Ingrown toenail... Advice please!

Question

I have had problems with an ingrown nail on my right big toe for a while now and i stubbed my toe again the other day and split the nail badly so i have a V shape but the ingrown bit is still embedded in my skin! Ouch! Ive been cleaning it and brought some magnesium sulphate paste today as my mum said it can help draw out the pus and bacteria (disgusting i know).

I'm in alot of pain with it and being that it is saturday i cant really get a doctor appt till monday morning.

Is there anything else i can do till i get to see a doctor?

What will the doctor do as well?

Thanks in advance

Answer 1

Cut off all the bits that are ragged(as short as you can)

Give it a good soaking in a bowl of hot salt water and then put on your Mag Sulph paste dressing and a pad of somesort to protect it-

A piece of foam over the dressing is nice.

Don't worry about what the doctor will do on Monday!

He will evaluate the situation,and do what is best!

Answer 2

Go to a podiatrist tell them it's an emergency. Unless, you know someone at a nalis pa that can remove the ingrown. They know how to do this since they're an expert in cleaning nail sand such. Whenever I go to one I ask tehm if there's an ingrown and they would remove it for you if you want.  Don't touch it anymore coz you might just make it worse.

Answer 3

First of all cutting your toenail into a V shape actually doesn't help you when you have an ingrown toenail, so leave the nail alone for a while.  You can get a cream which softens your toenails which can ease the pain and make it easier to cut your toe nail, if not i'm afraid you will need to take a trip to your doctors to have the toenail either partly removed, or fully.

If you have a high pain threshold then get a hot flannel cloth and hold it on your foot, or put hot water in a basin and leave your foot soak for a while.  It will soften the skin and allow you to cut the part of your nail off which it digging into your skin, nail clippers are easy to do it with but you need to slip them under the nail and try and remove as much as you can.  Whatever you do, don't use a nail file because all the shavings can just make it all worse.  After that, wash your feet and apply an antiseptic cream/liquid and then a plaster and in the morning your toe should feel alot better.  If you do go ahead with this I still suggest seeing a doctor though, because although your toe will feel better, your nail might have to be removed right to the nail bed and i'm not sure you should do that on your own without anesthetic procedures.

Call your doctors and tell them that you have an ingrown toenail that is highly painfull, because they usually try to get these things treated quickly.  When you go to the doctor they will usually give you an injection in between your big toe and on top of your big toe which numbs it, and also makes it swell up like a sausage.  and then they cut your nail right down to the nail bed as it's the only way to stop it being ingrown, they wont definately have to remove the whole nail, maybe just part of it and afterwards it might sting a little but you should be fine in a few days.  You are usually advised to leave the original dressing on for 2-3 days.

Answer 4

There's not much you can do. I've had a few in-grown toenails, same toes. Usually I'd take the file insert from the nail clippers and try to pry the ingrown nail back and clip it. It hurts like none other. To help with the infection you might soak it in warm salt water.