I have had my big right toenail ingrown for about 6 months, and keep on using gause to over it up... It seems like it always stays the same, even though the nail isn't in the skin anymore... Its just puffy (on both sides)... What can I do to heal the nail + skin fast?
130402
I did the same and didn't want to go to the doctor and ended up going anyway.... This is what he told me to do..\n\n\n1. Soak it in warm water for about 5 to 10 minutes. (adding something to the water is not necessary)!\n\n2. Dry it really well.\n\n3. Take some Hydrogen Peroxide put some on a Q-tip and apply it to the affected area.\n\n4. Rinse off the peroxide. Dry really well (blow dryer suggested) but not necessary.\n\n5. Next you will need to have some (Betadine) (Povidone Iodine Topical Solution). Take another q-tip dip it in and apply to the toe making sure you cover the whole affected area. \n\n6. Dry with a blow dryer to make sure it is really dry! The only time it should be covered with a band-aid or gauze is if you have your shoes on.. The more air it gets the better..\n\n7. This will have to be done three times a day.\n\nIf you do this it will get better and you shouldn't have to go to the Doc.  This is what i did and it worked!...It will take a while since you waited so long, but it will get better.\nThe nail will have to grow out before you can do anything about it.  When you trim your nails let them stick out a little not too much....This will help.  I know from experience this is no fun so....Good Luck!! :-)\n\nHope this helps you!\n\nIf you do all of this it should go away!\n\nHope this works for you! Hope you feel better!\n\n\nForgot to mention that it was really bad and infected and the doctor told me that if it didn't work i would have to have the toenail removed.  This really worked because i didn't have any surgery at all and the doctor was impressed that it ended up getting better with no surgery!  It was really puffy also.  Again good luck!!
28527
You need to take nail scissors and cut the side of the nail that's embedded and pull it out of the skin.\n\nThen you need a several times a day regimen of using hydrogen peroxide on it.. followed by neosporin.. and a bandaid.  \n\nSoaking in salt water (epsom preferably) will also help.  \n\nIn all honesty.. you may need to go to the doctor.\n\nHere's a good article:\n\nhttp://www.footphysicians.com/footankleinfo/ingrown-toenail.htm
265923
Sorry all, but I have to call wrong answers here.  YES--nail biting can cause health risks actually.  When you bite your nails, you can cause them to be too short for one, which can cause them to get ingrown.  This is also known as a hangnail.  They are very painful, and if infected, may have to be removed by a DR.  My son actually took to biting his toenails (I know--YUCK!) after he had bitten down all of his fingernails.  He has his big toes so messed up now that they keep growing back in wrong and he has to go back in every 3-6 months and have needles stuck in his toes to have them locally anesthetized so they can cut away half of his toenail.  Our friends son was so stubborn about his that he actually ended up with an infection that spread to his blood!!  He was put on MAJOR antibiotics for quite a while because of it, and STILL needs to have his toenail removed entirely by a surgeon now!
430012
I had deep and painful plantars warts on my right foot. I had three successive surgeries to remove them and after each very painful surgery the warts quickly grew back larger than before. When I told the podiatrist that I didn't want any additional surgery he suggested that I try applying triamcinolone ointment (a common medium strength prescription corticosteroid ointment) twice each day underneath a band-aid on the bottom of my foot. Within two weeks my plantars warts were gone, never to return. Thanks Dr - but why didn't you tell me this option before the three very painful surgeries?
264947
About 80 percent of the black toe problems are best treated by ignoring them. The damaged part of the nail is gradually pushed out, and the foot slowly returns to normal. If at any point you see the redness associated with infection, see a doctor. \nRN..over 20 years
488516
Yes, think about it; if you have an infection under your toenail isn't it warm?  If you have a pimple inside your nose don't you feel heat, even though you can't see it.  Thererfore fever, ie warm temp is accompanied with infection, where ever there is infection there will be fever or tempreture.  It' s called "itis" such as laryngitis, stomatitis etc.  \n\nItis (warmth) can also be caued by inflammation, ie wear an tear, you may have heard of tendonitis, or bursitis...these are not infective processes, they are wear and tear realated processes.  \n\nYou didn't ask but there are different treatments for each, one is designed to fight infection and the other to sooth inflammation.\n\nAs for your fingers, they are very tender, sensitive little guys, often taken forgranted.  When you hurt one you notice how important they are.  They are very sensitive, with loads of nearve endings, they generally stay cool to temp unless you hurt one then they warm up.  Also since they are at the end of your arms, and generally are hanging down they are subject to dependent edema, and swelling.  At nite time sleep with your hand elevated, that will help to lift the infection, but you will need to see a md probably.  You can try soaking your hand in warm epson salt water, for 15 min, before bed and then elevate.  Also dry the finger and apply some over the counter antibiotic cream.  If this local tx. doesn't work you may need oral antibiotics.
642972
This happens to lots of people.  I am speaking from personal experience.  What I found finally worked (after several years) is that I focused on what I ate.  So I eat reasonably and healthy.  Jello is supposed to have some stuff in it that is good for nails, by the way.\n\nSecond, I started to exercise every single day.  So now I walk, sometimes run and ride a bike.  Doing something physical is important.\n\nSomething else I changed, I did clip my nails regularly, even the one that had changed to the dark almost ugly color.\n\nWhat happened is the old toe nail finally dropped off with a new one under that was nice and clear.\n\nI had tried those things they advertise on TV, and even went to a doctor, but none of that did anything for me.
399723
Soak your foot in a mixture of water and Epsom salt as hot as you can stand it. For 20 minutes 3 x a day this will help with the inflammation and then while nails are soft trim along edges to get rough edges out of your flesh. This is just a temporary fix. For about $100.00 you can go to the Doctor and have a procedure done for ingrown toenails in which they numb up your toe then clip along side nail bed then put a medicine down at your nail bed that will kill that side of your nail and will not grow back. Will take care of your problem indefinitely. Good luck!
84224
In sharing the same experience a few times, I empathize with your pain and concerns.\n   "A long time" would be pretty accurate, as I never counted the days, and the growth will offer pain in every time you bump it for awhile.\n\n   On a lighter note and please don't take offense,,, It will grow back, in fact our hair and nails are two things that continue to grow for a period even after death.\n\n   Now the light note, Ya can't keep chewin on that toenail and expect it ta grow back as quick as if ya left it alone,,,smiles.\n\nGood healing wishes to you.\nRev. Steven
605876
poss ingrown nail, check with podiatrist.
560325
Soak your foot 3 times a day in warm water to loosen the skin up.  Get a product called OutGrow.  Apply that to a piece of cotton.  Gently lift up the nail from the skin after soaking and apply the soaked cotton between the nail and the skin.  Leave it there for about 30 minutes.  It will hurt, but its better than losing your toenail. \n\nIn the future, be sure to trim your nails straight across, and not at an angle.
77875
Did you go to a foot specialist or just a doctor? No, I;m not a doc, but I thought my experience might help you.\nI had to have an ingrown toenail removed once. But to go to \na doctor, was a mistake that was made twice. Whatever he injected into me that was supposed to be pain killer, didn't kill the pain. After the second time of this mistake,\nmy parents took me to a foot specialist. They had my my mother prepare a special solution in which I was to place my foot, one a day, after the removal was successful. I was, eventually, able to walk normal, again.
288867
Well, it's time to let a doctor look at it. You may not have spotted an ingrown nail, maybe it is very much embedded in and you can't see it or there is something else embedded. Regardless of what it is , it sounds like it has an infection in it and those are nothing to mess with, those types of infections have a bad tendancy to spread through other parts of your body and then you have a serious problem on your hands.
199300
im guessing its an ingrown pubic hair, put a good lotion or vaseline on it every day and see if you can see any hair in it. do you shave? if so dont for a week or so untill all your hair grows out and if you have any still growing under the skin scratch at them untill they come up and wait a few more days then scratch at the purple spot, if nothing comes up go to your doctor or school nurse and they can help with out telling your parents if your young and dont want them to know. you could have a blood blister also. have you gottan it pinched in anything lately? you can ask for a female doctor if you go to the hospital. male doctors see that kinna thing every day so they think nothing of it just try to find the cause, good luck! if its an ingrown hair you can use tweezers to get it out and then keep your pubic area moisturized with vaseline(works best) or lotion.
438599
i did all my piercings myself...2 labrets and my tongue. and my  daughter's lip piercings...i'm not suggesting ppl do this themselves!! i did a lot of research on where to pierce according to nerve areas, etc....none of ours got infected. piercings are tender as they heal. small bumps are a sign of scar tissue forming, which is building a "base" to keep the barbell from pushing it's way out of the body (rejection of the foreign body) it sounds like you could be slightly allergic to the metal...sterling silver rarely rejects because it has natural anti-biotic properties. titanium is good too. my advice is to wash it with antibacterial soap 2-3 times a day. and use a triple antibiotic ointment. you can even use the solution they give you for ear piercings. you have to move the barbell up and down, and twist it while washing it, to make sure the entire area is getting cleansed. it's not uncommon to have a "crust" form around it...soft tissue piercings are going to be tender, and take up to a year to fully develop scar tissue and heal. try to keep clothing from pressing or rubbing against it, and allow air to get to it so that it stays as dry as possible. if the piercing site swells to double it's size, gets very red and hot, is draining a lot of pus, and you run a fever, you have an infection and need to go to the doctor for oral antibiotics. good luck with this.
471931
Ok I got an industrial piercing on 9/30. It took 3 weeks for the pain from getting bumped to go down. As long as there is no puss you should not have an infection. As of now if it gets bumped it hardly hurts at all compared to how bad it used to. What I would try is the sea salt soaks mentioned before. You have to take a cup of warm water (make it as warm as you can without it burning you) and 1 teaspoon of sea salt (which you can find in the spices section of a store) and tip your head to the side and let the water soak your piercing for 5-15 min. If you do get an infection do it for at least 10 minutes at a time. Do these soaks 2-3 times a day. What it does is give the bacteria a nice warm salty place to go. To get the full affect you need to soak it for at least 10 min. Then make sure you rince your ear off afterwards and dry it with a paper towel or cotton ball (not a towel or anything that could have bacteria on it itself). I know the first 2 weeks are the hardest but do the soaks and it should get better. Feel free to email me if you have any more questions!
319973
It may just be an ingrown hair. You should see if anything will come out of it by lightly queezing it. Don't press too hard and not if it hurts badly. If you get puss that doesn't look like a zit, it may be something worse than an ingrown hair. Wash with peroxide, put neosporin and a band-aid on it then go to a Dr if it doesn't start to heal within a day.