How to cut your toenails correctly
This is the most practical part of the material, and it's worth going through it step by step. Toenails are cut differently than on the hands, and it is the transfer of the “manicure” habit to the feet that creates the problem.
- Стричь строго по прямой линии, поперёк пластины, а не полукругом.
- Углы не скруглять и не выстригать — они должны оставаться на месте и опираться на валик снаружи, а не уходить под него.
- Оставлять свободный край длиной 1–2 миллиметра: слишком коротко подстриженный ноготь позволяет валику надвинуться на ложе.
- Пользоваться прямыми кусачками или ножницами с ровными лезвиями, а не изогнутыми маникюрными.
- Острые углы после стрижки не срезать, а слегка сгладить пилкой, не меняя формы края.
- Стричь после душа, когда пластина мягче, и никогда не «доковыривать» край инструментом под валиком.
The second most common question is what to do if the edge already hurts and is in the way right now. The answer, contrary to intuition, is the same: do not cut it. A pad is carefully placed between the plate and the roller, the pressure is relieved with loose shoes and the nail is allowed to grow straight. The grown smooth edge stops cutting in on its own, but this takes several weeks, and all this time it is important not to break loose and not “cut once” - one such movement returns the situation to the beginning and resets the entire path traveled.
Why it grows in: a complete list of reasons
There is almost always more than one reason. External pressure and the condition of the skin of the roller are added to the irregular shape of the edge, and ingrowth occurs where these circumstances coincide. Knowing the entire list is useful for this reason: by eliminating only the most obvious factor, the problem is often not solved.
- Incorrect haircut with cutting off corners is the leading cause
- Tight and narrow-toed shoes, high heels, shoes that do not fit children
- Increased sweating of the feet: the skin of the roller softens and is easier to pierce
- Finger injury, bruise, falling of a heavy object
- Flat feet and hallux valgus - changes in load distribution
- Fungal infection of the nail: the plate thickens and becomes deformed
- Anatomical features - wide plate, pronounced curvature, large ridges
- Rapid weight gain, swelling, pregnancy
- Some medications that affect nail growth
In teenagers, a combination is added to this, which is especially common: active growth, sweating, sports shoes and the habit of cutting nails short. In the elderly, thickening of the plate and difficulties with independent care due to limited mobility and vision.
A special role is played by the habit of deep treatment of the lateral sinuses during a pedicure: the master cleans out the groove under the roller, the edge temporarily stops interfering, and after a few weeks a spike grows in this place. The mechanism here is exactly the same as when cutting corners at home, it’s just done more carefully and therefore less obvious. If ingrowths recur, talking with a specialist about treatment techniques can be more effective than any treatment.
Stages and when it’s time to see a doctor
- Первая: боль при надавливании и в обуви, лёгкое покраснение валика, отделяемого нет. На этом этапе помогают коррекция стрижки и подологические методики.
- Вторая: выраженный отёк, покраснение, появляется гнойное отделяемое, боль при ходьбе постоянная.
- Третья: разрастание грануляционной ткани — «дикого мяса» — по краю валика, которое кровоточит и мешает; воспаление становится хроническим.
- Четвёртая: деформация валика и пластины, повторяющиеся обострения, изменения структуры ногтя.
It is worth contacting already at the first stage - not because the condition is dangerous, but because the scope of intervention and recovery time at different stages differ significantly. At home, attempts to “prune it yourself” almost always transfer the first stage to the second.
It is also useful to understand the downside: an ingrown toenail is not a condition that requires an immediate trip to the emergency room. The exception is spreading redness, fever and all situations in people with diabetes and poor circulation in the legs - the days are counting there. In other cases, we are talking about a planned appointment, which simply should not be postponed for months, hoping that “it will grow back and go away on its own.”
What a doctor does: from staples to surgery
The choice of method depends on the stage, shape of the plate, the presence of suppuration and concomitant diseases. General principle: the earlier the treatment, the more gentle the method is possible.
- Podological treatment: careful removal of an ingrown thorn, cleaning the groove, tamponade - a gasket between the plate and the roller, which separates them and relieves pressure
- Corrective systems are metal staples and plates glued or fixed to the nail: they gradually flatten the plate and bring the edges out from under the roller; wear for months, but allow you to do without surgery
- Marginal resection of the nail plate - only the ingrown strip is removed, not the entire nail
- Treatment of the growth zone in the resection area (chemical, electrocoagulation or laser) is a key step that prevents the ingrown edge from growing back
- Removal of excess granulation tissue in the third stage
- Plastic surgery of the nail fold - for severe deformation and repeated relapses
- Treatment of accompanying fungus - without it, the deformed plate will grow back
Marginal resection is performed under local anesthesia and takes little time; You can usually walk on the same day, and restrictions apply to sports, swimming pools and tight shoes for 2–3 weeks. The pain goes away almost immediately after the intervention, although complete regrowth of a smooth edge takes months. It makes sense to check with the doctor in advance whether it is planned to treat the growth zone in the area being removed: it is this stage, and not the instrument or the name of the technique, that determines whether the problem will return in six months.
Special case: diabetes and circulatory disorders
With diabetes, any wound on the nail is not a cosmetic problem, but a potential beginning of a diabetic ulcer. The combination of reduced sensitivity and poor blood flow makes the situation dangerous for two reasons: the person does not feel pain and therefore does not notice inflammation, and healing is slow.
- Do not cut your nails blindly and do not use sharp objects to trim the edges.
- Do not remove the ingrown edge of the house and do not steam your feet in hot water - sensitivity is reduced, it is easy to get burned
- Examine your feet daily, including between your toes, using a mirror if necessary.
- Contact a specialist at the first sign of redness, without waiting for pain and pus
- Wear shoes that fit properly, with wide toes, without internal seams in the pressure area
- Keeping glucose levels under control - healing directly depends on this
The same applies to people with diseases of the arteries of the legs, neuropathy of another nature, and those who receive treatment that reduces immunity. In these groups, an ingrown toenail is treated together with an endocrinologist or vascular specialist, and any intervention is planned taking into account the state of the blood flow.
The good news is that if you have diabetes, ingrown toenails are highly treatable—as long as they are treated early and professionally. Regular podiatric care, when the nails and skin of the feet are treated by a specialist several times a year, for this group of patients is not a luxury or a cosmetic procedure, but a very specific prevention of ulcers and serious complications. In terms of time and money, it is not comparable to treating an existing problem.
Prevention of relapse
- Вернуться к правильной технике стрижки и не делать исключений «один раз, когда мешает».
- Подобрать обувь с достаточной шириной носка; проверять размер у детей каждые несколько месяцев.
- Бороться с потливостью стоп: дышащая обувь, смена носков, средства по рекомендации врача.
- Вылечить грибок ногтей, если он есть — иначе форма пластины останется неправильной.
- При склонности к врастанию наблюдаться у подолога и делать профилактическую обработку, не дожидаясь боли.
- При плоскостопии и деформации первого пальца обсудить ортопедические стельки.
A useful habit is to look once every few months not only at the length of the nail, but also at the shape of its edge. The correct edge appears as a straight line with the corners preserved; if it becomes semicircular again, it means that the cutting technique has quietly returned to its previous state. This is the earliest point at which the situation can be corrected without pain, without a doctor and without cost - simply by letting the nail grow straight.
