Ingrown toenail treatment can be urgent when pain is bad or infection is starting. Because of this, you may rush into certain home remedies or attempt certain treatments you’ve found online or through a friend. You must do your research before doing anything to your toe; most of these home remedies can be dangerous and are the wrong way to go. 

Over the counter pain medications can be useful to relieve pain from an ingrown, but relying on them for too long is the wrong way to approach the condition. These medications simply distract from an issue that may get worse if left untreated.

The first common wrong way that you should not attempt is cutting a notch into your nail. Cutting a curve into your nail makes it more likely that you develop an ingrown; some people believe that cutting a notch will do the opposite. However, all this will do is make your nail grow improperly. This won’t prevent or cure any ingrown toenails. 

Another common at-home method is to use dental floss or home scissors to try and remove the ingrown toenail. This is likely to irritate the toe more than it already was, and introduces a big risk of infection from unsterilized tools. If your ingrown toenail needs to be removed, it must be done by a licensed podiatrist. 

The most dangerous wrong way of treating ingrowns yourself involves home chemicals/cleaning supplies. These are usually used when an ingrown looks infected. Some people recommend using bleach or hydrogen peroxide on an ingrown to treat the infection. This is VERY dangerous advice. These chemicals were not designed for this purpose and can cause skin and tissue damage. They also aren’t effective at treating an infection. If you have an infected ingrown, you must seek out treatment by a licensed podiatrist. They will be able to remove the ingrown nail itself and prescribe an antibiotic course to treat the infection.

To schedule a consultation with a podiatrist, give us a call at (424)-299-4627 or visit our website for more information.