Ingrown Toenails: Prevention with Shoes and Grooming

Everyone in attendance is in for a treat when the Houston Symphony performs on March 3 at Sugar Land Baptist Church, bringing music from such Hollywood favorites as Forest Gump, Titanic, Pirates of the Caribbean, The Lord of the Rings, and Avatar. Starting at 7:00 pm, this performance can be a memorable, wonderful experience, but not if you are squirming in your seat the whole time in pain due to ingrown toenails.

There are memorable villains in such films as Pirates of the Caribbean and The Lord of the Rings, and often these antagonists have a story of origin. Well, the origin of your ingrown toenails may come from a couple of different story arcs. They can be caused not only by inherent nail structure or improper nail clipping procedures, but also by your footwear.

Shoes that are too small or narrow can cause extra pressure on your toes, which then leads to ingrown nails. This is especially the case for women who wear heels as well as active individuals who may participate in athletics—like Forest Gump playing football. Proper-fitting footwear can help to prevent many foot conditions, including this one.

In addition to shoes that fit well, another prevention technique that can help is to clip your toenails properly. This means making sure that they are cut straight across and not rounded off. Rounding your nails can cause them to curl downward and potentially grow into your skin, which can allow a villainous infection to enter the body. Short nails also pose risk, so make sure that you keep them even with the edge of your toe, but not longer than that.

Preventing ingrown toenails is clearly your preferred choice, but if you already are suffering from this condition or are unable to prevent it, then it’s time to enlist the help of the experts at Foot & Ankle Associates. We can help give your story a happy ending! As Sugar Land’s premier foot specialists, we are prepared to help treat a wide array of foot and ankle conditions, including painful ingrown nails. Call us at (888) 784-5335 or schedule an appointment at our Sugar Land, TX office online. Be sure to check us out on Facebook, Google+, Pinterest, and Twitter too!
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