There are many genetic factors that can make you prone to ingrowing toenails, including your posture (the way you stand), your gait (the way you walk) and any foot deformity such as a bunion, hammer toes or excessive pronation of the feet (when your foot rolls inward excessively). Total removal is usually for when your nail is thickened and pressing into the skin surrounding your toe. Tight footwear, hosiery and socks can also push your toe flesh onto the nail so that it pierces the skin.

If you have brittle nails with sharp edges or are in the habit of breaking off bits of nail that are sticking out, you are also more likely to get an ingrowing toenail.

Your nails may also have a natural tendency to splay or curl out instead of growing straight, encouraging your nail to grow outwards or inwards into the flesh. To permanently fix nail growth issues requires learning how to trim your nails, wearing properly fitting footwear, and refraining from activities that cause unnatural nail growth. Toenail brace: This small metal band clamps over the toe like the toenail corrector and also gently pulls the edges of the nail out of the nail folds.

Additionally, this can come about from an underlying health condition such as poor circulation or from something as simple as always wearing nail polish.However, if it’s a corn, you tend to experience a throbbing pain as opposed to the sharp pain you get with an ingrowing toenail. However, if left untreated, infection can develop in the rest of the toe and foot, and in very rare cases get into the blood stream.

We also run down the main types of tools found in a toenail correction kit, so you have a better idea of what you might need. Less common is a fungal infection or in some cases particular types of medication, for example isotretinoin. 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. While toenail growth can be corrected in a number of ways, devices that draw the most attention clamp around the edges of the toe and lift the edges out of the nail folds, gradually correcting the nail’s growth.The best toenail correction tools for you are suited to your particular problem: a nail file alone won’t be much help for an ingrown toenail. Before you are seen by a podiatrist, you can relieve the discomfort by bathing your foot in a salty footbath which helps to prevent infection and reduces inflammation.