How To Prevent Ingrown Toenails

There are some health problems which are never too serious but yet, can cause a fair bit of pain and discomfort. Ingrown toenails are one such condition, wherein your nails grow into the skin in the sides or one side of a nail grows over the side of the skin. When this happens, infection can follow suit and very soon, you may end up at a clinic getting treated for the problem. Therefore it is wiser to prevent ingrown toenails from appearing in the first place. Yes, ingrown toenails can actually be prevented, though not always. For example, if your toenails are large, the problem is congenital and cannot be avoided. Repeated trauma to the toe, which causes the nail to be pitted against skin, may also give rise to this problem. But this problem can be prevented.
If you are developing ingrown toenails due to actions such as running you may be well advised to reduce your exertions or use protective footwear, so that the nail is not affected by wear and tear.
The most common cause behind ingrown toenails is, however, an incorrect way of trimming nails. If you have never paid too much attention to cutting toenails, you should do so now!
The best way to prevent this from happening is to cut straight across all toenails. Take care not too cut nails too short, because this can give rise to ingrown nails. The ideal way to cut toenails is to always leave some above the nail-bed and not cut down to the nail-bed. Also smooth-out all sharp edges left after cutting the nails, with the file.
In case you have got very thick toenails, it may be a better idea to just file them to reduce their size, instead of trying to clip them. Alternatively, you can use a cuticle remover. Rub it into the cuticles and nail bed and let it remain for about 10 minutes. This should soften the nail considerably. Also make sure that you are not using a small finger nail clipper to cut toenails. The wrong clipper can cause a lot of problems too!
After you have clipped/filed nails completely, you should clean the nails and the surrounding skin to remove bits of nail and other debris which can get stuck in your skin. Then, as an added measure, you can pamper your feet with footbaths and moisturizers. This will ensure that your skin and nails remain soft and there are no problems in cutting it the next time.
If you have a history of ingrown toenails, you need to be extra cautious to prevent their occurrence from time to time. Not only do you need to clean your feet regularly and cut nails carefully, your choice of footwear is also very important. Avoid wearing boots with pointed toes because they will exert extra pressure on the toenails and cause them to grow under the skin instead of the right direction.
Just remember to implement all that has been discussed here, and you should be able to prevent ingrown toenails.