Preventing Ingrown Toenails

Various lower limb issues tend to be more prominent in various demographics, but one that tends to be a universal problem is ingrown toenails. Now, an ingrown toenail can certainly be treated—whether at home or here in our office—but we’re pretty sure you would prefer not to experience the pain and discomfort one brings in the first place, and that’s without even factoring in the heightened infection risk!

We have good news – there are a couple of ingrown toenail prevention measures you can take to stay safe, including:

• Protect your feet. One type of footwear (properly-fitting, naturally!) you might want to consider investing in is a good pair of safety shoes or steel-toed boots, particularly if your job requires you to frequently move heavy objects.
• Ask for help. You can also protect your feet from the physical trauma that can cause an ingrown toenail by asking a friend or loved one to give you a hand if you are moving something heavy at home.
• Trim your toenails correctly. Too many cases of ingrown toenails are caused by improper nail trimming practices, but you can avoid this by always clipping your nails straight across (instead of rounded) and not too short (keep them roughly even with the edge of your toes).
• Wear shoes that fit well. You would quickly amass a small fortune if you had a dollar for every lower limb problem—including ingrown toenails—stemming from footwear that is either too small or too tight. The problem with small footwear is that it squashes the toes together in the front, which can then lead to nails growing into the flesh surrounding them. Always make sure you are wearing shoes with plenty of room in the front. If you cannot wiggle your toes, pick another pair!

Of course, another potential cause of ingrown toenails is simply an inherited nail structure. There’s really no way to prevent that from happening, but you can come see us here at McVay Foot and Ankle for effective toenail treatment when you need it.

If you would like more information on preventing ingrown toenails, or on the exceptional foot care services we offer, just give us a call at (719) 266-5000 and one of our friendly staff members will be glad to help. You can also request your appointment with our Colorado Springs office online right now by taking a second and filling out the form found on our website’s Contact page.