2 Ways To Reduce The Chance Of Ingrown Toenails
by Linda Lopez
Ingrown toenails are quite painful and can require surgery if they are bad enough. If you want to avoid this problem, then here are 2 ways to reduce the chance of getting ingrown toenails.
Wearing the Right Shoes
First, the types of shoes you wear makes a big difference. If you are a woman and like to wear pointy toe high heels, you are more prone to ingrown toenails because the toes of the shoes are tight and squeeze your toes together.
When this happens, the nail cannot grow up and out, but instead it grows down into the skin. To avoid this problem, wear lower high heels that do not shove your toes down into the fronts of the shoes, and try to wear round toe shoes instead because they are not as narrow and are more comfortable for your feet.
In addition, it is a good idea to wear sandals and comfortable flats that do not squeeze your toes as well. This will allow your nails to grow properly, and you can avoid bunions better as well since the shoes are not squeezing your bones together.
Keeping Round, Long Nails
Second, you need to make sure that your toenails are rounded off when you trim and file them. If you make square edges on your toenails, then the nails are sharper and are better able to dig into your skin.
Keep the corners completely rounded, and this will greatly reduce the chances of getting ingrown toenails. If you notice that your nails are starting to dig down into your skin, lift them on the corners and trim them. This will take off any sharp edges or overgrown edges that are causing the problem.
In addition, try to let your toenails stay a little longer than normal so that they are not short enough to dig into the skin. If the nails are long enough, they should almost reach the ends of your toes. You cannot have much of a problem if the nails are not super short, so even though it may not be ideal, do not cut the white parts of the nails completely off.
By doing these 2 things, you can reduce the chance of getting ingrown toenails. Make sure that you regularly groom your nails as well so that you can check for problems and stop them before they really start. For more tips, contact a clinic such as Better Foot Care.
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About Me
Your feet might not seem like an important part of your personal health and wellness routine, but you would be hard-pressed to work out without them. Unfortunately, many people overlook their foot health, only to end up suffering from debilitating bunions and painful ingrown toenails. A few years ago, I ignored a cut on my foot which eventually turned into a full-blown infection. After a near-amputation, I realized that I needed to start focusing on my whole body. I know that if you can start focusing on your foot health, you can avoid troubling conditions so that you can enjoy your life.