What if the nail grows on the leg?

Ingrown nail - is not only ugly, but also painful and even dangerous. We will talk about what to do when the nail grows on the big toe - how to treat it at home.

What is ingrown nail

This disease is characterized by infiltration of the free edge of the nail plate in the skin, usually on the sides, but sometimes in the middle. Usually ingrown nail occurs in the big toe, but can disturb and hands. The problem is compounded by the fact that it can be seen at once. Because it helps to understand why the nail can grow and how it manifests itself.

Causes of

The most common causes of ingrown toenails are an inability to properly trim the nails and the wrong choice of footwear. Shoes smaller size, with a tapered toe or heel too high forces to press the nail to the skin. Shoes will be closed during the warm period was also affected negatively. However, there are several factors:

Heredity. If among older relatives were cases ingrown nail, it should seriously consider the possibility of damage to the fingers and at home. In this case, be sure to comply with preventative measures, which we describe below.
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Fungal infection. It violates the structure of the nail plate, but because it can lead to ingrown.
Flat feet or foot deformation.
Trauma or finger nails.
Predisposition. This may be excessive rounding of the nail plate, increased skin roller around the nail or similar feature physiology.

disease stage

As already mentioned, at the beginning of the development of the disease, people often overlooked symptoms occur. However, with each subsequent stage problem becomes more explicit:

Stage 1 - the skin around the nail reddens and swells, touch in this area are painful;
Stage 2 - due to the fact that the nail cuts into the skin deeper, there are blood and pus caused by infection;
Stage 3 - there is a seal and ingrown nail deformity, affecting the bone tissue, which makes the process irreversible and the disease becomes chronic.

In the transition to a chronic status cure nail completely impossible, relapses often occur. Most often, such a risk exists in patients with diabetes, which may even get gangrene. Changing stages of the disease in such people is much faster, so they should pay attention to the slightest discomfort.

diagnosing

When a person is suspected to ingrown nail on the big toe, he should immediately go for a visit to the surgeon. There is no doubt in the decision to seek help from a specialist, if the skin is reddened, and oozing pus from the wound. The hospital must pass these tests:

CBC - to determine the degree of inflammation in the body;
analysis of blood sugar - is necessary in order to avoid diabetes, entailing serious consequences.

Additionally, you may need x-rays of the foot, allowing to exclude deeper lesions of bone tissue. Also for analysis can be taken scrapings from the affected area.

treatments

After specialist pinpointed ingrown nail, it can offer several ways to treat it. It can be carried out both in hospital and at home. Next, we will tell about all the available methods for treating ingrown nail on the big toe and not only.

acrylic correction

This method of treatment is the most preventive measure to prevent ingrown nail in the skin. Carried ingrown nail correction acrylic once every six months and is the usual capacity. Acrylic lifts the corners of the nail plate, thereby not allowing them to penetrate into the skin. As a result, the discomfort disappears, and there is a neat pedicure. Acrylic has a large shrinkage, so is better suited in this case, although the use of the gel as a material for building is also permissible.

pedicure

This procedure is not only for those who want to get beautiful legs. With its help you can also rectify the situation with ingrown toenails. Pedicure is of two kinds:

Cosmetic. Anyone can perform a pedicure master who knows how to operate the machine.
Medical. Master must have a medical degree and be able to set the plate or brackets.

People who have a predisposition to ingrown nails, periodic cosmetic hardware pedicure is a must. The skin is softened by special means, and themselves nail plates are polished by different nozzles. With their help, rough skin is removed, and the ingrown portion of the nail carefully cut away.

This correction allows to rectify the direction of nail growth. But do it can only be a first step until problem area has not festered.

correction plates

This method can also be called a medical pedicure, but usually say that it is - the correction of ingrown nail plates. Depending on the individual characteristics of the client can be used plates or poluskoby staples made of different materials. Using them will make sense in the early stages of the disease.

For correction of ingrown nail such materials are used:

Podofiks plate - made from a special plastic, it helps correct the twisted nails instantly removes painful sensations;
Kombiped bracket - one end is fixed at one angle of the nail, and the second surface is adhered to the nail (nail helps align with only one end);
Oniclip plate - controls the pressure on the nail, thereby allowing it to grow, can be used after removal of the nail;
goldshpanga plate gold - gold-plated jewelery made of steel, is adhered to the nail in severe cases.

Table "General characteristics of plates and braces for correction of ingrown nail"

Laser correction

When you want to get great results quickly, expecting the least additional damage, have the support of laser correction of ingrown nail. However, should such a procedure is quite a lot of money.

Attracted to this method is also the moment that there is no need to completely remove the affected nail - Ingrown laser processed only part of it. But if the nail or the skin is inflamed around it, first you need a little bit to heal. The procedure itself is virtually painless and does not take much time.

After completely removes ingrown part of the nail, it begins to grow more slowly, and therefore the re-growth is extremely rare.

Laser correction of ingrown nail has a generally positive feedback, as finger after it retains an aesthetic appearance, the skin is practically not touched and bleeds, and return to normal life is possible in a few days. Full recovery period takes between one to two months, and may be accompanied by unpleasant sensation to the wound. An added bonus to this correction is to destroy the fungal infection.

However, this method also has some contraindications:

tissue damage foot;
diabetes;
poor blood clotting.

Video «laser correction of ingrown nail"

Procedure for the treatment of ingrown toenail laser is presented in the video.

Radio wave therapy

This method of getting rid of ingrown nail too concerns painless. It does not require any special preparation procedures and has practically no contraindications. It is not necessary to use radio waves to people with diabetes, or poor blood clotting. Radio wave therapy is possible at any stage of ingrown nail.

Steps a correction:

local anesthesia;
partial cutting of a nail laterally scalpel;
processing growing zone nail special nozzles;
coagulation of tissue (the processing for blood clotting);
if necessary, processing radio waves and tumor growths on the skin;
conducting antiseptic procedures in the treated area;
overlaying bandage.

Thereafter, the patient is sent home, where he alone will have a couple of times in 4 days to change the bandage. After this period, the treated area is usually the finger has healed. During this time, there is no need to somehow take care of themselves or suffer pain. Furthermore, only 1 of 10 patients, it may again face the ingrown nail on that finger.

However, there is therapy and one major drawback - the wrong choice of wavelengths can lead to the development of the disease. That is why it is not necessary to apply untested specialist. It must be quite professional in order to make the right choice, depending on the degree of neglect.

Surgical removal

If the ingrown nail is up and the skin around it beginning to fester, it makes sense to remove the cause of suffering completely. After a course of intervention completely designed and selected anesthesia, preoperative preparation begins.

Consider the whole process step by step:

Preoperative preparation. 2 weeks before the surgery necessary to begin to fully eat, use antibiotics, as well as daily take foot baths with antiseptic properties, while used for washing only antibacterial soap. All this time, anticoagulants and alcohol are prohibited. Additionally, you must purchase a convenient and does not compress the foot shoes.
Operation. At the time of the procedure affects the level of difficulty, on average, it runs 20-30 minutes. It begins with anesthesia, which applies a local anesthetic. Then the process of removing the nail itself and coagulation of the treated area. At the end necessarily imposed tight bandage, and then you can go home.
Post-operative care. No matter what your finger was operated body (legs or arms), applying the patch is removed after a couple of days. When it is removed, the finger is washed under running water with antibacterial soap then necessary to apply an antibiotic ointment. Repeat this step for 5 days. If necessary, it can be assigned the additional use of antibiotics and analgesics. Heal the wound will be from 2 to 3 weeks, after which it is required to show the surgeon. If everything is fine, it will revert to the usual rhythm of life.

After complete removal of the nail possibility of recurrence is only possible in 10% of cases. Higher chance to get into the interest in athletes and dancers, diabetics and the elderly. And if the latter simply increases the healing time, the first will have to either give up the profession, or use radio frequency therapy.

Getting rid of ingrown toenail at home

The first stage of ingrown nail allows not to seek help from a specialist, thus not spending money or time. Next we will talk about how to treat ingrown nail at home:

We tell you about some of the tools that can help get rid of the problems on their own:

Salt, or rather salt baths. No need to look for sea salt, fit and cooking, to which you can add a couple drops of iodine, if desired. These baths are aimed at softening the nail plate and the skin around it, and still do an excellent job with inflammation.
Aloe juice. One leaf pounded mixed with 20-30 drops of pure water until smooth. When the mixture is ready, it is placed in a bandage, which then turns into a sore thumb. For greater effect, food film is applied over the bandage. Is a compress on the night, in the morning once a piece of the nail is cut.
Furatsilin. Its application will be useful when the wound begins to fester. To get rid of it, you must do the bath of warm water and medicines - 1 tablet per liter of liquid.
Birch mushroom. It must be cut primotat to the patient's finger and leave overnight. It will not only soften the nail plate, but also to reduce pain.
Vishnevsky ointment. It should just put on a night to soften the nail.
Onion and honey. Of honey mix with chopped onion, and the mixture is spread on a piece of gauze. At this time, the legs need to make a soda bath. Then make a compress, wrapped it with cling film (plastic bag) and put on top of the sock, leave overnight. In the morning it will be easy to free ingrown nails and cut the corner.

Apart from the various baths and lotions, we can use the same trick - a little cut down the center of the nail. This will allow him to put his strength to the thickening of this particular area, and will also reduce the pressure on the corners.

preventive measures

In order not to suffer from ingrown nails and spend money for treatment, it is necessary to start to take care of their fingers in advance. It's enough to follow these guidelines:

often walking in shoes with a low heel, from the high it is better to give up;
do not wear shoes is not the size;
every day you need to give your legs a rest and a couple of hours to go completely barefoot;
do not forget about hygiene and wash your feet every day with soap and water;
try to minimize the number of injuries;
avoid sudden changes in weight;
learn how to trim nails properly;
when any suspicion of ingrown nail to see a doctor.

To nails to be trimmed correctly, you should do it like this:

fingers and tools should be well treated with an antiseptic;
legs too should wash with soap and water;
not be cut dry nails;
scissors desirable to select a manicure, but with straight ends;
clipped nails are not at the root;
the form must be rounded to the corners;
If sharp corners are obtained, they can be neatly treat nail file.