Onychocryptosis or ingrown toenail

Fingernails are inflammations that occur when a Toenail grows the wrong way and digs into the flesh. Ingrown nails are a very common and annoying disorder that causes tenderness, redness, and swelling on the side of the affected finger. Besides of Intense pain what they cause, if the ingrown toenail is not cured and treated can become infected.

Why are fingernails formed?

• Bad nail trimming: when we cut the nails very short (especially at the ends) or cut them in a rounded shape, causing the corner of the nail to dig into the flesh.
• Poke or tear off the edges.
• Unsuitable shoes: Wearing shoes that are too narrow or small can put pressure on the nails and cause them to curve downward and part of it finds its way into the periungular groove, that is, the groove that surrounds the nail or sides.
• Malformations: People who have malformations in the feet (osteoarthritis) or in the structure of the nail (arched, volute or curled) may be more prone to have fingernails.
• Microtrauma: when the feet suffer small repetitive blows or small injuries usually due to a specific activity, that is why it is very important to use suitable shoes, for example, at work or sports.
• Subungual exostosis: protrusion of bone in the distal phalanx of the first toe that presses the nail underneath.
• Other factors: excessive sweating and lack of perspiration of the feet, abuse of hot water, fungi (onychomycosis), protruding periungular rims, excess weight or gait disturbances.

Nail types

Before treating a nail, you must know the degree of involvement of the nail and the surrounding flesh:

• Grade I: only inflammation, redness and pain occurs.
• Grade II: an infection usually caused by germs that live on the skin's surface occurs. This can cause pus to appear and if the skin tightens it can tear and allow the abscess to drain.
• Grade III: A granulation tissue is created on the edge of the nail due to chronic inflammation, forming a periungular hypertrophic tissue.

How to cure an ingrown toenail?

These are the Steps what should you follow to cure an ingrown toenail depending on how advanced the wound is:

If the nail does not improve within 2 or 3 days or. The specialist will make a diagnosis based on the patient's symptoms and the results of the physical examination of the nail and surrounding skin. Then they will recommend a specific treatment that may or may not include the use of pain relievers or antibiotics.

Other types of cures that the doctor can do are:

After partial or total removal of the nail, antibiotic and analgesic treatment should be given. The nail will be complete again when they have passed between 2 and 4 months.

5 Tips to avoid a fingernail

What you should know:

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• Use comfortable shoes and wide that avoid pressure on the fingers and nails.
• Carry out baths with water warm 3 or 4 times a day to soften the nail.
• If it hurts too much you can resort to analgesics over the counter such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen and other anti-inflammatories such as metamizole that can relieve pain.
• In case the nail is infected or is at risk of becoming infected, they can be used antibiotics for topical or oral use.
• Lift the nail: If the nail is only slightly ingrown, with redness and pain, but without pus, the doctor may proceed to carefully separate the nail from the skin that covers it and help the nail to grow over the edge of the skin.
•  Partial nail removal: In case of established infection, the lesion should be drained so that the pus comes out and the wound should be thoroughly washed with physiological saline. Next, a partial surgical removal of the affected nail should be carried out, always under local anesthesia. Attempts should be made to avoid total removal of the nail.
• Partial removal of the nail and surrounding soft tissue: If you also tend to repeatedly have fingernails on the same finger, the doctor might suggest removing a part of the nail together with the underlying tissue, that is, the base of the nail. This procedure could prevent the problem from recurring over and over again and would be accompanied by local anesthesia.
  • Cut straight nails from the feet. Do not cut them in a curved way to match the shape of the tip of the toe, but always in a straight way. If you have a disease that causes poor blood circulation in your feet and you cannot cut your nails, visit a podiatrist frequently to have your nails trimmed properly.
  • Wear shoes that fit properly. Shoes that squeeze or put too much pressure on the toes can cause the nail to grow into the surrounding tissue.
  • Wear protective footwear. If your job puts you at risk of hurting your feet, wear protective footwear, such as steel-toed shoes.
  • especially if you have diabetes.
  • Go to the podiatrist on a regular basis to help prevent it.
  • It happens when a edge of the nail digs under the skin usually from cutting your nails too short or at an angle.
  • It has different degrees of affectation whose symptom they are: inflammation, redness and infection.
  • To treat an ingrown toenail, just cut the toenail straight and wear an open shoe to avoid pressure. If there is an infection, the doctor will choose the most appropriate treatment, which may involve surgical removal.
  • If the nail does not improve within two to three days or if it worsens, contact your doctor.