Pedicures are a place for relaxation and rejuvenation but may also put you at higher risk of getting ingrown toenails. When nails are not cut properly, they have a greater chance of becoming ingrown which can cause a lot of pain for the person receiving the pedicure. This may occur when the pedicurist files the sides of your toenails diagonally or curves out the edges and sides of your nails.
If you already have an ingrown toenail, it is important to let the salon know before they work on your feet. When working on ingrown toenails you should file only under the nail, and cut it straight so that the corners of your nails do not grow into the skin. Some cases for ingrown toenails are inevitable as that is how the nail bed is shaped, however, minor cases that do not show any signs of infection are safe to attend to at home. Some steps you can take to fix your ingrown toenail are
- Soaking your toes in Epsom salt
- Trimming the nail straight with a proper toenail clipper
- Applying antibiotic ointment to prevent infection
- Using a nail softener to soften the nail and change its direction of growth
You should not try cutting the nail shorter or cut the edges because this can worsen the condition of the ingrown toenail, rather than fix it. If you have an ingrown toenail, you can schedule a free consultation with one of our doctors by clicking here.