when you have an ingrown toenail?

Question

when you have an ingrown toenail what would happen if you would just leave alone and do nothing about it

Answer 1

infect the whole toe...and leave it long enough you get it amputated...no joke. i had an ingrown toenail you need surgery on it. its just a minor surgery but i had mine w/o drugs so it hurt like hell. seriously get it checked before its too late.

Answer 2

I lasted four months with mine when I was 30 years old. I figured that if I left it, it would eventually grow right out, and then I could cut my toenails straight across, instead of down at the sides like I had been doing....

BIG MISTAKE! By the end of the fourth month I was taking pain killers just to be able to walk.

I ended up taking a nice long hot bath to relax myself. Then when I finished, I put that foot into a bucket of hot water mixed with bath salts to soften my skin as much as possible. Then, while my foot was still in the bucket, I went digging for the nail using the end of a metal nail file. It hurt like blazes, but I kept on digging. I finally got the end of the file completely under the ingrown nail, and lifted it out of the overgrowth of skin. Then, keeping the ingrown nail propped up with the nail file, I cut the offending piece away with my toenail clippers. (Cut straight across, and not dipping down as previously.) The relief was phenomenal!

So, NO, I would not counsel you to just leave an ingrown nail to do it's own thing. Chances are that it is going to become VERY NASTILY ingrown.

Answer 3

Typically the pain become so unbearable that you are forced to do something. You can try to lift that ingrown part of the nail and put a small piece of cotton under that part of the nail until it grows out. I've done that and it eventually grew out and use an antibiotic cream on the piece of cotton and put the cream on it frequently. If it is too deep, you will need to be seen by a doctor and have it taken care of. But if it continues to get worse or is not improving over a few days, you NEED to see a doctor to avoid a serious complication.

Answer 4

It would eventually keep growing and pushing down into your toe, it probably will get infected and very sore. As time continues a small mound of skin will form at the end and corner of the nail. Puss will build under the nail and work it's way out from under the nail either by the end of the nail or around the mound of skin. After repeated infections the nail will become brittle and discoloured ,the skin will slowly dye and become thick and rough. SO JUST GET IT FIXED EARLY IT DOESN'T HURT TO MUCH NOW THEN LATER WHEN THEY REMOVE THE WHOLE NAIL BECAUSE IT'S ALL DEAD.

Answer 5

I cut my hubbys ingrown big toenail out. What you have to do is cut it in the middle of the nail like a V shape. After when the nail grows out make sure you never cut it short and always trim the toenails straight never rounded...

Answer 6

Sweetheart it will grow into your skin and be very painful...To prevent ingrown toenails u always cut your nail straight across.If you have one then u need to go to a foot doc. Good luck.

Answer 7

In some cases the worst thing that could happen is

1. you get an infection
2. it can actually cause the nail to lift and detach from the toe.
3. both

Answer 8

Maybe nothing. Maybe the whole foot will be infected. Try soaking it in warm water and epsom salts. If that doesn't help, you will have to bite the bullet and see a doctor.

Answer 9

You'll end up having to have surgery.

Answer 10

sometimes they can get very infected and even lead to blood poisoning