The slightly ingrown nail can be treated at home, trying to lift the corner of the nail and inserting a piece of cotton or gauze, so that the nail stops growing on the finger and ends up fading naturally.
However, when the area around the nail becomes very red, inflamed and pused, it may indicate that an infection already exists in place and therefore it is very important that it be evaluated by a health care professional, such as a nurse or podiatrist. , which may even indicate the application of an antibiotic ointment to relieve symptoms.
To treat the slightly ingrown and inflamed nail, follow step by step
If the nail is heavily ingrown, inflamed or pused and it is not possible to walk normally or try to release the nail from the skin, you should consult a nurse, podiatrist or dermatologist to clean the nail. Thus, the procedure can be performed correctly and without risk of aggravation such as the entry of bacteria for example.
In the case of an ingrown toenail, you should not cut the part of the ingrown toenail, do not cut the nail into a “V” shape, or put a tight bandage. These measures only aggravate the ingrown toenail and again increase the risk of ingrown nails.
The pus ingrown nail should always be evaluated by a professional, as in these cases it is usually necessary to use antibiotic ointments to fight infections and allow healing.
It is recommended to see your doctor in one of the following situations:
It’s also a good time to see a professional if there are injuries to the affected area or signs of poor blood flow.
Ingrown nail surgery is indicated in cases where nails are common and treatment by lifting or cutting nails does not work, especially if there is fluffy meat in the area. In this case, surgery is performed under local anesthesia and, in most cases, it is not necessary to remove the entire nail. Depending on the nail to be treated, your doctor may choose to apply an acid, such as silver nitrate, which destroys part of the nail that was stuck, for example.
To avoid ingrown nails, you should cut them straight, but avoid making the nail too short. In addition, it is also important to wear tight shoes and change socks every day, as this prevents the proliferation of microorganisms.
Here are some additional tips to keep the nail from getting stuck.