How does an ingrown toenail start?

Ingrown toenails are an awful pain indeed. Just the mere thought of it has got me cringing in my boots! Not only are they painful, but they can also get infected and swollen if left untreated. But have you ever wondered how this pesky little thing starts? Well, I’m here to give you a heads up on that.

What is an ingrown toenail?

An ingrown toenail, medically known as onychocryptosis, is when your toenail grows into the skin instead of over it like a cozy blanket. When this happens, your toe gets inflamed with redness, tenderness, and sometimes even pus (sorry for making you gag).

This usually occurs on our big toes because these guys take most of the hit while walking and running around all day long. Hence why we need to pay extra attention!

Why do ingrown toenails happen?

I am glad you asked that my fellow earthling! There could be many reasons for ingrowing nails such as:

  • Trimming too close to the nail bed
  • Wearing shoes that press on your toes
  • Sweating in tight-fitting footwear
  • A fungal infection
  • Trauma or injury to the nail bed
  • Genetics (yes genetics!, body hair is not all inherited)

How does it start?

Now let’s dive deep into how it all begins shall we?! (Drum roll) It starts simply enough by breaking one side of our precious nails; sounds harmless right? Nope! Our dear little toe suddenly feels vulnerable like a newborn kitten out there in nature’s wilderness trying its hardest not to get eaten by bigger predators.

Underneath lies soft skin which can easily become exposed once we break any part off our hard “shell” (nail) enveloping our toes. This skin is no match for the hard nail pushing down leading to further chaos if not taken care of early on.

The journey begins…

Once the nail has broken, it starts digging into a soft piece of flesh right next door which was never meant to be exposed like this – at least according to nature’s logic; now our tender foot feels wounded and can’t stop inflicting self inflicted pain.

The skin around the sides will become reddened and inflamed — in some cases even forming quite an attractive wall hanging for all our friends to see when they come over!

Soon after, blood and pus may follow suit (gross), mmmh – this might be your sign that you have pushed things too far before finally getting good old fashioned medical help.

An innocent trip to the Beauty Salon gone wrong

You know what beauty salons are best known for? OUCH!!! Always being faced with new risks wherever we go! It’s safe out there I swear! So, a long day at work followed by several hours perched on pedicure chairs seems legit. A chance maybe?. But, Noooo….! Here comes trouble disguised as beautiful pedi attendants who love nothing more than to clip away my happiness one toe at a time.

In such close quarters; laughter filling up ever corner & glittery nails everywhere- you think everything is going okay until suddenly SNAP!! Your toenail clippers slip off and cut through ever so slightly underneath… Unseen but definitely felt later (cue dramatic music).

Hang tight people- More causes coming in hot!

Now listen here kids because whenever something goes wrong even experts like me blame shoes / improper footwear choices. Life lesson huh?! And let me tell you why:

Ill-fitting Shoes:
Our beloved feet needs space guys: give them some air LITERALLY (removes thong sandals). If your shoes tend to be a tad too tight or short, say hello to warm smelly feet and goodbye to dry skin.

Lots of cardio / running maniacs beware!
All forms of excessive sports activities, especially ones involving more than just the average amount of jumping around like a toddler/ activities built around the lower limb muscles will lead to extreme shockwaves being vomited into your limbs which your toes can never escape from. Hence causing as you may have guessed – A painful INGROWN TOE NAIL!

Stop picking on it:
Fingers are lucky enough; they at least get bitten off once in awhile (not speaking about recent world events), while toenails perpetually remain seated where nature has placed them, dare we ever move them – Unless it’s doctor approved.

Are there any preventive measures?

Yes! We will soon see that little toe comfortably fitting back into our favorite flip flops if only we:

Trim toenails correctly:
Cut straight across rather than curving along following our nails guys- It’s complicated.

Proper Shoe- Fit is key:
Let those pair breathe by selecting ones with deeper “toe boxes”… Shoes free zones also exist so Why not right?!

Keep feet clean & moisture free;
Dry leg hair tops ladies (winks) ! Keep feet dry and avoid getting them soggy for long periods

P.s Always give full focus when trimming toenails during pedi sessions

On This Instructional Endnote: Healthy Steps Assemble 👣
We’ve reached the end my friend , hope everything I said made sense … And before you present me with broken trophies due to nothing but lies; let me say “No no No!!” at least consult real medical personnel (clearly more trustworthy)– In-grown toe nail fixer-uppers alike!

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