Firstly, learn to cut your nails properly. Nail cutters aren’t a good idea because the curved cutting edge can cut the flesh, and nail scissors can slip. It’s best to use nail nippers (available from chemists) because they have a smaller cutting blade but a longer handle. Cut your nails straight across and don’t cut too low at the edge or down the side. The corner of the nail should be visible above the skin. Also, cut them after a bath or shower when the nail is much softer. Healthline has strict sourcing guidelines and relies on peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical associations. We avoid using tertiary references. You can learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate and current by reading our editorial policy. Pharmacists, pharmacy teams and healthcare professionals should advise patients to wear well-fitting shoes, cut nails straight across and promote good foot hygiene practices (see Box 2). Treatment

BMJ Group and Pharmaceutical Press. British National Formulary 72. September 2016–March 2017. British Medical Association and Royal Pharmaceutical Society. ISBN: 978 0 85711 273 6 Soak them first. Softer nails are easier to trim. Take a bath or shower or soak the nails in warm water for a few minutes before trimming them. Around half of verrucae in children disappear on their own within a year, and two-thirds resolve within two years, but they can take many years to resolve in adults (see Infographic). Hallux valgus (HV), often referred to as a bunion, is a common and progressive deformity of the first metatarsophalangeal joint. A 2008 UK study reported a prevalence of 28.4% in adults [39] Patients should be referred to their GP if there has been no improvement after one week of treatment. However, depending on the product used, treatments can sometimes take longer than one week to work. Verrucae and warts

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If you experience any foot care issues that do not resolve themselves naturally or through routine foot care within three weeks, you should seek the help of a healthcare professional.

The pain is due to footwear pressure over the bunion prominence, and to the abnormal alignment at themetatarsophalangeal joint, resulting in inflammation of the joint and pain. This can also lead to excessive lateral loading of the metatarsal heads and associated lesser toe deformities. Your doctor will use either a heated electrical device called a cautery or an acidic solution such as phenol or trichloroacetic acid to disrupt the nail matrix from which your nail grows. This stops your nail from bleeding. It also means that section of your nail likely won’t regrow. If it does regrow, your nail may look differently than it did before surgery.

For any abrasion, area of redness or unusual sensation, tenderness or pain that patients do not know the cause of, or if pain does not go away on its own, patients should be referred to a physician or foot specialist. Shemer A, Trau H, Davidovici B et al. Onychomycosis: rationalization of topical treatment. Isr Med Assoc J 2008;10(6):415–416. PMID: 18669135

Topical salicylic acid (15–50% w/w), applied to the wart daily for 12 weeks, is the treatment of choice for adults and older children. Its exact mechanism of action is not known but it acts as a keratolytic, resulting in the removal of epidermal cells infected by HPV [29] Nguygen NV & Burkhart CG. Cryosurgical treatment of warts: dimethyl ether and propane versus liquid nitrogen — case report and review of the literature. J Drugs Dermatol 2011;10(10):1174–1176. PMID: 21968668Sometimes, it is too difficult to insert a piece of cotton under the nail. In these cases, it may be easier to use waxed dental floss.