What to do if the toenail has grown into the skin. What will happen if not treated? Ingrown toenail treated with badger fat

An ingrown nail is a chronic disease in which, for various reasons, the growing nail plate is introduced into the soft tissues of the lateral ridges of the finger. There are various methods of conservative and surgical treatment of this disease, but at the initial stages, before complications arise, you can try to treat an ingrown nail at home.

Most often, the first "big" toe is affected. The disease proceeds in several stages. It leads to discomfort and pain when walking, and in the future - to inflammation of the tissues, their redness, the release of light serous and bloody fluid, and edema. The affected area may increase significantly in volume. With the subsequent addition of a staphylococcal infection, suppuration and other (often serious) complications occur that require emergency medical care. Complications are especially dangerous for people suffering from circulatory disorders in the lower extremities and diabetes mellitus.

How to treat an ingrown toenail at home

First of all, one of the ways to both prevent and treat the disease is the correct pedicure, especially you should pay attention to the correct cutting of the nail. It is necessary to cut off at the level of the top of the soft tissues of the finger at a right angle to the side edges, slightly rounding or grinding the edges with a nail file so that there are no sharp corners. Do not cut the nail plate too short.

If the soft tissues of the lateral roller hang over the sharp edge of the nail, but they are not inflamed, it is necessary to carefully, without injuring, move them away and cut off only the sharp corner of the nail plate. To facilitate the care of an ingrown nail, you can use one of the pharmacy products that soften the nail plate:

1. "Nogtinorm" - balm for nails. It is applied to the nail and the surrounding skin according to the instructions daily 1-2 times a day.
2. "Uroderm" is a water-based ointment containing carbamide (urea). It has a keratolytic effect and slows down the formation of the stratum corneum, which reduces the pressure of the ingrown nail on the tissue. The ointment is applied for 3-4 days before the pedicure.
3. "Nogtimycin" - is applied for 3-4 days on the nail only in the area of ​​​​its ingrowth. Then, after preliminary steaming in a soda solution, its softened area is cut off.
4. "Scholl" is a liquid that should be applied 2 times a day for 1 week.

These tools not only facilitate the processing of the nail plate, but, by softening it, contribute to the release of the edges from under the tissues of the periungual fold during growth.

What does an ingrown toenail look like?

Treatment for inflammation

Handling an ingrown toenail and wearing shoes is sometimes difficult because of the pain. In these cases, the question arises of how to anesthetize an ingrown nail. The pain is mainly due to the resulting inflammatory phenomena, which are accompanied by edema. Often, with light pressure on the roller, light, slightly bloody or purulent discharge may appear. Therefore, to relieve pain, measures are needed to reduce swelling and inflammation of the tissues, which will also help prevent complications.

At home, for this purpose, it is necessary to carry out daily thermal procedures in the form of foot baths with antiseptic solutions. As the latter, you can add a solution of Chlorhexidine to warm water, use slightly colored warm solutions of potassium permanganate, furatsilin solutions, warm infusions of herbs (chamomile, calendula, peony, celandine, St. liter of water.

After a foot bath, you can try to cut off only the sharp edge of the nail. At night, it is advisable to apply a bandage to the inflamed area with an ointment or emulsion containing antiseptics or antibiotics - Synthomycin emulsion, Levomycetin ointment. To reduce pain, you can also use antiseptic dressings, but also containing lidocaine (local anesthetic). Inflamed, hanging over the nail, the edges of the rollers are carefully shifted with a stick with cotton wool wound around it or a dense swab and a gauze flagellum, previously impregnated with an ointment or emulsion composition, is brought under them.

With inflammation and swelling of tissues, a good effect (even in the presence of purulent secretions) is provided by Vishnevsky's ointment or Levomikol. Ointment or emulsion dressings are applied at night, followed by a change in the morning.

All these procedures must be continued until the complete elimination of inflammatory phenomena.

It is a painful process that occurs as a result of cutting the corner of the nail into the adjacent skin. In the absence of proper treatment, an infectious complication and an abscess are possible.

An ingrown toenail appears more often on the big toes, causes discomfort and pain; causes purulent inflammation of the tissues. The later treatment is started, the more serious the therapeutic measures will be, up to the amputation of the finger.

Patients with a similar problem seek medical help at a time when the site of the ingrown nail is already inflamed, reddened and festering. And this happens because it is impossible to immediately determine the ingrown nail - the symptoms appear with some "delay".

Ingrown toenails are more common in young children, the elderly, and those who wear tight shoes for a long time.

Photo

Ingrown toenail on big toe

An ingrown toenail is a serious problem that is permanently incapacitating. The problem is mostly surgical and by no means rare. The disease is fought with medication, surgery and folk remedies at home.

Ingrown toenail symptoms

The first sign that indicates an ingrown nail is redness in the nail area, swelling and pain. If the nail is subject to severe deformation, then bending of the nail and cutting the ends into the roller is visible. Then a small ulcer forms on the ingrown nail, which bleeds at the slightest damage.

Ingrown toenail treatment

Correction

To prevent surgical intervention in the case of an ingrown nail, special corrective devices are used, which, against the background of constant interaction with the nail plate, unbend the deformed part.

Use:

• plastic or metal plates;
• springs;
• staples.

These small, hypoallergenic devices are attached to a deformed nail. By lifting the ingrown nail, pressure on the nail fold of the finger is reduced, and inflammation and pain are also relieved. These devices correct the growing nail plate. A nail with a plate does not need special care.

Medical treatment

Noctinorm

The drug is available in the form of a balm, which softens the nail plate, reduces the intensity of pain, and eliminates the inflammatory process. Steam the legs to such a state that the corners of the nail appear from under the nail ridges. Then the balm is applied to both the roller and the nail plate, 2 procedures are done per day.

Uroderm

The active substance of this remedy is urea, which softens the tissues and the nail itself, which makes it easier to cut the problem nail. Uroderm cream is applied to a dry nail, and the product must be “filled” with a special spatula into the space between the nail plate and the roller.

After treatment with the product, socks are put on the feet and left for 1-2 hours. You need to use Uroderm for 3 days in a row (2 procedures per day) and then trim the ingrown nail.

Vishnevsky ointment

If an infection has joined the problem of an ingrown nail, then it would be advisable to use Vishnevsky's ointment. The product is applied to the problem area under a bandage at night. As soon as the nail comes out from under the roller, the nail is cut off.

Ichthyol ointment

Ichthyol ointment destroys bacteria, eliminates pain, inflammation and swelling with redness, softens the nail plate. A closed dressing with a drug is applied at night. As a rule, in the morning it will be possible to trim the ingrown nail.

Ingrown toenail removal

Surgical intervention is indicated if the conservative method was not effective. Then an invasive manipulation is prescribed - partial or complete removal of the nail.

Surgical method

In the case of slight ingrowth, with a thickening of the nail fold, the surgeon removes part of the nail plate, or part of the changed nail fold. Thanks to this surgical intervention, the manifestation of inflammation of the soft tissues of the foot is reduced. A few months after such treatment, the nail plate is restored.

With purulent discharge from under the nail or with severe deformation of the nail plate, complete removal of the ingrown nail is done. In this case, the wound is thoroughly cleaned of pus and an anesthetic and anti-inflammatory medicine is applied.

The doctor changes the bandage daily, usually for a month, until the nail grows back. This operation is often associated with the risk of damage to the growth zone of the nail.

laser method

A popular, effective and less traumatic method of treating an ingrown toenail is laser correction. The method consists in removing the ingrown part of the nail plate and the edge of the growth zone of the nail.

Simultaneously with the removal, the foci of inflammation are neutralized. After treatment with a laser technique, cases of re-ingrowth are reduced significantly. The laser technique for the treatment of an ingrown nail is also used against the background of a fungal infection.

Disadvantages of the method:

• burns of surrounding tissues;
• slow healing;
• long and painful recovery period.

Radio wave method

Radio wave treatment is a type of surgical treatment that is more often used under local anesthesia (lidocaine). During the procedure, the nail is partially cut from the sides with a scalpel, then the growth zone of the nail is treated with special nozzles of the Surgitron device.

Within six seconds, tissue coagulation is done. Excessive formation of granulations in the edges of the wounds of the outer integument of the body in the form of fleshy tumor-like growths is also subjected to treatment with radio waves.

At the end of the procedure, the treated area is lubricated with an antiseptic solution, and then a bandage is applied, which will be removed only after four days.

By this time, as a rule, the wound is already healed. In 90% of cases, the disease does not recur after treatment with this method. The operation does not limit the life of the patient, there is no pain.

How to treat an ingrown toenail at home

For the treatment of an ingrown nail at the initial stage, traditional medicine is used after consultation.

Aloe juice

One leaf of the plant needs to be crushed and add 20-30 drops of pure water there. After that, mix the product until a homogeneous mass. In this liquid, it is required to moisten the bandage, and then bandage the sore finger. Place cling film over the compress. In the morning, cut out the extra section of the plate.

Salt

It is useful to do salt baths. For this, edible salt is suitable. It is allowed to add 1-2 drops of iodine. This procedure helps to soften the code and make the nail plate soft. In addition, salt helps to eliminate inflammatory processes.

Furacilin

For a liter of warm water, you need only 1 tablet of this medication. Thanks to the baths, the pus will come out on its own.

Vishnevsky ointment

If you apply this remedy at night, then in the morning the plate will be already soft.

Butter

Take a condom and fill it with oil softened to a pulp. Put a condom on your affected finger. Soon the pain will pass, and it remains to put a piece of gauze or cotton wool under the nail in the sore spot. Bandage your finger as tightly as you can and go to bed. In the morning, an ingrown nail will not bother you.

Sawing in the middle

This method will help to "deceive" the ingrown nail. Using a file, thin the nail along the midline. Firstly, it instantly reduces the pressure on the soft tissues on the sides of the nail plate. And secondly, filing will provoke the fact that the nail will further thicken in the center, and not from the sides.

Birch mushroom (chaga)

This folk remedy will also help against an ingrown nail. Attach a cut birch fungus to a sore nail, wrap and leave overnight. This procedure will soften the nail and relieve pain.

Fir oil

To prepare for home circumcision of an ingrown nail, fir oil lotions are used, which relieve inflammation. Bandage gauze compresses soaked in fir oil at night to painful places. After 3-4 days, cut the nail in a straight line, lift it up at the site of the wound and place a small gauze with fir oil there.

Onions and honey

Prepare a composition of chopped onion and a spoonful of honey. Then spread on a gauze pad. Then give your feet a bath of warm soda solution. After it, apply the prepared compress, wrap it with a film for the night and put on a sock. Release the ingrown edge in the morning and trim.

Causes of an ingrown toenail

Diseases

Wrong shoes

We are talking about shoes with narrow socks, which are not matched to the size. Constant pressure occurs on the nail plate, which provokes a change in the direction of nail growth.

Irregular pedicure

This factor “works” in 95% of cases of the problem under consideration, and the main mistakes during a pedicure are cutting off the corner of the nail, cleaning the free part of the nail plate with manicure scissors, leaving burrs and a sharp edge.

Ingrown toenail stages

There are 3 stages of the disease:

Complications of an ingrown toenail

At an early stage, it is possible to treat an ingrown nail, subject to the recommendations of a dermatologist, proper cutting of the nail, and hygiene.

With the development of inflammation due to the ingrowth of the nail into the skin, wearing everyday shoes becomes impossible. Movement, walking cause severe pain. For patients with circulatory and metabolic disorders, such processes are dangerous, as the risk of developing gangrene increases.

Unpleasant complications of the disease sometimes become bone damage and purulent inflammation of the phalanx of the finger. With diabetes, patients face possible complications already at the first stage of ingrown nails.

In the absence of treatment develop:

• felon;
• phlegmon;
• osteomyelitis;
• abscess;
• gangrene.

With such tissue lesions, surgical intervention is required, and sometimes amputation. When the infection spreads, the patient loses one or more fingers, feet, or even limbs.

Ingrown toenail prevention

To avoid illness, follow these rules:

How to cut your nails correctly so that there is no ingrown nail

Questions and answers on the topic "Ingrown toenail"

Question:What is the best way to remove an ingrown toenail, surgery or laser? And how do you restore it afterwards?

Answer: Hello. After the operation, the nail recovers within a few months. When using the laser method, there are fewer relapses, but it heals longer.

Question:Hello! After a pedicure, the next day, a large toenail began to hurt, although the ingrown nail was cut out. There was redness, and as a result, a slight suppuration in the corner. I do baths with salt and warm water, I tried to re-look and, if available, eliminate the nail, but the finger began to hurt even more. What to do and how to fix this problem at home?

Answer: Hello. You can read about what drugs and folk remedies are used in the article, but we recommend that you see a doctor, especially since the baths did not help you.

Question:Hello. Once I severely cut off the corners of the nail and now I constantly cut and file, but when the nail grows, pain occurs. I try to push the cotton wool under the corners, sometimes it helps to straighten the nail, but for some reason I feel discomfort and cut it off again. I heard about the plates, but where to buy them and how to apply. Thank you.

Answer: Hello. You need a full-time consultation with a doctor who will select the appropriate method of treatment, since the use of plates and staples has contraindications.

Question:Hello! My nail constantly grows in, but not with the upper tip, and does not even have time to grow after the previous resection. The nail edge was already resected with the removal of the matrix in this area, but 2 weeks after the operation, the pain returned again. There is no pus, just pain and redness. More than a month has passed - the crusts have not yet fallen off, the doctor asked not to tear off. How long to wait for them to fall away? And is it possible to put a brace if the crusts have not yet fallen off and will they help reduce pain?

Answer: Hello. When using plates, springs or staples, the pressure on the nail fold of the finger is reduced, and inflammation and pain are also relieved. But when to put - it is better to listen to the opinion of the attending physician.

Question:Hello. A nail has grown, or rather a small part of it below. It is impossible to remove it on your own, because with a certain pressure it becomes painful, it seems that the piece is sharp inside. Fester a little, but hydrogen peroxide relieves pus. I tried to grind off the nail plate with a file, but hesitated and did not finish it. Can you please tell me if this problem can be solved at home? I really don't want to cut my finger.

Answer: Hello. You cannot solve this problem on your own. And no one will cut your finger. Only the ingrown part of the nail is removed.

Question:Hello. In August 2016, part of the nail was removed due to the fact that it had grown in. In June 2017, they removed it again, removed the stitches, and two weeks later the pain and abscesses began again. They advised me to put a brace on my finger, I signed up for August 15, there are no places before. How can I relieve pain before I go for this procedure? Sometimes you just can't bear it.

Question:Hello! The child is now 11 years old. A year ago I started having an ingrown toenail problem. As soon as the nail grows, the inflamed finger hurts. What to do? Who to contact with such a problem?

Answer: Hello. It is necessary to address to the dermatologist and the surgeon.

Question:Hello! After an unsuccessful pedicure, pain appeared in the finger, I came to the surgeon, he said to cut. Removed exactly the ingrown part of the nail, the nail itself is whole. A week has passed after the removal, there were slight pains in the finger, but the swelling and redness of the periungual roller does not go away, it is impossible to touch, pain, a small amount of pus comes out and it bleeds. Is this the norm, or is something serious and I need to go to the surgeon again?

Answer: Hello. You have two problems: the resection of the nail plate performed on you was carried out in insufficient volume; the formation of the nail matrix was not carried out in principle. And as a supplement, the ongoing conservative treatment is clearly not enough.

Question:Hello! I have an ingrown toenail on my big toe, it hurts a lot and pus has appeared. The surgeon said to cut, but I have to leave for another city in a week. I do baths with salt, compress Lidocaine + Dimexide + saline solution, drink Aponil tablets, smear with iodine. Can I try to pull out this ingrown piece myself? And how long can the pain go? .

Answer: Hello. If there is suppuration, then it is necessary to make an incision and release the pus. Topical antibiotics are needed. The pain will pass when the suppuration is gone. If you perform the operation on time, almost everything will heal in a week.

Coach Nutritionist, Sports Nutritionist, Honored Author of Evehealth

10-03-2016

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Verified Information

This article is based on scientific data written by experts and verified by experts. Our team of licensed nutritionists and estheticians strives to be objective, open-minded, honest and present both sides of an argument.

At first glance, it will seem that an ingrown toenail is a perfect trifle. But still, this is a very serious problem, and those who have met it already know about all the inconvenience and painful symptoms that it brings.

Ingrown nails in the skin has a medical justification and is called onychocryptosis. The process looks like this, the edge of the nail grows into the skin in the area of ​​​​the nail bed.

The most common reasons:

• genetic inheritance;
• infection brought with a fungal disease;
• circulatory disorders;
• swelling of the limbs;
• the consequences of the injuries received;
• non-compliance with the rules for cutting nails;
• uncomfortable shoes;
• non-compliance with the rules of personal hygiene.

And so, now in order. Genetic inheritance is a predisposition that has been laid down in a person at the genetic level. It controls the direction of growth of the nail plate, its thickness and shape. Flat feet and curvature of the big toe are also congenital, which in the future can affect the healthy state of the nail plate.

In the presence of a fungus or any other infection, the nail plate is deformed, it becomes rougher and thicker, the surface fades. Disappears healthy shine. Cuticle infection occurs, which can lead to rotting of the nail bed.

After receiving one or another injury (bruise, fracture, cooling), involuntary deformation of the nail occurs, which can radically change the direction of growth of the nail on the toes.

The most common is non-compliance with the rules for cutting nails. It is necessary to cut the nails not very deep, so that the edge of the nail is not too short. It is strictly forbidden to cut the corner of the toenails very deeply, it must be carefully rounded.

Uncomfortable shoes are any shoes that restrict the movement of the foot. The leg should feel free. Shoes should not interfere with walking. There should be no clenched toes, as this is the first step to deformity of the foot, which leads to the nail growing into the toe. Often this happens to people who wear shoes because of a job requirement.

Clinical picture of the disease

Symptoms of an ingrown toenail include:

• pain;
• limping;
• lack of gloss of the nail plate;
• foliation of the nail at the tips.

Since a person has a lot of nerve endings at the ends of the fingers, therefore, they have increased sensitivity. If suddenly a person has a nail ingrown into a finger, then he will feel a sharp pain when walking, especially in uncomfortable shoes.

Often occurs when a person begins to limp, this can also be a signal that an ingrown nail. If the situation has worsened completely, then the nail begins to bother not only when walking, but also at night. Sharp sharp pains will constantly haunt the patient. Constant aching pain indicates that suppuration of soft tissues and the formation of granulation tissue occur.

In advanced situations, inflammation leads to the fact that the nail plate fades, begins to exfoliate, and the edge thickens.

Along with medical treatment, there is also treatment with folk remedies. If a problem has been found, then treatment should be started immediately so as not to lead to surgical intervention.

The easiest way to treat is to follow the basic rules. The first rule, which is the most basic and most important, is the implementation of personal hygiene rules. Namely, wash your feet twice a day, make sure your feet are dry. If necessary, wear a change of shoes and change into dry underwear.

How to treat an ingrown toenail?

In order to do water procedures (baths) every evening. After that, it is necessary to lift the edge of the nail, which has grown into the skin of the finger, and put a mini tampon.

You can make it from gauze or cotton. Change the tampon every day. Push it deeper each time. By doing such a simple procedure, you can quickly and efficiently get rid of an ingrown nail. Since the tampon will not allow the nail to touch the skin, because the edge of the nail is very hard and it is desirable to soften it. To do this, you need to do oil masks after each bath.

Raising the nail regularly, a person’s constant aching pain disappears. When the nail is of the proper length, it must be carefully cut off only in the middle, without cutting off the corners, and in the future, this should be done with each trimming of the nails.

If suppuration has already appeared, then the baths are strictly contraindicated. They will only make the situation worse. If the pain becomes unbearable, then it is recommended to take painkillers with an anti-inflammatory effect, for example, solpadeine. If the condition does not improve within two days, then it is necessary to consult a doctor.

How to treat an ingrown toenail at home?

In such situations, you can wash your finger with a decoction of chamomile or a solution of chlorophyllipt. After washing, at night, it is necessary to apply a swab with aloe pulp or ointment. Remove the tampon in the morning and wash the wound, apply the tampon again.

Continue to do the procedures until the inflammation and suppuration disappear. Then put a mini tampon under the nail, and gradually cut it off, aligning the shape of the growth of the nail plate.

At the first stages, until it is started before suppuration or infection, specialists will offer standard treatment. In the form of a bath, tampons, practical shoes.

In more aggravated situations, doctors offer or perform mini operations, cutting the nail plate in the middle. Thus, the shape of the nail on the finger changes. A plastic plate is placed under the corner of the nail so that it does not press on the pulp. Accordingly, it helped the nail grow evenly.

If the situation already requires surgical intervention, that is, the infection has already been introduced and the process of suppuration is progressing, then in such situations, doctors resort to removing part of the nail plate or the whole nail.

There are a couple of surgical methods. The first method takes place under anesthesia (local or general anesthesia), doctors remove the nail plate completely or partially, and clean out the suppuration.

In another case, the ingrown part of the nail is removed using laser therapy. In parallel, processing the nail plate, disinfecting everything and without injuring the adjacent tissue areas of the skin, the ingrown edge of the nail is removed.

If a person has already decided to fix the problem with an ingrown toenail, then future precautions should be remembered.

Preventive measures for an ingrown toenail

To prevent the appearance of an ingrown toenail, you must follow some prevention rules.

The first rule and the most basic is the observance of the rules of personal hygiene. Next, you need to completely abandon narrow uncomfortable shoes.

During a pedicure, cutting your nails is not short, and it is strictly forbidden to cut off the corners of the nail plate. To learn how to do a pedicure correctly, you need to seek help from a specialist.

An excellent way of prevention is to walk barefoot, on the grass or on the shore of a reservoir.
It is also very useful to do a foot massage. This increases blood circulation and improves the process of exfoliating rough skin.

It is not necessary to aggravate the situation, it is especially better to adhere to some rules to remain a healthy person. After all, the health of the feet is a guarantee of the health of the whole organism and the full functioning of all body systems. Health is the most precious and hard-to-reach treasure of humanity on planet Earth!

Video on how to get rid of an ingrown toenail

It is known that the horny plates on the legs grow almost 4 times slower than on the arms: only 1.5-2.5 mm per month. For this reason, pedicures can be done less frequently than manicures. Taking this into account, plus the fact that toenails are almost always "hidden" in shoes, some people neglect timely care, and then wonder why one or even several of them began to dig into the skin. And, alas, this is not the only (albeit the most common) reason for ingrowth.

Most often, the ingrowth of the nail plate into the skin occurs on the thumbs, a little less often on the little fingers and almost never on other terminal phalanges. The main reason for this phenomenon has already been established, but it can also be due to:

• transverse / longitudinal flat feet, when the position of the foot during walking is considered physiologically incorrect;
• excess calcium in the body;
• wearing shoes with narrow toes or smaller sizes;
• overweight, in particular during pregnancy;
• fungal infections of the skin and / or nails of the feet;
• impaired blood circulation in the lower extremities;
• trauma;
• an illiterate pedicure, when the plate was cut too short and rounded at the edges;
• genetic predisposition to onychocryptosis - a disease in which the nails grow into the lateral or anterior roller of the finger.

How to understand that the nail begins to grow into the skin of the finger?

Signs of an ingrown horn plate into a toe are impossible to miss. At first, a person feels slight pain and discomfort only when walking. Then these symptoms increase so that they do not disappear even during rest. Further - more: since the edge of the nail does not go out, but sticks into soft tissues, the skin in this area noticeably swells, turns red. Touching it feels hot.

If the treatment of an ingrown nail is not started on time, a serious inflammatory process appears. The plate digs deeper into the epidermis, and, as a result, suppuration occurs, followed by the release of pus along with blood or the formation of an ulcer. Despite such unpleasant and painful formations, this is not the last stage of an ingrown nail. The acute stage is replaced by a chronic one, which is characterized by the following symptoms: the granulation tissue increases significantly in the area of ​​​​the roller, the nail phalanges are compacted and deformed. In this situation, the inflammation is already considered irreversible and can go to the bone tissue.

What can be done if the nail has grown into the toe?

What to do if the nail plate began to cut into the skin? Experts answer that everything depends on the state of neglect. So, for example, if the nail has grown a little into the sidewall of the finger, then it is allowed to fix the problem at home on your own. You just need to pry the edge over the skin so that the regrown and, by coincidence, the ingrown part can be free again. If successful, a piece of bandage or cotton wool should be carefully placed under the raised corner, of course, having previously disinfected everything.

Treatment at home with ointments, compresses, baths and other folk remedies (which will be discussed in more detail at the end of the article) is also possible at the initial stage of a nail growing into a finger. However, if symptoms such as suppuration, acute pain, severe swelling and hyperemia appear, then the question of what can be done does not exist on its own. It is urgent to seek help from the clinic, where, depending on the severity of the case, the doctor will select the optimal method of treatment.

What are the traditional treatments?

If the nail on the big toe or other terminal phalanx began to dig into the skin, then official medicine offers the following methods of treatment:

• conservative;
• orthopedic;
• radio wave / laser;
• surgical.

All are considered sparing, except for surgical intervention. However, in some cases, surgery is the only option to eliminate an ingrown toenail. But more on that later. First, it is worth talking in more detail about each option.

1. Conservative.

The main goal is to reduce the intensity of pain in the affected area, combat purulent-inflammatory processes and, of course, create conditions for the problem-free growth of the horny plate. For this, both weak solutions with potassium permanganate and various antimicrobial ointments (for example, Levomikol, Baneocin) can be used.

Since ingrown nails are almost always characterized by overhanging (due to edema) of inflamed soft tissues, drug therapy is additionally combined with the application of cotton rolls or, if possible, thin gauze strips under the edge of the plate. All accessories, of course, are pre-impregnated with antiseptic agents.

The use of conservative treatment, unfortunately, is ineffective, and therefore it is justified only at the first signs of an ingrown nail. Also, an indication for such therapy is the impossibility, for one reason or another, to use more radical methods.

2. Orthopedic techniques.

The principle of operation is to gradually extend and increase the radius of deformation of the ingrown nail by changing the direction of tension. As a result: the problematic edges rise and separate from the soft tissues of the roller, which means that the degree of ingrowth and pressure on them is significantly reduced.

To achieve these goals, various springs and brackets can be used. They are in many ways similar to braces and are also individually made. Recently, however, the correction of ingrown nails with plates made of polymeric materials has become increasingly in demand. These devices, as practice shows, better adapt to the curvature of the stratum corneum and any varnish coating can be used on top of them.

3. Laser and radio wave methods.

They are famous for the fact that they allow treating ingrown nails by evaporating and dissecting the deformed tissue without any trauma, and due to the photocoagulant action, also without bleeding. Using a laser, it becomes possible to remove areas damaged by granulation as accurately and carefully as possible, while neighboring healthy areas do not suffer at all. The advantage of this technique is also that it contributes to the destruction of fungal spores and harmful bacteria, and, therefore, the plate recovers and heals faster.

Laser therapy and treatment of an ingrown nail with radio waves are considered by many to be similar procedures. The nail matrix and the growth zone are also processed here, and if soft tissues have grown, their excess is also removed. Only in this case, instead of a laser beam, specialists use radio waves, which, in their opinion, are distinguished by higher accuracy and controllability of the impact.

4. Operation.

If the nail has grown into the finger so that the doctor considers surgery with a scalpel the only way out of the situation, then it is performed as follows:

• before the procedure, an x-ray of the foot is necessarily taken in order to exclude the likelihood of developing osteomyelitis (this is when the infection affects the bone tissue on the legs);
• the patient is injected with an anesthetic and the beginning of its action is expected (the finger should become numb);
• the focus of inflammation is removed;
• if the ingrown nail is slightly damaged, then the surgeon makes a partial resection; in severe cases, the bed is completely excised;
• at the end of the procedure, a bandage with an antibiotic ointment is applied to the damaged plate.

An operation using a surgical scalpel is the most radical method of ingrown toenail or other phalanx, and therefore resort to it only in exceptional cases.

Surgical intervention is required only when the ingrowth has reached the last stage, that is, the inflammatory and deforming processes have become irreversible. However, there are exceptions. For example, an unopened ingrown toenail can be treated with surgery if other methods do not work or recur frequently.

Home Treatments

At home, you can treat a finger into the skin of which a nail has stuck, using different methods. The main thing to remember is that this is only permissible at the initial stage, that is, when the first symptoms appear. It is also advisable not to neglect the advice of a doctor, because self-medication is always accompanied by the risk of developing negative consequences.

So, what to do to save an ingrown toenail at home:

• Herbal baths.

Prepare an infusion of chamomile, string, calendula and St. John's wort by pouring 2 tablespoons of them with one liter of water. After steaming the herbs for 40 minutes and straining, then you need to hold your feet in the resulting liquid for at least 20-25 minutes. After the procedure, lift the steamed skin.

• Compress with honey and onions.

A honey-onion compress is a great homemade way to soften the nail plate. What's more, it's quite easy to prepare. It is enough to mix a small chopped onion with 1 large spoon of honey, apply the mass on the problematic toe, wrap everything with stretch film and bandage it. Having made this compress for the night, as the reviews testify, in the morning you can try to bring the ingrown edge of the nail out.

• Application of aloe.

It is better to start home treatment of a finger with aloe as soon as there is discomfort when walking. After all, the leaves of this "fleshy" plant have not only an anti-inflammatory effect, but also an anesthetic. And all you need is to cut the aloe across, attach one of the halves to the sore spot and bandage it without squeezing the phalanges.

• Butter treatment.

Since nails often grow into the thumbs, this folk method will come in handy. The fact is that here you will need a latex fingertip, and, you see, it is bad to put it on other toes because of its jumping off. As for the therapy itself, it is simple to the point of impossibility. Having bought a fingertip, it should be filled with melted butter and put on the problem tip. As a rule, the next day the pain already noticeably subsides, the horny plate softens and you can lift the edge.

• Use of funds from the first aid kit.

If the inflammation has already begun, then you can treat the nail on the big toe in this way. Dilute the antibacterial and concurrently anesthetic concentrate Dimexide with water in a ratio of 3:1. Lubricate the affected area with this solution, and then apply Ichthyol ointment or Vishnevsky on the plate, bandage everything.

A large number of people are faced with a problem, due to which they are forced to endure severe pain not only when walking, but also at rest. If you do not fight this pathology over time, they can serious complications arise I.

Most common discomfort from an ingrown toenail experience women who, in pursuit of fashion and the desire to look good, wear tight shoes with narrow, tapered socks. In this case, the fingers are squeezed, because of which the nail can pierce the nail roller and stick into the finger.

Why do nails grow in?

Patients often turn to doctors and ask a rhetorical question: why do toenails grow in? It is quite difficult to answer it unambiguously, since various factors can become the cause of this pathology:

• improperly done pedicure, in which the nail is cut too much;
• inherited specific form of the nail;
• causing thickening of the nail plate;
• inflammatory process caused by infection;
• the resulting injury, against the background of which there was a deformation of the finger or nail plate.

Some women and men turn to medical institutions for qualified help only when the toenail has grown in and is festering. In this case, the cause of suppuration can be any infection, which, if not treated in time, can lead to severe consequences: osteomyelitis or gangrene, often accompanied by amputation of the distal phalanx, or even the entire finger. People whose nail has grown into a finger experience severe physical suffering, as they are forced to constantly endure sometimes unbearable pain.

Disease

Ingrown toenail or onychocryptosis, an unpleasant disease in terms of pain. It is characterized by ingrowth into the soft tissues of the finger of the nail plate. It usually occurs on the big toes. It has no age restrictions, the disease manifests itself at any age, but young people are most often affected by it.

Symptoms of the disease can be divided into several groups, depending on the stage:

• on first stage, the patient feels pain or pressure in the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe nail roller, there may be redness and swelling;
• on second stage inflammation develops, a non-healing purulent wound appears;
• and finally third the stage is characterized by the growth of granulation tissue in the nail fold.

If the disease is not treated, the inflammation becomes chronic and can affect bone tissue. In addition, the patient experiences serious discomfort and is exposed to serious danger.

The development of the inflammatory process along with the infection can lead to very unpleasant consequences, up to the development of gangrene of the thumb. Particularly cautious should be people suffering from diabetes, thrombophlebitis, varicose veins.

Ingrown toenail stages

The nail has not grown into the skin. This is the initial stage. The nail has not yet grown into the skin, but it is very reddened, which causes anxiety and discomfort. The nail has grown into the skin. The skin was cut with a nail plate, strongly reddened and swollen. Blood may ooze from the wound. The finger hurts a lot. There is an inflammatory process.

The initial manifestations of the disease of the ingrown nail:

1. non-inflammatory ingrowths (initial stage, with the appearance of discomfort when walking);
2. unilateral inflammation without pus and with it (the appearance of a painful tumor);
3. bilateral inflammation without pus and with it;
4. the appearance of granulation (an increase in unnecessary muscle mass, constantly bleeding);
5. recurrence of the disease after surgery.

How to solve the problem: the nail has grown into the toe

What to do if the nail has grown into the finger and how to quickly eliminate this pathology? If you are constantly worried about inhuman pains that not only prevent you from walking normally, but also from sleeping, then the problem has gone too far and you will have to go to the hospital. To date, there are several ways to treat an ingrown toenail:

• laser therapy for ingrown toenails;
• home treatment (possible only in the initial stages of the disease).

Treatment of an ingrown toenail (suppuration)

The most common treatment is is the removal of the wrong nail. The procedure is painful, but modern specialists perform it under anesthesia. Before visiting the clinic, it is necessary to clarify whether they have an anesthetic injection.

Plate treatment. This new technology causes virtually no pain. It is similar to the technology of installing dental braces. The procedure consists in disinfecting the nail and applying glue. Then a plate is glued to it. She does not allow ingrown nails. The plate is covered with a special gel, which makes its surface smooth. This is a very convenient procedure. It does not interfere with wearing shoes, the plates can even be varnished.

Treatment of ingrown nails with a laser. This modern procedure is done with anesthesia. It is absolutely painless and takes about seven minutes. The finger heals in a week. The laser does not completely remove the nail. Only those parts where the nail has grown into the skin are removed. This procedure not only eliminates the problem, but also prevents its further occurrence. It also relieves fungal infections.

How to treat an ingrown toenail at home?

If the nail grows into the finger (skin) without accompanying complications, then you can try to get rid of this problem yourself. First you need to do ten to fifteen minutes with a solution of manganese or furacilin, you can use ordinary baking soda. You need to do such procedures two to three times a day. Experts also recommend using chamomile or other medicinal herbs that can be alternated. The procedures should be repeated until the wound heals. When the inflammatory process subsides a little, you can try to trim the affected area of ​​​​the nail. If the pain does not subside day or night, and nothing helps to get rid of it, and the discharge becomes more and more abundant every day, then it is strongly recommended to urgently consult a doctor.

If the nail has grown into the skin and this process has been delayed, and pus is released from the affected area, it is necessary to wash it with three percent hydrogen peroxide. Then make a bath, lasting fifteen minutes, with a weak solution of manganese. After that, apply a bandage with Levosin or Levomekol ointment. Doctors recommend this ointment because it has a hydrophilic base, it contains an antibiotic, and it does not create a greasy film on the wound surface that can create a greenhouse effect in the wound. You can use other ointments, for example, Vishnevsky liniment, or the well-known Ichthyol ointment, which will help cleanse the affected area and also relieve inflammation.

There is another way to help get rid of this pathology: try sawing the middle part of the nail. There is nothing terrible in these actions, despite the fact that, perhaps, everything looks intimidating at first glance. In fact, this process is simple, and practically does not cause pain. To this end, they take a nail file and begin to cut the ingrown nail in the middle, starting from its base and reaching the edge, about two-thirds of its entire thickness. The plate will rise due to sawing and the edges that have grown into the nail will also move up. At this time, it may turn out to put a fleece with brilliant green under the affected edge. The procedure should be repeated every two to three days until the problem is completely gone.

Learn more about home treatment

If the nail grows in, what should I do? This question can often be found on specialized Internet resources. To get rid of this pathology, you can try "old-fashioned" methods. In folk medicine, various recipes are used that help eliminate the problem of an ingrown nail.

During treatment, and during the rehabilitation process, patients should wear loose shoes so that the ingrown area is not squeezed. If there is a tendency to ingrown, then it is better to abandon narrow, narrowed shoes for good. This is due to the fact that due to constant squeezing, the problem will repeat itself again and again, and in the future it will be aggravated by complications.

It should be remembered that inflamed areas can only be steamed in warm or room water, but in no case in hot water. You can not use those compresses that cause warming, otherwise you can get an abscess or phlegmon. If the process is too painful, ibuprofen or nimesulide can be used for pain relief. If within a week the pain syndrome does not go away, you must definitely contact a medical institution.

Disease prevention

Any disease is easier to prevent than to treat later. That is why experts recommend a set of preventive measures that can prevent ingrown nails:

• wear comfortable, loose shoes that will not squeeze your toes;
• observe the rules of hygiene: wash your feet more often, especially in the hot season;
• use an individual towel;
• do not wear someone else's shoes;
• in the pool, sauna, bath, you should walk in special shoes, and not barefoot;
• pedicure should be done with high quality: do not cut nails too much, try to treat the skin near the nails as best as possible with antiseptic agents, toenails should be cut straight without making any rounding;
• in the summer, you should try to wear open shoes so that your legs "breathe". They must be exposed to the sun's rays, which are the best antiseptic in the world. If there is a dacha, or a person lives in a rural area, it is recommended that he walk barefoot more often in warm weather.

People should remember the main thing! It is better to carry out preventive measures than to spend time, money and effort on treatment later. Timely medical care can save you from many problems in the future. And most importantly, we must not forget to strengthen the body and temper. After all, a healthy body with a stable immune system has nothing to be afraid of inflammation and suppuration, since if they occur, they pass very quickly.