How To Treat An Ingrown Fingernail - Healthline

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Skin Care

How to Treat an Ingrown Fingernail

Medically reviewed by Bukky Aremu, APRN — Written by Susan York Morris — Updated on August 8, 2024

Self-treatment
Noninvasive medical treatments
Surgery
When to see a doctor
FAQ
Takeaway

Ingrown fingernails may be treated at home by soaking and applying over-the-counter topical medications. If an infection has developed, medical treatment or surgery may be necessary.

An ingrown nail is when a nail grows into the sides or corners of your skin, which may cause:

inflammation
discomfort
pain
infection

Ingrown nails most commonly affect your toes, but your fingernails can also become ingrown. This could make everyday tasks like typing on a keyboard or doing the dishes painful.

Ingrown nails usually heal on their own without any complications.

However, more severe ingrown fingernails may require treatment to prevent complications, such as permanent nail damage and infection of the tissues surrounding the nail, known as paronychia.

Keep reading to learn more about home remedies and medical treatments for ingrown fingernails.

Before trying home remedies

Speak with a healthcare professional if you have an underlying health condition that may increase your risk of ingrown nail complications, such as diabetes.

They could help develop a treatment plan that’s best for you.

Self-treatment

Mild to moderate ingrown fingernails could typically be treated with soaking and over-the-counter (OTC) topical treatments.

Soaking the ingrown fingernail in warm, salty water twice daily could help relieve inflammation and prevent infection.

To soak your ingrown fingernail:

Fill a deep bowl with warm, salted water.
Soak the ingrown fingernail for 15 to 20 minutes.
Rinse the ingrown fingernail with fresh water.
Gently pat dry.

After soaking, apply an OTC topical antibiotic, antifungal, or corticosteroid to help relieve pain and inflammation.

It’s important to keep the ingrown nail dry during the day. However, if you have an infection, keep the infected area covered with a sterile bandage to prevent further infection.

Noninvasive medical treatments

If soaking and OTC treatments don’t help relieve inflammation and pain or you have a mild infection, speak with a doctor. They may recommend one of the following noninvasive medical procedures for your ingrown fingernail:

Taping

A doctor may place a piece of tape on the skin of the side of your finger affected by the ingrown fingernail. They will wrap the tape around the bottom of your finger to pull the skin away from the nail, helping relieve pressure and pain.

Cotton wedge

A doctor will gently lift the nail and insert a small wedge of medicated cotton between your nail and the inflamed skin next to the nail. This can relieve pain and enable the nail to grow properly.

Dental floss

Instead of placing a cotton wedge, a doctor may place a small string of dental floss to separate the nail from the nailbed.

Gutter splint

A doctor will cut a vinyl intravenous infusion tube into a splint that looks like a gutter. They’ll place the affected side of the finger into the inside of the gutter-like tube and tape it to help relieve pain.

Draining an abscess

If your ingrown fingernail has developed into an abscess, a doctor may drain the abscess to remove the pus.

Surgical medical treatments

Ingrown fingernails rarely require surgical treatment. Surgery is more common with ingrown toenails.

However, if soaking and noninvasive medical treatments don’t help resolve an ingrown fingernail, a doctor may recommend surgery.

Surgery for ingrown nails may include removing a portion of the nail using special tools or chemicals to allow the infected area to drain and heal. Sometimes, they may remove the entire nail.

When to see a doctor

You generally don’t need to go to the doctor for an ingrown fingernail, but you do need to be vigilant about care.

What may seem like a routine infection could rapidly progress to something serious that requires medical care, such as:

felon, which is an infection that spreads deep into the fingertip
osteomyelitis, which is inflammation of the underlying nail bone

Speak with a healthcare professional if you experience any of the following symptoms:

worsening or severe pain
fever
pus draining from the ingrown fingernail
skin discoloration that encompasses the entire tip of your finger

Frequently asked questions

How to fix an ingrown fingernail?

Treatment for an ingrown fingernail may include soaking, OTC topical pain relievers, and antibiotics. Sometimes, noninvasive medical treatments or surgery may be required.

Will an ingrown fingernail go away by itself?

Ingrown fingernails usually go away on their own. However, if home remedies don’t help or you have an infection, you may need medical treatment.

How do you remove an ingrown nail?

It’s important not to remove an ingrown nail on your own to prevent further injury, infection, or complications. A healthcare professional may use several techniques to remove an ingrown nail by using special tools or chemicals.

Takeaway

An ingrown fingernail may cause swelling, pain, and infection that could disrupt everyday activities.

In most cases, soaking and OTC treatments could help relieve pain and inflammation.

However, speak with a healthcare professional if your ingrown fingernail doesn’t improve or you experience an infection. They could help develop a treatment plan for you.

How we reviewed this article:

SourcesHistoryHealthline has strict sourcing guidelines and relies on peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical journals and associations. We only use quality, credible sources to ensure content accuracy and integrity. You can learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate and current by reading our editorial policy.

Chabchoub I, et al. (2022). Ingrown toenails.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK546697/
Ingrown toenail. (2022).https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/ingrown-toenail/

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Medically reviewed by Bukky Aremu, APRN — Written by Susan York Morris — Updated on August 8, 2024

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