7 Ingrown Fingernail Treatments To Try At Home - Strut Blog

Ingrown nails aren’t just a toenail thing, sometimes they can occur on your fingernails as well.

While ingrown fingernails are less common than an ingrown toenail, they can be just as annoying and painful.

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Ingrown fingernails can occur if:

• There is an injury to the nail

• Nail growth is too slow

• Nail growth is too fast

• Trimming nail incorrectly

• Biting your nails

• There is a fungal infection

Luckily, most ingrown fingernails can be safely and effectively treated at home without a doctor’s visit and be gone after 5 or so days.

However, if you are diabetic, the ingrown fingernail doesn’t go away after about a week, or there is significant pain, redness, swelling, pus, or fever, you should schedule an appointment with your doctor.

Below, we'll discuss 7 ingrown fingernail treatments you can try at home.

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1. Warm water soak

Soak the affected fingernail in warm water for 15-20 minutes.

You can do this 3-4 times daily to help with pain and swelling in the area.

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You can add other additives into the warm water soak including:

Epsom salt - For pain and inflammation

Tea tree oil - For its antibacterial and antifungal properties

Hydrogen peroxide - To help prevent infection

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Also Read: Have Thick Toenails? Learn the Causes, Tips, and Treatments

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2. Lifting the nail

Wedging a little bit of a cotton gauze or cotton ball underneath the affected nail will slightly separate the nail from the skin and hopefully, help the nail grow out properly.

Start by soaking the nail to make it softer, then roll the cotton into a long tube shape and barely wedge it under the nail.

The placement may be a little uncomfortable, or you might need someone to help place the cotton.

Lifting of the nail can also normally be done at the doctor’s office if you are not able to or do not want to do it yourself.

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3. Pain relievers

For the first few days, the ingrown fingernail might be painful or very tender to the touch.

Taking over-the-counter pain relievers like acetaminophen or ibuprofen may help you feel more comfortable as the ingrown fingernail runs its course.

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Read Related: Ridges in Fingernails: 14 Reasons They Can Happen

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4. Antibiotic creams

To help prevent the ingrown fingernail from getting infected you can use a Q-tip to apply an over-the-counter antibiotic cream or ointment to the area.

These creams can normally be found at any pharmacy over the counter and include triple antibiotic ointments, bacitracin, neomycin, or Neosporin.

You can usually apply these multiple times daily, but follow the instructions on the package.

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5. Surgical nail removal

For more severe ingrown fingernails, your doctor may recommend the removal of part or all of the nail.

This is done in the office, and once the embedded nail is removed it should regrow properly.

Keep an eye on the nail while it is regrowing to ensure it is not becoming ingrown again.

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Also Read: 11 Things That Can Cause Brittle Nails

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6. Abscess drainage

If the ingrown nail has become infected it may form an abscess full of pus or liquid that needs to be drained.

Your doctor may perform a draining of the abscess in the office.

You should not attempt to drain an abscess at home for the risk of worsening the infection.

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7. Treating the fungus

If you continue getting ingrown fingernails due to the nail having a fungus, you will need to treat the fungus to help prevent these recurrent ingrown nails.

Nail fungus is often more difficult to treat than fungal infections of the skin, and you will likely need to meet with a doctor and as they can prescribe you an ingrown fingernail treatment to help clear the infection via a prescription.

Strut Nail Formula is a compounded medication with prescription antifungal medications blended with a powerful driving agent to get to the root of the nail fungus.

To see if prescription Strut Nail Formula is a good option for your nail fungus issues, have an Online Visit with our doctors today.