Suffering From Ingrown Toenails? We Can Help

How your podiatrist in Thornton, CO, can help when you have an ingrown toenail

If your toe looks bruised and swollen, you could have an ingrown toenail. Ingrown toenails are one of the most common problems your podiatrist treats. You can get relief from an ingrown toenail, and it starts with a simple phone call to your podiatrist.

Dr. Staci Bogin at Elite Foot & Ankle Clinic in Thornton, CO, provides comprehensive foot and ankle services, including treatment of ingrown toenails.

You will know you have an ingrown toenail if your toe:

• Looks swollen and dark
• Feels painful due to pressure
• Has fluid or pus coming from underneath your toenail

Ingrown toenails can be caused by:

• Cutting your toenails too short
• Your toenails naturally curving under
• Traumatic injury to your toe or toenail

Fortunately, you can do a lot to prevent ingrown toenails. You need to:

• Wear shoes with a wide toe box, so your toes don’t get crushed together
• Always cut your toenails straight across and don’t round the corners
• Avoid cutting your toenails too short

When you have an ingrown toenail, you may be able to heal it yourself if you try:

• Soaking your toe in warm water each day
• Placing a small piece of dental floss underneath your toenail to push it away from your skin
• Applying antibiotic cream around your toenail
• Bandaging your toe to cushion it
• Wearing open-toed shoes until your toe heals

For painful ingrown toenails that don’t respond to home therapies, you need to visit your podiatrist. Common professional treatments include:

• Trimming your toenail to reduce pressure
• Lifting the nail up from your tissue to allow the nail to grow freely
• Removing part or all of your ingrown toenail to allow a healthy new nail to grow

You don’t have to suffer from an ingrown toenail. Your podiatrist can help. To learn more about the prevention and treatment of ingrown toenails, call Dr. Staci Bogin of Elite Foot & Ankle Clinic in Thornton, CO, at (720) 328-2022. Call today.