What should I do if my toenails keep growing into the flesh?

A netizen asked: My toenails always grow into the flesh, especially on both sides of my big toe. It takes a lot of effort to trim them every time and it always hurts.

If you don't trim it in time, it will become red and swollen, and it will hurt when you press it. When you pick out the nail that has grown into the flesh, it will even cause pus to flow. How should I deal with this situation?

The condition of toenails growing into the flesh is medically known as "ingrown toenails". It is caused by the toenails being cut too short and the tight shoes being worn compressing and irritating the toes.

Generally speaking, mild ingrown toenails, that is, those that only cause mild to moderate pain, a small amount of erythema, and no obvious exudate, can be treated with mild conservative treatment - cotton padding, that is, placing cotton on the affected nail for treatment.

Your symptoms are caused by paronychia caused by ingrown toenail, and there is already redness, swelling, tenderness, and pus discharge, which is already a serious situation. Therefore, padding with cotton is no longer helpful. It is recommended to seek medical treatment as soon as possible and perform surgery to remove it if necessary.

Local anesthesia is usually used during surgical nail removal to relieve pain. After the nail removal, as long as the nail bed is not damaged, a new toenail will grow quickly, so there is no need to be too afraid or worried.

But remember to trim your nails properly afterwards:

At least 1 mm of white part should be left at the front end and trimmed into a square shape rather than a circle.

Be sure to use clean nail clippers, preferably for one person only to avoid cross infection.

After trimming, use a file to trim the edges of the nails to avoid irritating the surrounding skin.

Wear appropriate shoes and socks at ordinary times and keep your feet clean and dry.