Ingrown toenails are a condition that will keep getting worse as time goes on. They can be very painful, and often people who have them need immediate medical attention to be able to continue their daily lives. However, if your ingrown isn’t very severe and you can’t get in to see a podiatrist immediately, you may be looking for steps you can take to relieve pain and inflammation in the meantime. In this situation, a foot soak may be a good option to help relieve some of the symptoms of ingrown toenails.

A foot soak consists of a bath of warm water that you soak your feet in regularly. These can be done daily if you have an ingrown toenail; the point of them is to soften the skin around the ingrown toenail. Softening the skin does a few things to relieve the ingrown toenail. When the skin is soft, it makes it easier for the nail to grow around it rather than into it. This is because the nail can “push” the softer skin away more easily than if it was dry and hard. Additionally, the softer skin will be less pressurized by the ingrown toenail, which will help to reduce some symptoms. 

A foot soak for ingrown toenails can also be upgraded with the addition of Epsom salts or apple cider vinegar. These will help soften and treat the skin further, and can also have slight anti-inflammatory properties.

While using a foot soak for an ingrown toenail that is very mild isn’t a bad idea, it also likely won’t be sufficient to treat the ingrown. The only way to actually remove the ingrown toenail is to be seen by a licensed podiatrist. They will be able to diagnose the ingrown toenail and perform the removal. To schedule your consultation with a podiatrist, give us a call at (424)-299-4627 or visit our website for more information.