How To Fix Ingrown Toenails: 8 Tips To Prevent, Ease & Treat

This pesky nail issue can start small, but grow into a painful and chronic condition if left untreated. The problem is, however, they can be hard to treat and manage—and often take professional intervention. Here's what to do if you have an ingrown issue or suspect you are developing one. 

In any case, it's best to start remedying the situation right when you suspect you have one or are developing one—as is the case with most things, prevention is easier than treatment: 

Finally, you can get protective inserts or toe separators to help. "[You can use] toe protectors to help separate the toe from hitting the shoes on one side and the adjacent digits on the other side," says Galoyan.

Nadine Abramcyk, owner of New York City–based clean nail salon tenoverten, agrees: "When you overcut the nail at the edges, so they curve down instead of being straight across, you create the opportunity for the nail to grow into the skin."

If you've kept bad toenail habits for too long, you can try to coax your nails back to health with this toenail trick from Abramyck. "Right in the middle of the nail, just file down a little bit. Think of a heart—you know how it has a little divot in the center? Like that." Take your nail file at a 30-degree angle and work down no more than a centimeter. Regularly flip the sides of the file so you get an even divot. "This tricks your nail into growing toward the middle rather than out into the skin," she says. Then, when your nails grow out enough, you can trim them straight across again, sans divot. This way you're not always walking around with a mini triangle in your nail.

Let's say you're too late on prevention. What's next? "When an ingrown nail occurs, you can't really stop it from growing in per se, but you can sometimes prevent infection by soaking the toe or toes in Epsom salts mixed with lukewarm water," says Cohen. The footbath will help relieve some of the pain associated with severe ingrowns. 

Apple cider vinegar is an at-home multitasker that makes for a soothing antibacterial treatment to help stave off infection. Brew an apple cider vinegar foot bath, and let your toes soak. As a bonus, the foot soak may help with other common foot conditions like athlete's foot or just general odor. 

Despite your best efforts, ingrowns can easily become irritated and inflamed, so be sure to tend to it with an antibacterial ointment to kill the infection-causing bacteria; Cohen says to do this twice a day. If you are one to stick to natural formulas only, don't worry, there are plenty of natural antibacterial creams available: Curoxen is a popular organic and derm-recommended choice. 

We know how tempting it can be to pick and prod at these sorts of issues. It's so tempting to whip out tweezers or clippers and get to work. If you get one piece of advice from this story: Don't do it. "One should never try to perform 'bathroom surgery' by attempting to remove the ingrown portion of the nail," says Cohen. "This can lead to infection and even more serious complications if the person has underlying medical issues, such as diabetes or poor circulation." 

"It's important to see a podiatrist as soon as possible if an ingrown toenail is painful or becomes infected. Signs of infection include pain, redness, swelling, and pus coming from the corner of the nail. Ingrown toenails can be easily treated by a podiatrist using a minor in-office procedure," Cohen says. 

When it comes to ingrown toenails, prevention is the best medicine. Always adhere to proper nail hygiene and look at your footwear (especially workout sneaks). If an ingrown does become an issue—it happens!—make sure it doesn't get infected, and visit a podiatrist to help.