Explore more on how to fix an ingrown toenail painlessly using a dental floss and other treatments by yourself. You will also learn more about ingrown toenail surgery including the cost, pain, recovery and aftercare.
How to Fix an Ingrown Toenail – With Dental Floss, Yourself, Painlessly
An ingrown toenail is a condition whereby the corners of the nail curls downwards and digs into the soft skin tissues that are adjacent to it. This condition usually affects the big toe although it can affect the other toes. It cause pain, swelling and redness of the affected toe.
You can easily fix this condition while at home by using various remedies for ingrown toenail. Home treatments are effective in relieving the pain as well as promoting the healing process. Excessive pain, swelling, redness and presence of discharge are indications of infected ingrown toenail and therefore you need to visit your doctor for diagnosis and treatment.
However, you can fix your ingrown toenail painlessly using a dental floss. When the procedure is done properly, it is among the effective treatments of this condition. The procedure below will guide you in performing this treatment:
First of all, you need to soak your foot in warm salt water. Use a bowl or bathtub to soak your foot for at least 15 minutes. This will help to soften the toenail as well as reducing the pain and swelling. Dry the foot using a clean towel.
Secondly, use a piece of floss to lift the edge of the nail slightly above the skin. This should be done with a lot of gentleness to avoid damaging the affected areas. This treatment helps to prevent further ingrowth of the nail into the soft skin tissues of the toe.
This procedure is supposed to be repeated daily after every foot soak. You should also use clean piece of floss each time. While performing this treatment, ensure that your hands are clean and the dental floss should also be disinfected to prevent infection that may require doctor’s intervention.
Alternatively, you may also use a cotton wool instead of a floss. This procedure can be painless when performed gently. The pain is also determined by extend of your ingrown toenail and some time it might be quite painful. Consider taking over-the-counter pain killers that helps in relieving the pain and other discomfort caused by this procedure.
While using a dental floss, there is other treatments and measures you can take to fasten the healing process as well as alleviating the pain. They are also considered to be effective on how to fix an ingrown toenail. They include:
- Use of topical antibiotic cream
Applying topical antibiotic creams on your sore toe helps to guard it against bacterial and fungal infections. Other creams that contain topical anesthetic also helps in relieving the pain temporarily. Such creams includes lidocaine, they are found in chemist and other pharmaceutical stores.
- Wear sandals or open-toe shoe until your condition improves
Keep your toes aerated by choosing shoes that are open or which provides spacious room for the toes. Sandals and other loose fitting shoes can do better. Tight fitting shoes exacerbate your ingrown toenail which may delay the healing process by worsening the condition.
- Use hydrogen peroxide to disinfect your toe
Disinfecting your toe using hydrogen peroxide, alcohol or other disinfectants helps in preventing bacterial and fungal infection on the affected area. After a slight elevation of your nail using a dental floss, apply a small amount of disinfectant on the area to keep it protected.
- Cover the toe using a bandage
After applying antibiotic cream on your toe, wrap the bandage around it. It helps in preventing dust and other contaminations from coming into contact with your affected toe. It will also help to separate the affected toe from the others according to wikihow.
- Take over-the-counter pain relievers
Pain relievers such as aspirin, acetaminophen, ibuprofen and naproxen can also be used on how to treat ingrown toenail. They help in relieving pain and discomfort caused by this condition. Such medicines are taken without doctor’s prescription and are found in drug stores. Take them according to manufacturer’s instructions.
Ingrown Toenail Surgery – Cost, Aftercare, Recovery, Pain, Game
- Does Ingrown Toenail Surgery Hurt?
This is the question you may be asking yourself when your podiatrist has recommended a surgery as the only treatment on how to fix an ingrown toenail. Like any other type of surgery, there is some pain you will experience after the anesthetic has worn off. In most cases such pain usually happens after the surgical process is through.
From the research done on various victims, online forums and discussion indicates that the most painful part is when an anesthesia needle is injected. It is the most painful in the whole process since the podiatrist has to inject the needle directly into the soft skin tissues that forms an under bed of the nail.
However, the pain varies from person to the other. Each person has a different experience after the surgical procedure. Some people may say that the pain is not that much as compared to the initial pain that is caused by an ingrown toenail. You will have nothing to regret after the whole agonizing pain of this condition will have gone.
The pain is not a big issue when it comes to ingrown toenail surgery. It can be controlled by the use of over-the-counter pain relievers such as aspirin, acetaminophen and ibuprofen. Such medicines are taken without doctor’s prescription but you should ensure that they are taken according to manufacturers instructions.
Your podiatrist will also give you some prescribed medicines that are used to alleviate the pain. Other simple measures such as avoiding wearing tight-fitting shoes can help to prevent exerting pressure on the affected toe that may result to paining. Wearing sandals is recommended during the recovery stage of this treatment.
- Ingrown toenail surgery aftercare
After the surgery, it is important to take good care of your toe and the whole foot. Poor aftercare practices may lead to an infection that may delay the healing process. You may also be required to waste your time and resources in treating such infection that might have been controlled using simple measure as stated below according to surgery info.
- Keep the healing wound clean and dry until the following day when you will soak and remove the bandages as directed by the doctor.
- Elevate your foot slightly from the ground for 2 days after the surgery. This helps to avoid contaminations that may be present on the ground.
- Wash your hands well using antibacterial soap before touching the wound.
- Do not wear a tight-fitting shoe that may exert pressure on the healing wound. Use sandals and other open-toe shoes while working out on how to fix an ingrown toenail.
- Apply gently any antibiotic cream or ointment as directed by your doctor. It should be applied in the morning after cleaning the affected area.
- Avoid activities that may cause damage on the toe before healing. Such activities includes strenuous exercises and sports.
- Follow doctors instructions well. Such instruction may include when to change the bandages and taking of medicines.
- Watch for any sign of an infection and report to your doctor. Redness, swelling and excretion of discharge may be normal during the healing process but when they are excessive you should consider re-visiting your podiatrist.
- Ingrown toenail surgery recovery
Ingrown toenail surgery is done in a medical Centre under the use local anesthesia. You will be allowed to go home immediately after the procedure is through. However, the recovery period will depend on the type of surgery done and extend of an ingrown toenail. The surgery may be done to remove the whole nail or part of it.
Surgical treatment that causes little disturbance on the nail matrix usually takes less recovery time as compared to when the surgery had to go through the nail matrix. You will start to notice healing improvements a day from the surgery.
Your foot is likely to get sore and tender when the numbing agents wear off. It will be normal to experience redness, swelling and pain but taking pain relievers such as aspirin and ibuprofen may help to reduce such discomforts. It is advisable to minimize movements during this time.
For faster recovery, ensure that your foot is kept free from any kind of pressure that may cause damage. Following the doctor’s instructions on post-surgery guidelines will also help to fasten the healing process. The guidelines may include how to take medicines and aftercare instruction.
- Ingrown toenail surgery cost
The cost should be first considered when planning for surgery as a method on how to fix an ingrown toenail. However the cost varies depending with the type of surgery to be performed, the experience of the podiatrist and your location.
You may be required to pay depending with whether you are intending to have full or partial ingrown toenail removal. You are likely to pay more for full nail avulsion than partial since the procedure may take more time and requires experienced podiatrist.
The location also affects the cost of this procedure. If you are living in rural areas, you may be required to spend more on travelling in search of a hospital that can perform surgery. Therefore, from the intensive research done basing on some of the factors, the cost of surgery ranges between 150 dollars to 550 dollars in most of the regions
- Ingrown toenail surgery game
There are various games on the Google play, App Store and amazon apps that shows clear videos on the ingrown surgical procedures. You learn the various stages that are involved in the surgery although the material found there may not be good for your eye.
Ingrown Toenail Simulator
The procedure below describes ingrown toenail simulator. It lets you know many thing on the entire spectrum on how to fix an ingrown toenail according to buzz feed.
- Cleaning the toe with iodine.
- Numbing the toe by injecting anesthetic.
- Cutting on the sides of infected nail using a scalpel.
- Using tweezers to drag out the infected nail
- Squeezing on the sides or the toenail to get out the accumulated pus.
- Application of phenol acid on to the nail bed.
- Appling an ointment on the nail bed
- Covering the toe using a bandage
- Cleaning the areas around the affected toe using a disinfectant
More Sources and References:
Wikihow.
Surgery info.
Buzz feed.