Reasons You Keep Getting Ingrown Toenails
It is easy to feel like you’re stuck in a rut, experiencing the same foot problems time and time again; no matter how hard you try, painful and unattractive irritations keep returning! Well, this is precisely what it feels like to live with ingrown toenails, and there may be a few explanations as to why. Don’t worry, there may be a solution to your ongoing problem!
Here are a few reasons why you may be stuck in a loop!
You’re wearing the wrong shoes
Wearing the wrong shoes is one of the most common causes of ingrown toenails, with more than half the population picking the wrong shoe sizes for their feet!
Shoes that are too tight tend to pinch and compress your toes, interfering with the forward growth of your nails and allowing them to grow down into the surrounding skin. You have highly likely purchased the wrong length/width or simply the wrong style for your feet!
On the other hand, shoes that are too big are just as bad! These tend to slide around on your feet, causing your nails to be repeatedly bashed against the front of your shoe.
You aren’t cutting your toenail correctly
Who knew there was a right and wrong way to cut your toenails? Incorrect toenail cutting is a prevalent problem; you may be unwillingly enabling the development of ingrown toenails.
There are three main mistakes made when it comes to toenail trimming:
Allowing your nails to grow too long - Excessively long toenails are more accountable for getting pressed inward or curving downwards.
Cutting your nails too short - Toenails that are cut too short are more likely to snag into the surrounding skin as they grow out.
Curving the corners too much - Ideally, you should avoid cutting back the corners on your toenails like you would with your fingernails.
To help avoid ingrown toenails, you should aim to cut your nails about even with the tip of the toe, making sure they are cut in a relatively straight line from corner to corner. Furthermore, it is beneficial to use a devout toenail clipper with longer, wider arms in order to achieve a cleaner cut. Finally, toenails should be trimmed whilst dry to reduce the risk of tearing.
You just have curvy nails
This may be the most unfortunate circumstance, many individuals who frequently experience the grief of ingrown toenails have naturally curvy nails. Sadly, curvy nails always find their way to the soft surrounding flesh repeatedly.
How can you break the cycle?
The best solution to ingrown toenails is to book an appointment with a comprehensive foot centre just like The Foot Company; any person suffering from ingrown toenails will be quickly relieved. We can numb your toe and gently cut away your ingrown nail; you’ll be bandaged up and ready to go in no time.