Ingrowing toe nail /toe infection?

I've suffered from ingrowing toe nails before (I even had two ops on them) so I know how much it can hurt.
The treatment you are giving it, salty water and cream etc sounds perfect to be honest. Its the thing thats best for ingrowing toe nails anyway.
Make sure you bathe it at least once a day, as it should stop it getting so infected.

There could be two main reasons why the skin around your nail is red. Either you cut your nail too sort, or a small peice of nail is sticking out and aggravating the skin.
Try and pull the side of your toe skin away from the nail. Is it pussy? Or bloody? Can you see a peice of nail digging in?

Your doctor will probably try and dislodge any nail poking into the skin if they can see any, and they will probably give you some penicillin etc to fight off the infection. They may then refer you to a Chiropodist if they thing your toenail is ingrowing.

Make sure you do go to your GP as soon as you can and in the meantime keep the toe dressed with melolin dressing and micropore tape.

Thanks for the advice. I think I cut the nail too short and maybe cut the skin while digging around.I can't see anything sticking out of it. I can't see any pus and blood it is just red.

Sorry about the ops. Somone at the gym offered to drop a weight on it today to sort it by bursting it. but I'm not a fan of home surgery I'd rather the docs mess with it.

cut a V in the center at the end of the nail, this stimulates growth away from the sides of the nail,

try not to cut a rounded end to the nail, as this makes the nail growth out towards the sides,

so square end with a V is best,

Sorry about the ops. Somone at the gym offered to drop a weight on it today to sort it by bursting it. but I'm not a fan of home surgery I'd rather the docs mess with it.

I had the same thing, and my dad had the same thing, so bad that he had to have the end of his toe removed and the nail. So i know a few things..

Firstly you're going to need some anti-biotics to tame that infection.

Secondly sterolise everything you use in boiling water.

this is my treatment and it worked, use at your own risk but it's better than any doctor did for me. I couldn't play football for 2 years untill i operated on myself.

Dig under the side of your nail, rip it off the nail bed, carefully, you dont want to break the nail because then you have problems. Now you should see the offending spike. put cotton wool or tissue under the nail to keep it permenantly lifted and cut a V shape into the middle of your nail. let it grow in this new trained fassion.

Eventually the spike will grow far enough forward for you to cut it off with a straight cut across your whole nail. Dont be tempted to cut the spike untill its grown away from your nail bed.

have fun.

This is an extremely painful and dangerous solution. Self-remedies for ingrown toenails are never effective in the long term. As tempting as it is (if you have the balls) digging under the nail to relieve the pressure will not seem like such a good idea a few weeks later (as the OP has noted). I have had the simple surgery (where the offending side of the nail is reduced) and the more complex surgery (where the nail bed itself is removed to stop growth altogether) and the latter is obviously more permanent, but a lot more painful.

Go to the doc's if you haven't already. You might not need the surgery and you'll be able to run again.

Ingrown toenails are a bitch and aren't even always caused by cutting the nail too short. It can be genetic or just caused by sweaty feet in too-tight boots.

Thail, I'm sorry for disagreeing with your method, but you have serious balls and an impeccable immune system.

I run on a regular basis and suffer a bit with my left big toe. Two weeks ago I stubbed my toe while diving. Since then I have had a niggling problem when I execise.


Thinking if I trimmed the nail it might help. I did and had a bloody big dig. Now it is red around the edges of the nail and hurts even more. I feel like a right dumbass. Iam not sure the nail is ingrowing because it doesn't look much differnt to my other toe which is fine. It is just red.

At the mo Iam bathing it in salt water and putting on mag sulphate paste. if it isn't better by tomorrow Iam going to the docs. And other ideas? Because it will be right pain taking time out to sit in the docs surgery.

I run on a regular basis and suffer a bit with my left big toe. Two weeks ago I stubbed my toe while diving. Since then I have had a niggling problem when I execise.


Thinking if I trimmed the nail it might help. I did and had a bloody big dig. Now it is red around the edges of the nail and hurts even more. I feel like a right dumbass. Iam not sure the nail is ingrowing because it doesn't look much differnt to my other toe which is fine. It is just red.

At the mo Iam bathing it in salt water and putting on mag sulphate paste. if it isn't better by tomorrow Iam going to the docs. And other ideas? Because it will be right pain taking time out to sit in the docs surgery.

I've suffered from ingrowing toe nails before (I even had two ops on them) so I know how much it can hurt.
The treatment you are giving it, salty water and cream etc sounds perfect to be honest. Its the thing thats best for ingrowing toe nails anyway.
Make sure you bathe it at least once a day, as it should stop it getting so infected.

There could be two main reasons why the skin around your nail is red. Either you cut your nail too sort, or a small peice of nail is sticking out and aggravating the skin.
Try and pull the side of your toe skin away from the nail. Is it pussy? Or bloody? Can you see a peice of nail digging in?

Your doctor will probably try and dislodge any nail poking into the skin if they can see any, and they will probably give you some penicillin etc to fight off the infection. They may then refer you to a Chiropodist if they thing your toenail is ingrowing.

Make sure you do go to your GP as soon as you can and in the meantime keep the toe dressed with melolin dressing and micropore tape.

I had ingrowing toenails on both feet and the first time I had them removed, but they grew back the same so then I had the sides cut off and they've been fine ever since (but short).