What Doctors Don't Tell YouA surprisingly few responses for this very common complaint. Regularly disinfect the affected area until the nail has grown out, then simply trim it off, says one reader. To keep the nail clean, she suggests using a nail file to force sterile cotton under the nail, then soaking it with iodine. As painful as jamming cotton wool into your nail with a sharp implement sounds, it actually sounds quite tolerable when compared with a nail wedge resection. This surgical procedure involves the removal of a small section of nail right down to the nail bed on the affected side. One reader admitted succumbing to this surgery after years of suffering from recurring ingrown toenails. As advocates of alternative medicine, WDDTY cannot resist giving this reader a proverbial slap on the wrist, but at least it worked for him _ he hasn’t had any trouble with ingrown toenails for the last 30 years. As prevention is always better than cure, an obvious suggestion (but one that is repeatedly ignored) to stop ingrown toenails is to wear proper fitting shoes. Ill-fitting shoes, as do too-tight socks or tights, put pressure on the toenails, writes one reader. Make sure you have plenty of room over the toes, loosen socks/tights several times during the day and go barefoot whenever possible.
Daniel Redwood DC
Tom Ferguson MD
