An ingrown fingernail not only looks unaesthetic, it also brings pain and discomfort to a person.
In medicine, this disease is called onychocryptosis.
It is not worth delaying with its treatment, since a foci of purulent inflammation can form on the finger.
Today we will figure out what to do if a nail has grown.
What to do if a nail has grown: the causes of the disease
The nail can grow on any finger or toe, but most often it happens with the big toes. Before you get acquainted with the methods of treatment of onychocryptosis, you should analyze the causes that cause the disease.
1. Poor quality pedicure. Some people, cutting their toenails, severely cut off their sides and carefully round off. Despite the beauty of such a pedicure, you can’t do this. To prevent nail ingrowth into the skin, it should be squared. The edges of the nail plate must be carefully filed with a nail file.
2. Inconvenient shoes. This is especially true of the fair sex. Wearing narrow shoes that strongly compress the toes leads to the fact that the nail bites into the skin and a wound forms. The longer a woman wears such shoes, the deeper the wound on the toe. Good shoes should always fit the size of the feet, be comfortable and made of quality materials. Before purchasing shoes, you need to thoroughly die out and be sure to try walking around the room.
3. Unusual shape of the nail plate. Permanent nail ingrowth can be caused by its problematic form, which is either inherited or appears as a result of flat feet. The correct pedicure will help to avoid ingrown.
4. Sudden weight gain. Quick weight gain can occur during pregnancy or against a background of diseases and lead to nail ingrowth.
5. Injuries can also cause deformation of the foot and changes in the shape of the nail.
6. Often toenails grow abnormally due to fungal diseases of the feet. They significantly thicken, curl and grow into the skin.
What to do if a nail has grown: effective medical methods
It is necessary to treat an ingrown nail, since the pathology will most likely develop further, accompanied by acute pain. Over time, the inflammatory process can develop into a chronic one. The wound under the nail will begin to bleed, which can cause infection. Therefore, it is advisable to begin treatment immediately.
Medical treatments for ingrown toenails
Modern clinics offer the following treatments for onychocryptosis:
• surgery;
• radio wave method;
• laser correction of the nail plate;
• orthonyxia - correction of nail growth using special plates and staples.
Surgical treatment is prescribed in complex cases when the disease is in advanced form and it can no longer be cured by more conservative methods. Partial or complete removal of the nail plate is carried out using a scalpel. This method allows you to get rid of pathology and prevent suppuration of bone tissue. Meanwhile, healing takes quite a long time: until a new nail grows. Surgical treatment of an ingrown nail does not guarantee that the disease does not recur.
The radio wave method involves the removal of an ingrown nail as a result of exposure to high-frequency radio waves. This method is notable for painlessness, quick healing and a low degree of trauma.
Often when asked what to do if a nail has grown, doctors recommend laser correction. The method allows you to get rid of the problem without completely removing the entire plate and without damaging the sprout zone. A laser removes part of the nail bed, affected by granulation, and the ingrown nail itself. The disadvantage of this method of treatment is the duration of healing.
Particularly noteworthy is the new defect correction method, orthonix. A special plate is attached to the nail with the help of special glue. It is made of medical steel. The duration of treatment depends on the particular case and can last from several weeks to 6 months. The correction method is the most painless. However, it cannot be used in advanced cases.
What to do if a nail has grown: folk remedies and medicines
Folk remedies can be used exclusively for mild symptoms. We are talking about cases where there is no acute pain and inflammatory processes. Treatment of an ingrown nail consists of two stages:
1. The release of the corner of the nail ingrown into the finger. To achieve a result, you need to carry out daily procedures for up to three weeks. During this time, the corner of the nail will grow to a safe length.
At this stage of treatment, the following recipes will help you.
• Tray from a solution of soda. For 3 liters of warm water, take 1 tablespoon of soda. In the solution, the ingrown nail should be soaked for 20 minutes. Then, with a gentle movement, try to bring the edge of the nail out. Perhaps this will happen after the second or third procedure. Next, you need to take a piece of thick paper or plastic and slowly bring it under the edge of the freed nail. In this position, it is necessary to fix the nail overnight with a patch or gauze.
• Tray with sea salt. Such a bath can be used only in those cases when there is no open wound or inflammation on the finger affected by the ingrown nail. For one liter of warm water should take 5 tablespoons of salt. The bath has an excellent antiseptic effect.
• Butter. After a soda bath, apply a piece of oil to the nail. Then cover with a napkin and a film. Bandage the problem finger. After a day, remove the bandage and again steam the nail in a soda bath. Carefully raise the edge of the corner of the nail and adjust under it a small piece of a cotton pad soaked in butter. On top of the nail we again put a small piece of oil and bandage it.
• Scarlet faith. We clean the leaf of the medicinal plant from thorns and skin. The ground mass is diluted with a small amount of boiled water. We spread the mass on a piece of fabric and cover it with the ingrown nail. Cover the finger with a film on top and bandage it. Leave the bandage for the night. Sutra try to bring the edge of the nail plate out.
• Fir oil. The tool perfectly softens the nail and rough skin on the affected finger. Compresses should be done overnight for a week.
• Honey and onion compress. Take the medium onion, peel and chop on a blender. Mix the mass with 1 tablespoon of honey. After a soda bath, we apply a compress to the problem nail, wrap it on top with a film and bandage it overnight. In the morning, try to bring the edge of the nail out.
2. Giving the nail plate a safe length and regular shape. After you have managed to free part of the nail, you do not need to cut it off. The procedure for soaking the ingrown nail in a soda solution should be repeated, without stopping, for two weeks. During this time, the nail will have time to grow properly, while its angles are aligned. Every day, after a bath with a nail file, along the upper layer, center a small groove (up to 3 mm wide) along the center of the plate. Sawing a nail completely is not necessary. After a while, the groove will overgrow.
Medications for the treatment of ingrown toenails
To stop the inflammatory process on the finger, you can use antiseptic ointments. Local antibiotics are especially good:
• Levomekol;
• Vishnevsky ointment;
• Ichthyol ointment.
These medications have a healing effect, help remove bacteria and prevent infection and suppuration of the wound.
Apply the selected product to the bandage and attach to the affected area on the finger. Then cover with a gauze bandage.
What to do if a nail has grown: prevention
Physicians to prevent pathology recommend adhering to simple rules:
• choose comfortable and free shoes;
• always observe individual hygiene;
• do the pedicure correctly;
• treat on time orthopedic, fungal and infectious diseases of the feet;
• protect your feet from bruises and treat any injuries in a timely manner.
Your shoes should be spacious, their heels should not exceed 4 cm. Careful attitude to the feet provides for constant care: treatment with moisturizing cosmetics and oils, prevention of infection, timely treatment of cracks and corns.
Trim your nails in a straight line with straight manicure scissors. The length of the nail should not be less than the level of the tip of the finger. If you accidentally cut a corner of a plate, then file its sharp edge with a special file.
To prevent inflammatory processes, you need to periodically do foot baths. For this procedure, infusions of succession, St. John's wort, sage, calendula and chamomile are ideal. For 2 liters of boiling water you need to take 6 tablespoons of herbs. Insist under a closed lid for an hour.
Now you know what to do if a nail has grown. Effective methods of treatment will help get rid of an unpleasant disease, and expert advice will help prevent pathology.
