That Recurring Ingrown Toenail

Are you plagued with the painful and unsightly condition of a recurring ingrown toenail? Toenails take a longer period to grow out and the growth of an ingrown toenail is stunted even further. There are certain possibilities for why you are stuck in this loop – and there is a cure as well.

REASONS WHY AN INGROWN TOENAIL CAN MAKE A COMEBACK

• Wearing the Wrong Shoes

Most people do not wear shoes that fit them properly, which can cause problems with the feet. One of those problems is an ingrown toenail. A tightly fitted shoe with a narrow toe-box can pinch the toes together and hamper the growth of the toenails, forcing them to grow downwards and stab around the edges of the nail bed. This can be a painful condition. We suggest that you invest in a comfortable pair of shoes that fit you properly. Keep in mind the length, width, and style of the shoes before purchasing them. Even the shoes that have a loose fit can cause ingrown toenails. They can slide around your feet and the constant movement of your toes to the front of the shoes traumatize your toenails and cause them to bend downwards in the skin.

• Incorrect Nail Trimming

Cutting your nails might be a routine chore, but you may not be doing it right. It is necessary to cut your toenails in a manner that would keep them safe from ingrown toenails and fungal infections.

There are three basic mistakes people make while trimming their toenails:

• Cutting the toenails too short. Nails that are cut too short tend to snag around the corners of the nailbed as they grow out.
  • Letting them grow too long. On the other hand, long toenails are susceptible to growing downwards or curving inwards due to external stress over the nail.
  • Curving the corners of the nails too much. The corners of the toenails should not be trimmed back or cut with a curve as you may do with your fingernails. Instead, enough nail-plate of your toenails should be left for it to be even with the tip of the toe. Try trimming them in a straight manner from corner to corner. You can gently file the tip into a slight curve if you wish but spare the corners from curving. Sharp nail-clippers with longer and wider arms can be more convenient to trim the toenails as they will provide you with more leverage for a neat clipping. Try cutting your toenails while they are dry to reduce the chances of tearing.

• Naturally Curving Toenails

It might be that you have nails that are naturally predisposed to curling. That can be the explanation of your recurring ingrown toenails, provided you wear the right fit of shoes and take care of your nails while trimming them. Naturally curving toenails tend to bend towards the nail bed and carve into the soft flesh surrounding the nail ends.

For more information on the subject, please don’t hesitate to contact the office of Dr. John C. Marzano at Westchester Podiatric Healing Medicine, P.C., in Yonkers, NY, to schedule a consultation. You can visit our office at 984 N. Broadway, Suite LL03, Yonkers, NY 10701, or call us at (914) 423-0600.