6 Sure-Fire Home Remedies for Ingrown Toenail

Home remedies for ingrown toenail: An ingrown toenail is caused by the pressure of a nail digging into the skin of the toe. When the nail breaks through the skin, the resultant is an inflammation. Scientifically called onychocryptosis, ingrown nails are a painful ordeal, and if you’re someone who has or is currently suffering from the same, you’ll echo what I just said. Before we move on to the home remedies for ingrown toenail, here is what you should know to learn more about the condition.

It usually starts off as a minor discomfort which most people shrug off as something that will go away by itself. Once the discomfort progresses, it is accompanied by infections which is when it becomes slightly difficult to heal. The signs of an infection include redness, and swelling around the nail alongside pus and a watery discharge that is tinged with blood.

There are a number of factors which aggravate the condition such as the following:

Wearing ill-fitted shoes.
Pressure on the feet
Poor foot hygiene
Curved toenails
Sports such as soccer, tennis and so on.

Diabetes, arthritis, and obesity are also conditions that make healing ingrown nails all the more difficult. Warm, moist environments are the ideal breeding grounds for bacteria and fungi. Ingrown toenails can be treated at home, but should an infection develop, it is best you consult a physician.

Here are some home remedies for ingrown toenail that are bound to put you out of your misery.

6 Sure-Fire Home Remedies for Ingrown Toenail

1. Apple Cider Vinegar

Apple cider vinegar is antiseptic and anti-inflammatory as well as acidic in nature which prevents infection. To this impressive list of properties is added yet another- antibacterial properties which keeps the area clean as and when it heals.

Here are a few ways in which you can use apple cider vinegar for ingrown nail:

Add a quarter of raw unfiltered apple cider vinegar to a bath of warm water.
Soak the ingrown toenail in this solution for thirty minutes.
Soon after, dry your foot and repeat this process twice or thrice a day.

Alternatively,

Soak a cotton ball in raw unfiltered apple vinegar.
Place this on the ingrown toenail and cover it up with a bandage.
Allow this to sit for about two or three hours before removing.

You could also drink a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar diluted with eight ounces of water twice a day.

2. Turmeric

Turmeric has a wide variety of benefits that you can benefit from due to the presence of a compound called curcumin. This offers properties that are anti-inflammatory, antibacterial and antiseptic in nature, making turmeric one of the best home remedies for ingrown toenail. Turmeric is great to relieve the discomfort associated with an ingrown toenail thereby decreasing pain, swelling and inflammation.

There are a few options for you when it comes to turmeric powder including the following:

Mix half teaspoon of turmeric powder in mustard oil so as to make a paste.
Rub this paste on the affected areas and cover up with a bandage.
Repeat this process twice a day.

Remedy II

You could also use an antibiotic cream which contains curcumin and apply it onto the affected areas. Be sure to bandage the toe soon after.

Remedy III

You can also consume turmeric directly to reduce inflammation and swelling. Add a teaspoon of turmeric to a glass of warm water and consume it.

Related: How to get rid of smelly feet?

3. Epsom salt

Epsom salt or magnesium sulfate, to the chemists, is a drying agent which helps to soothe and heal the skin. Of the many health benefits that it has to offer is the role it plays as a disinfectant which will help heal the ingrown nail completely. It softens the skin around the area and also makes it easier to draw out the ingrown nail.

In order to use Epsom Salt, combine a tablespoon of it in a bath of warm water.

Soak your foot in this for about twenty or thirty minutes.
Soon after, be sure to dry your feet completely.
Repeat this process three or four times a week until the area is healed completely.

4. Hydrogen Peroxide

Hydrogen peroxide is an effective disinfectant that lowers the risk of infection. It also aids in alleviating pain and inflammation that is associated with ingrown toenails.

For one of the easiest home remedies for ingrown toenail, follow this:

Mix a half cup of hydrogen peroxide in a tub of warm water.
Soak the affected toenail in this solution for roughly twenty minutes.
Repeat this process once or twice a day.

5. White flower oil

White flower oil is an age-old home remedy to get rid of ingrown toenail which heals the pain associated with the same. The oil is essentially an amalgamation of several essential oils including the likes of lavender, peppermint and eucalyptus oil. Apply white flower oil to the affected areas to reduce any infection that might surface.

Soak a cotton ball in white flower oil.
Gently rub this around the affected areas.
Try to stay away from directly applying it on the ingrown nail.

6. Oregano Oil

Oregano oil when combined with an effective carrier oil can make one of the most effective home remedies for ingrown toenail. Be sure that you procure good quality oregano oil, particularly one that has been produced from wild oregano. This has therapeutic properties to offer in addition to its antibacterial properties. It is said that oregano oil is equivalent to antibiotics when it comes to treating ingrown nails. Also, oregano oil is antioxidant, antifungal, anti-inflammatory and pain relieving in nature, so it’s bound to be your go-to remedy when all else fails.

For this remedy:

Add a teaspoon of oregano essential oil to a tub of warm water,
Soak your feet in this for twenty or thirty minutes.

Another remedy entails the use of oregano oil with a carrier oil such as olive oil.

For this remedy:

Dilute a drop of oregano essential oil with a teaspoon of extra virgin olive oil.
Directly place this onto the affected areas.

Be sure to consult a physician if your condition doesn’t improve over time. These home remedies for ingrown toenail are found effective in the nascent stages of the condition. Before you proceed to leave it unattended, be sure that you watch out for the symptoms and act immediately should any discomfort prevail.