How Do You Get Rid Of An Ingrown Fingernail - MedicineNet

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• Introduction
  • What is an ingrown fingernail?
• Symptoms
  • How do you know if you have an ingrown fingernail?
• Treatment
  • How to treat an ingrown fingernail
• Prognosis
  • How long does an ingrown fingernail take to heal?
• Complications
  • Can an ingrown fingernail kill you?
• FAQs
  • Frequently asked questions (FAQs) about an ingrown fingernail

What is an ingrown fingernail?

Simple measures such as soaking the affected nail and taking pain relievers may help get rid of an ingrown fingernail.

If the side of your fingernail hurts when pressed, you could be developing an ingrown fingernail. Ingrown fingernails are a painful condition where the nail grows into the skin. A healthy nail will grow straight, but when the edge of the nail curves down into the skin, the nail bed becomes red and inflamed. Learn about its signs and symptoms, healing time, complications, and more.

The most common site for an ingrown nail is the big toe, but it may be seen in other nails as well.

Certain conditions can predispose you to an ingrown nail, such as:

• Using a nail file or emery board to slightly round the nails at the corners
• Trimming nails too short with clippers, or not straight across
• Biting your fingernails
• Fingernail or toenail injury
• Having unusually curved nails
• Wearing tight shoes for a long time
• Genetic predisposition

How do you know if you have an ingrown fingernail?

An ingrown fingernail is often characterized by the signs and symptoms that include:

• Throbbing pain at the sides of the nail
• Swelling in the digits
• Redness or inflammation around a nail
• Pus or fluid oozing from the area around your nail
• Bleeding around the nail bed
• The skin folding over the nail

An ingrown fingernail can also cause a condition known as paronychia, which is a skin infection around the fingernails or toenails. This infection is characterized by pain, swelling, and redness around the base or sides of the nail. It can also cause pus-filled pockets (abscesses) to form. A hangnail is different from an ingrown fingernail, although both can cause paronychia. An ingrown fingernail is a nail condition, while a hangnail is a torn piece of skin at the root of the nail, usually a minor irritant that can be clipped off with a nail clipper.

How to treat an ingrown fingernail

A common query is how to remove ingrown nails. Never attempt to pick or cut out your ingrown fingernail. It may worsen the swelling and cause pus formation. Sometimes, it may damage the nail bed (cuticle) and cause deformation of the nail structure. So, here's how to treat an ingrown fingernail.

You may try simple measures to treat your ingrown nail, such as soaking the affected finger or toe in warm water, and taking over-the-counter pain relievers for the redness to settle down.

If your ingrown fingernail is persistent and very painful, it is time to stop your at-home ingrown fingernail treatment and visit a doctor. Your doctor will examine your ingrown fingernail and may suggest the following interventions:

• For a slightly ingrown fingernail with redness and pain but no pus formation, your doctor will numb the edge and lift the ingrowing nail edge, placing a splint under it. This will separate the nail from the overlying skin and direct it to grow above the skin's edge.
• If there is pus formation along with the severely ingrown fingernail, your doctor will numb the area and remove the ingrown portion of the nail.
• If an ingrown fingernail becomes a recurrent problem, the doctor may remove a portion of the nail along with the underlying cuticle. This procedure is performed using lasers or chemicals.

Your doctor may prescribe antibiotics, especially if the toe or finger is infected or at risk of becoming infected. Surgery for an ingrown fingernail is typically uncommon.

QUESTION

An average adult has about ________ square feet of skin. See Answer

How long does an ingrown fingernail take to heal?

This often depends on the severity of your ingrown fingernail, which may include the following:

• If there is only redness and no pus, the condition should get better in a day or two with warm water soaks and painkillers.
• If there is pus formation, the pus should be gone in 48 hours with the initiation of antibiotic ointment, and the pain should be gone in a week.

It takes about two weeks for a healthy person for a severely inflamed ingrown fingernail to get better. If you suffer from diabetes, poor blood circulation, or have peripheral artery disease, an ingrown fingernail may take longer to heal.

Can an ingrown fingernail kill you?

In most cases, ingrown fingernails are harmless. However, an ingrown fingernail can become infected. If you have diabetes or any condition that causes poor blood circulation, the infection may spread to the bone (osteomyelitis) and soft tissue (gangrene). In very rare cases, those with uncontrolled sugar levels or very poor immunity go into severe sepsis due to widespread infection, which could be fatal.

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Frequently asked questions (FAQs) about an ingrown fingernail

How do you get rid of an ingrown fingernail fast?

You can get rid of an ingrown fingernail or toenail quickly at home if it is not gone in deep or becomes infected. The moment you notice redness or pain due to an ingrown fingernail, treat it with care.

Home care for fast relief from ingrown fingernails includes the following:

• Soak the hand with the ingrown fingernail in warm water mixed with Epsom salt, or in soapy water.
• Once the skin and nail are soft, gently push the skin back from the ingrown fingernail border.
• Slightly raise the ingrown nail edge, and place a tiny piece of cotton or dental floss beneath it. Change it every day until your nail starts growing above the skin's edge.
• Apply an antibiotic ointment and a bandage until it heals.
• Use mild painkillers, if required.
• Continue to care for your nails following the correct method of cutting or filing them to prevent them from growing in again.

Do ingrown fingernails go away on their own?

Mild ingrown fingernails, which do not cause too much pain and are not infected, may go away on their own by soaking them in warm water and gently pushing the skin away from the nail edge. If it has gone deeper or is infected, and home remedies do not help, see a doctor. Do not attempt to dig it out yourself, you may make the condition worse.

What causes ingrown fingernails?

Causes of ingrown fingernails include:

• Cutting the nails too short
• Rounding the edges instead of cutting them straight across
• Injury to the nail
• Genetic predisposition for ingrown nails
• Having extraordinarily curved nails

How do you get rid of an ingrown nail easily?

You can get rid of an ingrown nail easily with home care as mentioned above, if you catch it early, before it grows deeper or gets infected. Keep the nail clean and free from germs.

Do ingrown nails go away naturally?

Sometimes ingrown nails may go away naturally, but mostly, you may need at least some amount of home care such as a warm soak and application of ingrown nail ointment.

Do ingrown nails heal on their own?

Once the ingrown nail is released from under the skin and is cut and kept free of the skin, it can heal on its own. Keep it clean, and use a bandage if necessary, to prevent infection.

Medically Reviewed on 12/3/2024 References American Academy of Dermatology. What Kids Should Know About Ingrown Nails.https://www.aad.org/public/parents-kids/healthy-habits/parents/kids/ingrown-nails Mayo Clinic. Ingrown toenails.https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/ingrown-toenails/symptoms-causes/syc-20355903 Cleveland Clinic. "Ingrown Toenails." Updated: 08/07/2023.https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/17664-ingrown-toenails

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