the nail starts developing over the skin again.
You may also use an adhesive bandage on the ingrown toenail with a view to separate the afflicted nail from its bed, as this may help in lessening the pressure as well as facilitate in drying up the wound. There are a number of additional simple remedies to cure ingrown toenail and these include using onions or lemon to make the area around the affected nail softer.
Place a thin lemon slice between the skin and the afflicted nail and bandage the area using a medical tape to facilitate the freeing of the nail from the attached skin. Place an onion slice on top of the afflicted toe, tie it up with a bandage and allow it to remain for the night. This will also help to free the affected nail from the attached skin.
People with diabetes or enduring any medical condition that has an effect on the blood circulation ought to avoid self-treating ingrown toenails. It may be noted that home remedies for ingrown toenails are not very effectual, because this type of wound usually takes a long time to heal. Moreover, in case you do not take proper care of these wounds, it may possibly result in further complications.
Therefore, it is advisable that you talk to a competent podiatrist for appropriate treatment of ingrown toenails - this is especially important for people who have diabetes or are suffering from any problem related to blood circulation.
Vitamin B complex, 100 mg two times a day.
Vitamin C, with bioflavonoids, 1,000 mg.