How did this happen? The Ingrown Catastrophe.

Kevin McCallister, fire ants, paper cuts, little toes, puppy teeth, grass burs. What do these things have in common? They are tiny objects that can cause a lot of pain. I dont care how big and tough you think you are, but when you kick your little toe, tears will swell in your eyes as you curl up into the fetal position. Classic little object causing great pain.

Toenails, specifically ingrown, can be extremely debilitating. What causes them and how can I keep from getting them?

Causes:

Improper trimming

Most people clip their nails haphazardly, leaving jagged edges. Many choose a more barbaric method by ripping them off with their fingers, and yes, some with teeth..you know who you are. With improper trimming, you can split the nail, leaving tiny splinters that dig and cut into the soft tissue as the nail grows. Pain follows and most of the time you will dig out what can be seen with pain relief. What you fail to understand is that the splinter was not fully removed AND the nail is much wider than what you actually see. So, as time passes the splinter once again cuts into the soft tissue, and the cycle begins.

Trauma

It is what it is. Whether its from dropping a can peaches on your toe, kicking your toe on the bed post, having a 5 year old stomp on it, or constant rubbing from shoe gear, damage to the borders of the nail can lead to an ingrown nail.

Heredity

If ever there was time to go on Maurie Povich or Jerry Springer, this would be it. The blame game is upon you. Its just a matter of who you choose to blame: father/mother, grandfather/grandmother, etc.

When all is said and done, sometimes an ingrown nail cannot be avoided. However, instead of trying to manage the problem yourself, please know there are professionals who do this on a daily basis. If you have an ingrown nail, please make an appointment with Dr. Bowman by calling Houston Foot Specialists at 713-467-8886 or visit us online.

Category: Nail Problems

Tags: Improper Trimming, Ingrown Toenails, Nail Care, Nail Injury, Nail Problems, Toe Injury