There's nothing pleasant about having an ingrown toenail. It causes pain, swelling, discomfort, and redness and frankly just makes your toe look ugly.
Worse, if left untreated, it can cause serious issues to your foot. Because of that, treating ingrown toenails is essential for keeping your feet healthy and avoiding serious problems in the long run.
To help you out, we've put together a quick guide on a few ingrown toenail treatments you can try out. Let's jump in!
Soak Your Foot in Warm Water
While washing your feet should be part of your daily foot care routine, soaking in warm soapy water will help prevent infections. You can do so by leaving your foot in the water for up to 20 minutes to help treat the toenail. To make the foot bath more effective, try adding sea salts to the water.
Use an Antibiotic Cream
While oral antibiotics call for a prescription, you can get over-the-counter ointments for your toenail. These creams help bring down inflammation and prevent infection in your ingrown toenail.
To use an antibiotic ointment, you should apply it to your infected toenail, typically up to three times a day. Once you've applied the ointment, make sure to properly wrap and bandage the toenail so that you don't allow bacteria to get in.
Get Rid of Your Ingrown Toenail
Not only is having an ingrown toenail annoying, but it can lead to further problems, too. That's why following these tips for treating ingrown nails is so important.
If you need help with an ingrown toenail, the team at Complete Foot Care & Orthotic Center can help. Call today to schedule an appointment to help manage your ingrown toenails.