Ingrown toenails can be a very painful condition, and if you suffer from them repeatedly, it is important to seek help from a podiatrist or chiropodist to find out what is going wrong. However, you can help to prevent ingrown toenails by taking simple measures at home, and this will help to keep your feet feeling great every day.
How to Prevent Ingrown Toenails
Protect your toes. Injuries to the toes can cause damage, pain and even ingrown toenails. Take care to ensure that you always wear good shoes that protect your feet, and never risk walking in a hazardous environment such as a building site without heavy-duty footwear. Shoes like flip flops do not offer adequate protection for feet, so risk of injury is higher if wearing these.- Don’t restrict your feet. Tight fitting footwear, including socks and tights, can restrict the blood flow to your feet and increase the pressure on them. Anything that causes your feet to roll inwards as you walk, such as if you have flat feet, will put extra pressure on the sides of your toenails, making ingrown toenails more likely.
- Wear good shoes. Don’t be tempted to compromise on quality when you are choosing shoes, and always have your shoes professionally fitted. Never wear shoes that crush the toes together or put pressure on the toes, since this can lead to bunions, hammertoes and ingrown toenails. Visit a specialist shoe store such as Foot Solutions to try a variety of comfortable, stylish shoes and speak to an expert fitter, who can give you more advice on preventing ingrown toenails.
- Cut toenails carefully. Ideally, you should use toenail clippers to cut your toenails, and disinfect these between uses. Cut toenails straight across, as shaping them can lead to ingrown nails. Toenails that are cut too short are more likely to cause problems, so try to keep them in line with the toes themselves.
- Protect your cuticles. Cuticles are intended to protect the nails against fungus and bacteria, which can cause painful infections. Push cuticles back gently when you are giving your feet some TLC at home, and if you have regular pedicures, ask that your cuticles are pushed back rather than cut to avoid damage.
Find Stylish Shoes to Relieve Foot Pain in Ireland
When you’re searching for comfortable shoes in Ireland, you won’t have to compromise on style, because Foot Solutions offers a wide range of options for work, training or casual wear. Our new ranges of sandals are guaranteed to have your feet feeling great this year, and we are always available to help you to find the very best options for your feet.
