Natural ways to treat ingrown toe nails at home

Ingrown toes nails are painful! The red, swelling on the edges of the toe make it uncomfortable to walk or wear your favorite pair of shoes. If left untreated, your toe could become even more infected or worse abscessed, WebMD reports.  Signs of infection include yellow discharge and fever,  If your ingrown toenail is accompanied by these symptoms, you should talk to your doctor. 

While gross, ingrown toenails are not uncommon. They can be caused by a variety of things including sweaty feet, shoes that don't fit properly, an injury, diabetes, cutting your nails too short or a bacterial infection, according to Home Remedy Shop. 

Treating toenails at home
For best results, you should try to treat an ingrown toenail as soon as possible. Early signs of an infection include pain and redness. Try a few of these home remedies to stave off a more serious infection:

Soak and clean: Put your  infected foot in warm water three times a day for 15 to 20 minutes at a time. The warm water can ease pain and reduce swelling, according to The Mayo Clinic. After your soak, use a cotton swab or dental floss to pull the ingrown nail away from the skin.

Soak in Epsom salts: Take your foot soak up a notch, and add Epsom salt to your foot bath. The salt softens the skin and may make it easier to remove the infected nail,  Home Remedy Shop suggests.

Vapor Rub: Try rubbing vapor rub on your infected toe. The healing balm is said to help relieve pain and speed healing. 

Apply apple cider vinegar: Home Remedy Shop recommends applying a view tablespoons of the vinegar to your infected toe to encourage healing. They also note that you could ingest a spoonful of the vinegar with a bit of honey. 

Keep it clean: Apply antibiotic cream and a bandage to keep your toe from absorbing bacteria. 

Preventing ingrown toenails
Avoiding ingrown toenails can save you from the pain, so follow a few of these tips to keep infected toes at bay:

-Take care of your nails: trim them regularly and make sure to trim edges that seem to sharp. Be careful not to cut them too short. Your nail should be in line with the top of your toe. 

-Wear shoes that fit: Shoes that are too small can put too much pressure on the skin at the front of your toes, which can lead to ingrown nails. 

Avoid ingrown toenails by treating your feet right. If you do get an ingrown nail, treat it as quickly as possible. Ignoring the pain could lead to an even worse infection!