If you are looking for home remedies to help your ingrown, you are not alone. Ingrown toenails are often extremely painful, and can sometimes prevent you from walking at all. Home remedies are tempting because they bypass any visit to the podiatrist’s office, and seem like they will treat the condition more quickly. When an ingrown is mild, some home remedies like foot soaks can safely provide temporary relief. However, there are many more dangerous home remedies suggested on the internet, like using bleach. 

Bleach is not going to help cure your ingrown toenail. If you put bleach on any part of your skin, it will irritate it. This is even worse when the skin and tissue is already irritated, like with an ingrown toenail. This chemical cleaning product is toxic, and not designed for medical use. Using it to try to help your ingrown toenail will almost certainly make the condition more serious, painful, and difficult to treat. In addition to being dangerous and risky for further damage, there is no benefit to using bleach on your ingrown. It will not make it easier for the nail to grow correctly, and will not help treat any infection. Even when diluted, this cleaning product is toxic to the skin and is not meant to be used for any medical reasons.

Instead of using bleach to try and treat your infection, a much better idea is to seek a consultation with a licensed podiatrist. They will be able to provide you with a diagnosis and effective treatment plan (often including surgery) that will work and won’t make your ingrown more aggravated. This is also the fastest way to see a result with your ingrown toenail. To schedule your consultation with a podiatrist, give us a call at (424)-299-4627 or visit our website for more information.