How can you prevent ingrowing toenails?
26 Oct 2009

Ingrowing toenails can cause a lot of toe pain and soreness. Getting problems with ingrowing toenails depends partly on the shape of the toenail, but tight shoes and damp, hot feet can make the problem worse.

To prevent ingrowing toenails, the main aim is to get the sides of the toenail to grow out beyond the end of the toe itself, so that the corners cannot dig into skin. This can be difficult with nails that are soft and break easily, especially when nails are softened by being kept moist and hot.

• Do not wear closed shoes, especially joggers or sneakers, unless really needed - take them off as soon as possible after use. Wear sandals, other open shoes or no shoes at all as much as possible.
• When closed shoes need to be worn, make sure the soles are firm, giving protection to the toe, so that the nail is not flexed during running or walking. Flexing can cause the nail to break. Try not to wear shoes made from synthetic materials.
• Avoid wearing synthetic socks which keep feet hot and moist. (Note: there is some disagreement about this, with some people stating that some synthetic socks keep feet drier than cotton or wool socks. The aim is to keep feet, toes and toenails cool and dry. Do what works!!)
• Don't cut the corners of the toenails back. Cutting them back may 'solve' the initial problem, easing the pain, but the problem comes back as the nail grows longer again. Let the nails grow until the corners have grown past the skin of the toe. This may mean lots of holes in socks, but that is better than painful feet!

Some people do not have troubles with ingrowing toenails, because of the shape of their nails. They may be able to get away with breaking these 'rules' - but if your child has troubles with ingrowing toenails, it is really worth trying the things listed above.

For more information about ingrowing toenails, see the topic Ingrowing toenails

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