While ingrown toenails can arise for a variety of reasons, there are measures you can take to prevent them from appearing. One of the simplest is to be careful and intentional when cutting your toenails. Simply using the right tools and trimming with the right technique can save you from a lot of pain and discomfort in the future. 

When trimming your toenails, trim them in a straight line across. This is different than trimming your fingernails; toenails require special treatment. This makes the corners of your toenails less likely to grow into the skin. Avoid cutting the nails too short so that the nail won’t be too close to the skin as it’s growing out.

Make sure you are using clean, sharp nail cutters when trimming your nails. Making sure your nail cutters aren’t dull will make it more difficult for your toenail to become ingrown. Additionally, use separate tools for your fingernails and toenails. This is important for a few reasons. One, fingernail trimmers are not designed for toenails. Toenail cutter tools are designed with a straight edge to make trimming your nails with the right shape more natural. Using fingernail clippers on your toenails will make the edges of your toenails more round, and prone to ingrowns. Also, using the same tool on your fingernails promotes the spread of fungus from your toenails to your fingernails. Treatment for fingernail fungus is harder to find than toenail fungus — better to just keep your toe and fingernails separate!

Lastly, if you already have an ingrown, do not try to cut it yourself! This often leads to infection, and will likely cause more irritation and pain. Leave ingrown removal to the professionals; see a licensed podiatrist to discuss your treatment options. To schedule a consultation with a podiatrist in your area, give us a call at (424)-299-4627 or visit our website for more information.