If you have ever had an ingrown toenail, you know how painful it is. A toenail the grows downward and into the skin around the nail bed causes the area to become red, swollen and very tender to the touch. Sometimes you can work the nail out of the skin by soaking the toe in warm water several times a day and gently massaging the nail bed. Often, your podiatrist will have to remove the ingrown toenail. At Dr. Jill’s Foot Pads we have ways to help reduce the pain as your ingrown toenail heals.
Padding Brings Pain Relief
We offer two products that you can use to protect a tender toe. Both are caps that go over the entire toe, cushioning it and preventing painful pressure. One cap is a combination of fabric and gel and the other is an all-gel cap—both are latex free. These caps will relieve pain and allow you to wear shoes and continue with your daily activities until the toe is fully healed. Like all our products, the toe caps were designed by a podiatrist who truly understands the needs of patients with foot pain. You can view the toe caps in our online catalog or contact us for more information.
Avoiding Ingrown Toenails
Some patients are particularly prone to ingrown toenails. The tendency for them can be inherited. They can also be caused by a trauma, repetitive banging of the toe (if you are a runner or soccer player, for example) or if there is another nail condition present, such as a fungal toenail. There are a few steps you can take to help prevent them from occurring:
- Don’t wear shoes that have cramped toe boxes and squeeze toes together for long periods of time.
- Keep nails trimmed straight across and not too short.
- Never file toenails in a rounded shape or with curved edges.
You should also never attempt to cut out an ingrown nail or resort to “folk remedies,” like sticking a piece of cotton under the nail or cutting a notch in it. These just end up causing worse injuries and possibly a secondary infection as well.
You can order our toe caps and other foot pads online or by calling: (866) FOOT-PAD (366-8723). You can also purchase them in our store located in Deerfield Beach, FL.
