Lifestyle and home remedies - Ingrown Toe Nail

You can treat most ingrown toenails at home.

Here's how:

Soak your feet. Do this for 15 to 20 minutes three times a day in warm water. Soaking reduces swelling and relieves tenderness.

Place cotton under your toenail. Put fresh bits of cotton under the ingrown edge after each soaking. This will help the nail eventually grow above the skin edge.

Change the cotton daily until the pain and redness subside.

Use a topical antibiotic. Apply an antibiotic ointment and bandage the tender area.

Choose sensible footwear. Consider wearing open-toed shoes or sandals until your toe feels better.

Take pain relievers. If there's severe pain, take over-the-counter pain relievers, such as acetaminophen (Tylenol, others) or ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB, others) to relieve the pain until you can make an appointment with your doctor.

Check your feet. If you have diabetes, check your feet daily for signs of ingrown toenails or other foot problems.