How to ease the pain of a ingrown toenail?

Man, walking around college with an ingrown toenail is literal torture. I just wore open sandals instead of sneakers for a week to avoid any pressure on the big toe. That and warm water soaks helped it heal up fine.

I am so scared of getting a bone infection from an ingrown nail, the redness looks so scary. Please make sure you don't try to dig into the nail with dirty nail cutters or scissors at home. If it is leaking any fluid or pus, please see a doctor immediately.

I couldn't even walk to my favourite street food joint yesterday because of my swollen toe! To ease the pain so I could eat in peace, I put a tiny piece of clean cotton under the nail edge after a warm soak to keep it from digging into the skin.

I had a painful ingrown toenail last winter. I just kept the toe clean, applied some antiseptic cream my sister had, and wore loose slippers. It took about a week, but the pain gradually faded once the nail grew out a bit.

My general surgeon told me that trying bathroom surgery on an ingrown nail usually introduces bacteria and leads to cellulitis. If the toe is red, hot, and swollen, you might need a minor, painless clinic procedure to remove the offending nail border under local anesthesia.

Don't stress too much, it is super common and easily fixable! Just soak your foot in warm water to ease the pain, and let it breathe. Avoid wearing those tight boots or heels for a few days and you will be absolutely fine.