Ingrown Toenail: How to Treat It at Home, Signs of Infection and When It Needs Removing

An ingrown toenail happens when the edge of a nail, usually on the big toe, grows into the skin beside it. It is painful, can become infected, and is often caused by how nails are cut or by tight shoes. Most mild cases improve with home care.

Imagine every step of a 12-hour shift sending a sharp pain through your big toe. A few days of the right home care, and a change in how you cut your nails, can stop it coming back.

Signs

• Pain and tenderness along the side of the nail
• Swollen, hard or red skin around the nail
• Signs of infection: pus, bleeding, warmth or spreading redness

Home treatment

• Soak your foot in warm water for 10–15 minutes a few times a day
• After soaking, gently push the skin away from the nail with a cotton bud
• Keep the foot clean and dry, and wear wide, comfortable shoes or sandals
• Take paracetamol or ibuprofen for pain
• Don’t dig into the skin or cut a V into the nail

See a doctor or podiatrist if

• It isn’t better after a few days of home care
• There are signs of infection
• You have diabetes or poor circulation: get it checked promptly, as foot infections can become serious
• It keeps coming back

A podiatrist or doctor can remove part of the nail under local anaesthetic, sometimes treating the nail bed so that edge doesn’t grow back.

But shouldn’t I cut the corner off to relieve it?

That often makes it worse. Cutting nails too short or rounding the corners encourages the nail to grow into the skin. Cut toenails straight across, not too short, after a bath when they are softer.

Sources: NHS, “Ingrown toenail”; American Academy of Dermatology, “How to treat an ingrown toenail”. This guide is for general information and does not replace advice from your own nurse, doctor or pharmacist.