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Don't Try To Be A "Bathroom Surgeon" - How To Deal With Ingrown Toenails

Published 27 April 2016

Getting ingrown toenails isn’t exactly uncommon, though that doesn’t make them any less serious, since severe cases of ingrown toenails can seriously impact your day to day life, and potentially be an indicator of worse conditions like a fungal infection.

Don’t try to treat them yourself, though. Many people who get ingrown toenails try to do “bathroom surgery” on themselves, which can involve trying to cut away the ingrown portion of the toenail.

By cutting down the side of your toenail, a sharp nail spike may be created. The spike grows into the side wall (sulci) of the toenail and causes a significant amount of pain. An infection can then develop, making it painful to the touch.

Even if you don’t have ingrown toenails, avoid cutting your toenails down the side – always cut them straight across.

If you have problems with ingrown toenails, we highly recommend seeing a podiatrist instead of trying to deal with them yourself.

Written by Mark B. Reyneker
Written by Mark B. Reyneker

Podiatrist 20 years of clinical experience. Practiced in South Africa, Malaysia, and Singapore. Pioneered CAD/CAM custom made orthotics in S.E Asia.

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