If you have an ingrown toenail, the first step is soaking your foot in warm water with Epsom salt several times a day, keeping the area clean, and wearing shoes that don’t press on the toe. Most mild ingrown toenails resolve within a few weeks with consistent home care. If you notice pus, increasing redness, or pain that isn’t improving, you’ll need professional treatment.
Start With Warm Soaks
Warm water soaks soften the skin around the nail and reduce swelling, making it easier for the nail to eventually grow past the skin fold. Mix 1 to 2 tablespoons of unscented Epsom salt into one quart of warm water and soak your foot for 15 minutes. Do this several times a day for the first few days, then once or twice daily as the pain eases.
After each soak, dry your foot thoroughly and apply a thin layer of over-the-counter antibiotic ointment to the affected area. Cover the toe with a small bandage to protect it. Between soaks, keep your foot clean and dry. Moisture trapped against the skin invites bacteria, which is exactly what you’re trying to avoid.
Gently Lift the Nail Edge
Once the skin is soft from soaking, you can try to guide the nail corner so it grows over the skin rather than into it. Take a short strip of dental floss or fishing line and carefully slip it under the corner of the nail, then lift the nail upward. If possible, wedge a tiny piece of cotton from a cotton ball under the nail corner to keep it elevated. Replace the cotton after every soak so it stays clean.
This technique works best for mild cases where the nail has just started to dig in. If the area is too swollen or painful to get underneath the nail, don’t force it. Aggressive digging with tools or your fingers can break the skin and introduce infection.
Choose the Right Footwear
Tight shoes are one of the most common reasons ingrown toenails develop or get worse. While you’re treating one, switch to open-toed sandals or shoes with a wide toe box that don’t press against the nail. Even a half day in narrow shoes can undo the progress you’ve made with soaking and lifting. If your job requires closed-toe shoes, look for styles with extra room in the front.
Recognize Signs of Infection
An ingrown toenail that’s simply irritated will be tender and slightly red. An infected one escalates. Watch for these warning signs:
- Pus or liquid draining from the side of the nail
- Redness or darkening that spreads beyond the immediate nail area
- Significant swelling that makes the toe look puffy or distorted
- Warmth or heat radiating from the toe
- Increasing pain that doesn’t respond to soaking or over-the-counter pain relievers
If you’ve been doing consistent home care for several days and the pain, redness, or swelling is still getting worse, or if you see pus, it’s time to get it looked at. Either your primary care provider or a podiatrist can diagnose and treat an ingrown toenail. There’s no need for a specialist referral first.
Special Risks for Diabetes and Poor Circulation
If you have diabetes, peripheral neuropathy (nerve damage in the feet), or any condition that reduces blood flow to your legs and feet, an ingrown toenail carries higher stakes. Poor circulation slows healing and makes infections harder to fight. Nerve damage can mask pain, so you may not realize how severe the problem has become.
People in this category should not attempt extended home treatment. Check your feet daily for early signs of ingrown nails or skin changes, and contact your provider promptly if you spot one. If you have trouble trimming your own nails safely, regular visits to a podiatrist for nail care can prevent the problem from starting in the first place. Take extra care with shoe fit too: if you can’t fully feel pressure on your toes, you may be wearing shoes that are too tight without realizing it.
What Happens at a Medical Visit
When home care isn’t enough, providers have a range of options depending on severity. For a mildly ingrown nail, your provider may lift the nail edge and tape it or place a small splint underneath to redirect growth. These are quick, in-office techniques that cause minimal discomfort.
For nails that keep recurring or are significantly embedded, partial nail removal is the standard procedure. The provider numbs your toe with a local anesthetic, then removes the strip of nail that’s digging into the skin. In most cases, this is combined with a chemical treatment applied to the root of the removed section so that strip of nail doesn’t grow back. This chemical approach has a success rate above 95%, with recurrence rates between roughly 1% and 4%. The procedure causes minimal bleeding and isn’t significantly disfiguring: the nail looks slightly narrower afterward, but most people don’t notice a major cosmetic difference.
Recovery After a Procedure
If part of your nail was removed, expect the toe to take six to eight weeks to fully heal. Full nail removal, which is less common, takes eight to ten weeks. You can return to most normal activities within a few days, but there are some limits during healing. Avoid swimming until the wound has closed, and hold off on strenuous exercise or sports. Wear shoes with enough room that nothing presses on the healing toe. Tight footwear during recovery is one of the easiest ways to set yourself back.
Your provider will give you specific wound care instructions, but the basics involve keeping the area clean, changing dressings regularly, and watching for any signs that infection has developed at the surgical site.
Preventing Recurrence
The way you trim your toenails has a direct impact on whether ingrown nails come back. Cut your toenails straight across, leaving them long enough that the corners sit loosely against the skin at the sides. Don’t round the edges, don’t cut them into a V-shape, and don’t trim them too short. When nails are cut very short or curved at the corners, the skin at the edge folds over as the nail grows, giving it a path to dig in.
Use whichever tool you’re most comfortable with: nail clippers, scissors, or a file all work. The technique matters more than the tool. If your nails are thick or hard to cut, trimming them right after a shower or bath, when they’re softer, makes a cleaner cut easier. Pair good trimming habits with shoes that give your toes room, and most people won’t deal with a second ingrown nail.