Ingrown toenails have become a common trouble these days and there are many causes that are responsible for the same. Nail edges or corners mostly get affected by this trouble. It often appears to be a toenail infection while it is not so. Bigger toes are highly prone to this toenail issue; therefore you need to be very careful.

Before the issue can become serious, you should take careful steps to prevent the same. Medical advice is required so that the right treatment can be chosen, which gives you an instant relief from the symptoms. The skin around the nail becomes tender and might get swollen or hard coupled with a lot of pain in the toe.

Leading causes for ingrown toenails: 
1. Incorrect nail-cutting: if you make a mistake in cutting your toenail correctly, then you might face the situation of an ingrown toenail. Therefore, you should always finely concentrate while cutting your toenails with the help of any nail cutter. In most of the cases, curved or irregular nails are to be cut with great care.

2. Wrong footwear: if you have chosen the wrong footwear, which create tremendous amount of pressure on your feet, it may develop this kind of nail condition. Only repeated or consistent usage of these kinds of footwear can develop this horrible situation. Sometimes, extremely tight stockings or socks can also be responsible for ingrown toenails.

3. Improper hygiene: acute foot hygiene needs to be maintained without any fail otherwise you will not be able to prevent ingrown nails. You should always keep your feet clean and dry. If your feet remain in contact with moisture for a long time, then this condition might arise. You can now use specialized solutions available in the market for washing the nails on your feet.

4. Toenail injury: if you have any injury on your toenail, then it needs to be corrected as soon as possible otherwise the injury will get converted into ingrown nails. Which further results in acute painful sensations and these kinds of experiences are simply unbearable. Poor posture can bring injuries to your toenails. If you have any existing toe injuries, then you should try your level best for the speedy recovery of the same.

5. Poor health-conditions: there are many health conditions, which result in ingrown toenails out of which diabetes is the most prominent one. Due to poor blood circulation, the nails on your feet get damaged internally resulting in ingrown nails.

Causes of Ingrown Nails

Have you ever come across a person with usual toes, toes that are mysteriously curled or bend upwards, downwards or inwards? As strange and intriguing as it may appear, the condition can be quite painful and is known as toe deformity. In toe deformity, the foot bone is unusually and abnormally positioned, resulting in pain and discomfort.

Toe deformity in a person can be of different types. It can be:

Hammer toe: This is one of the most commonly observed toe deformity. A hammer toe is characterized by the curling or bending down of the second toe at the proximal interphalangeal joint (the middle toe joint). The toe may further bend up at the distal interphalangeal joint (joint adjacent to the toe tip) or the metatarsophalangeal joint (meeting point of the foot and the toe) as well. In hammer toe, the awkward alignment results in a slight elevation in the joint of the middle toe. A hammer toe is often seen accompanied by a bunion (a bony bump or a deformity formed at the joint that links the foot with the big toe).
Mallet toe: Mallet toe mostly affects the second toe (other toes may be affected). The deformity results in bending down of the toe at the distal interphalangeal joint (appears like a mallet).
Claw toe: The deformity affects all the toes, with the big toe being an exception. Here, the toes bend up at the metatarsophalangeal joint and bend down at the distal interphalangeal joint. The deformity results in the toes curling down towards the floor (appears claw-like).
What causes Toe Deformity?
There can be many factors responsible for toe deformities.

Toe deformity in a person may be congenital (present from birth).
It can also be an outcome of medical conditions such as arthritis (osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis), stroke, heart attack, diabetes, an injury, an accident, or wearing wrong footwear.
Toe deformity can also be hereditary.
Signs and symptoms:
The symptoms for Toe Deformity (hammer toe, claw toe, and mallet toe) include

There is redness, pain, and swelling in the affected part of the toe. In claw toe, however, there may or may not be pain associated with the condition.
A person faces difficulties in straightening the toe.
In hammer toe, corns, and calluses appear on the middle joint (top) of the affected toe.
In mallet toe, ulcers may occur on the toe (in diabetic patients).
Treatment:
Initially, toe deformity appears flexible, where movement around the affected joint is possible. However, if left unattended, the condition can become severe and rigid, thereby restricting the movement (in the affected area). Treatment for toe deformity depends on how severe the condition is.

In most cases, the treatment involves wearing custom-made shoes, fitted with supports (cushions or pads) and wider toe box.
Using of tapes and splints may be helpful in correcting and repositioning the deformed toe.
Patients with excruciating pain benefit immensely from cortisone injections.
Corn pads can be used to deal with corns and calluses better.
Toe stretching exercises are highly effective.
If severe cases or extreme rigidity, doctors may opt for surgical treatments like arthrodesis, tendon transfer, arthroplasty, to name a few.

Toe Deformity- What Causes It And What Are Its Treatment Options?

Tennis toe is also known as runner s toe since athletes are mostly runners; skiers and tennis players also get this injury often. Due to its ugly appearance, tennis toe is also known as a black toenail. This injury causes bleeding under the toe along with moderate to heavy pain. Although it is not considered to be type 1 serious injury, it can still force an athlete to abstain from participating in any events. The blood from the toenail might take its own sweet time to get out of the way. As a result, the recovery time for this injury can last for weeks together. This, unfortunately, is also an ideal condition for infection to set in.

How does it happen?
This condition may arise because of the friction between the toenail and the running shoes or constant downward pressure on the toe. In case if the shoe is tighter than normal, it can damage the toenail. If on the other hand, the shoe is very loose, it can result in similar condition due to heavy pressure on the nail. Tennis toe can also arise in a situation, if the toe constantly bangs the shoe from inside. Extreme hot weather may also result in toe swelling. Finally, one may encounter tennis toe if a blow is faced on the toe. Irrespective of the cause, the blood clots inside the nail resulting in swelling and pain. Too much damage might result in falling off of the toenail altogether.

Treatment plan:
1. If the tennis toe is minor, the injury resolves all by itself
2. The toenail should be clipped together to ensure that it does not result in any friction with the shoe.
3. During the injury, it is advised that a person wears bigger size shoes with wider toe space so that it does not result in any further irritation.
4. If the toenail is torn, make sure to tap it up so that adequate protection is there from outside forces.
5. In case the injury is serious a doctor might have to intervene and drain the blood with a surgical instrument.
6. Another medical solution is to remove the toenail surgically, drain the blood and tape it up for a good one week until new nail formation takes place.

Precautionary measure:
1. Running shoes should be at least half a size bigger than the normal size.
2. Toenails should be regularly trimmed in order to avoid any injury.
3. If a person has a tendency of sweating too much, it makes sense to wear a pair of socks at all times.
4. While running, shoe laces should be tightened to avoid sudden friction between the toe and the shoe resulting into tennis toe.

Tennis Toe - How it Should be Treated?

Research has shown that nail paint contains chemical substances that can be harmful to the body. These chemicals can enter the body through the pores of the nails. The health eradication is applicable for people who are applying on their nails and salon workers who apply nail art to their clients, day in and day out. Here is one must know before applying the beautiful shades of color on the nails:

What are the harmful agent present in nail paint?
There are three dangerous industrial chemicals that are mixed with nail paint that is dibutyl phthalate, toluene, and formaldehyde. Owing to their notorious health implications, these chemicals are known as toxic-trio. Toluene is used as a solvent in nail polish that aids smoother finish and holds the pigment together from separating inside the bottle. It, however, affects the reproductive system and the central nervous system. Similarly, dibutyl phthalate and formaldehyde can cause a problem in breathing, internal hemorrhage etc.

Health Hazards: Regular to health care products-nail paint, in particular, can have a wide range of health implication. From skin irritation to an eye injury, allergic reaction to breathing problems once can face a lot of problems that are totally uncalled for. Research also indicate that regular exposure to nail paint crop up neurological problems, impair the process of body development, affect the reproductive system etc. Research conducted by the Cancer Prevention Institute, California showed that there is an increased risk of cancer for people who work at beauty care salon due to their increased exposure to beauty products.
Problems related to pregnancy: Frequent nail paint can lead to a premature pregnancy. Some other problems related to pregnancy include undersized babies, spontaneous birth of the baby and preterm delivery. There have been too many instances of failed pregnancies witnessed among beauty salon workers. Some other symptoms that are related to mail paint exposure that is seen during pregnancy include chronic headaches, very low appetite, lethargy etc.
Way forward: It is evident that nail paint can pose a serious threat to women in general. The best way to go forward is to choose a nail paint that has a low toxicity rating- preferably within 2. This can be a little challenging since most beauty products do not portray the toxicity rating. If the latter is not mentioned in the body of the product, go for a product, that states the absence of chemical product. Organic nail paints can be the best alternative to address the challenges of conventional nail paint.
However, the availability of organic nail paint is still a challenge. Not many companies sell it, the consumer base for these beauty products are thin as well.

Nail Paints - 3 Reasons You Must Stop Using Them!

Your nail health might serve as a primary indicator of your overall health. Your nails need proper care to remain strong and healthy. If you notice dents or ridges on them, then it might indicate an underlying medical condition , which would require prompt medical attention. Healthy finger nails are supposed to be smooth and uniform in color with no spots or discoloration. Sometimes, there can be development of harmful vertical ridges from the tip of your nail till the cuticle, which can become more prominent as you grow older.

There are many ways to keep your nails clean and healthy:

Good nail hygiene: You should always use good quality sharp clippers or manicure scissors. The proper way to cut your nails is to trim the nails straight across and then round the tips in a gentle curve.
Keep fingernails dry and clean: You can prevent the growth of bacteria under your fingernails if you keep them clean. Wear a pair of cotton lined rubber gloves while performing activities, such as using harsh chemicals or washing dishes.
Biotin supplements: Biotin supplements can increase the thickness of your nails and also prevent splitting and breaking. Biotin is a member of the vitamin B family and helps the body to convert food into energy.
Don t go for professional manicures: Going for professional pedicure or manicure on a regular basis can make your nails dry and brittle. Another way to remedy the problem is to take your own tool to the manicure salon, which reduces the chance of infection. Regular professional manicure can make you suffer from nail bed infections, which can be chronic in nature.
Avoid acetone: Using acetone based polish removers, will strip your nail of the essential nutrients in due course of time thus, making them brittle.
Don t bite: Avoid biting your fingernails as this can damage the nail bed. Bacteria or fungi can enter through a small cut along the fingernail, which can cause an infection.
Do not ignore minor problems of the nail: If you have some infection in your nails which doesn t seem to go away, then there are chances of the infection being a result of some other underlying health condition. You should immediately get the problem evaluated by a doctor or a dermatologist.

Nail Health - 7 Things You Must Ensure 

How To Take Care Of Nail Health 

Nails significantly reveal about your overall health.When well taken care of, nails not only look good but they also help you stay healthy.
Follow these tips for a shining nails.
1. Moisturize - Use a Hand-Nail cream regularly to avoid ragged cuticles and flakey skin. Moisture keeps your nails in a good shape.

2. Mild Soaps - Use specially formulated hand foams to wash your hands. Certain anti-bacterial soaps can strip away layers of essential oils from your skin, thus leaving your palms dry and even itchy.

3. Massage - Massage your cuticles regularly. This will help improve blood circulation to the tips as well as stimulate the entire nervous system promoting the growth of strong and healthy nails.

4. Manicure - Treating your hands once a month to a relaxing manicure is an excellent idea. Not only do your nails end up looking fabulous but the additional TLC will go a long way in ensuring that your hands don’t look twice their age. Scrubbing off the dead cells, applying a ‘hand mask’ and then some relaxing massage as you close your eyes to some soothing music, is just what ‘nail therapy’ is all about.

5. Maintain - It’s a common knowledge that the skin on our hands tends to age quicker as it is often left exposed to the elements such as the harsh sun or extreme winters. To maintain your manicured nails, use a sunscreen regularly and wear gloves in the winters and even while going about household chores such as doing the dishes or mopping the floor.

If you would like to consult with me privately, please click on 'Consult'.

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