How to care for ingrown toenail surgery?

We all know what a pain in the toe an ingrown toenail can be. The swelling, throbbing, and discomfort that come with it are enough to make anyone want to chop off their whole foot! But, let’s not get drastic here. If you’ve just had surgery for your ingrown toenail, we’re here to help guide you through the care process (even if we secretly hope it’ll heal on its own).

The Importance of Post-Surgery Care

Getting surgery for an ingrown toenail is no small feat. It takes time, money and patience, but most importantly- proper post-surgery care. Many people overlook the recovery period after their procedure which can lead to more complications like infections or other issues with your toes (trust us; you don’t want any new problems elsewhere!). So how do we take care of our feet after such a procedure? Keep reading!

Caring For Your Toe(s)

After an operation on your toes – whether due to ingrowing nails or anything else – rest as much as possible and avoid moving too much so full recovery over several weeks happens naturally.

Elevate Your Feet

Some swelling may occur right after (we did say it was no smaol feat) so start by elevating them above the level of your heart (handy tip: this also helps with blood pumping back up from those sausage fingers/cankles/toes). Do this at least three times a day until there’s little-to-no inflammation left poking around.

Pain Relief Medication

There will likely be some pain involved during recovery (DUH? You didn’t think sunshine & rainbows were part of deal?!), so speak with yout doctor about treatment options early on.

Medication will probably include Paracetamol or Ibuprofen although stronger alternatives may be available on prescription only which may last longer or be faster acting; so factor in time needed before another dosage is required.

Dressings

Keeping your toe clean and dry can help prevent infection while healing. Depending on how invasive the surgery was, you may have to wear a special dressing (We’re not talking about Disney princess shoes here) while it’s still healing. Invest in a few comfortable socks that fit well because these will manage perspiration too else there could be more of an ‘ewww’ situation going down.

In some cases, drainage tubes (which suck up any fluid) are inserted to remove any potential buildups where the nail has been removed. Do NOT pull those bad boys out early under any circumstances unless instructed by your medical provider – this means YOU Karen!

Keeping It Clean

Cleansing of your wound should be done at least once during each day for (eeek) them long weeks following surgery.. After changing into STERILE gloves –

Start with Warm Water & Soap

Soak your foot in warm water and unperfumed soap solution (such as savlon), but avoid soaking for over 10 minutes maximum otherwise you run the risk of seeping bacteria in (no one wants little shop of horror toes now). Swish ity slowly around (do not agitate) then pat/air drying afterward is mandatory.

Saline Solution Treatment

Another effective cleansing method is using saline solution topically onto gauze pads which covers previously cleaned/nudged off drainage tubing etc.-this gently lifts away grimace without exfoliating skin surfaces incorrectly such as salt/grain mixtures might cause irritation.

Stuff like hydrogen peroxide isnt discouraged conpletely from being used BUT when lathering unkown matter our bodies produced upon exposure to things like air; instead swab very lightly after dipping Q-Tip/cotton ball let alone agitating anything physical beyond a light touch.

(FYI: If at any point you are unsure about what you can/can’t use, go back to basics and stick with good old soap & water or check in with a medical professional.)

More on Dressings

Changing dressings is just as important too so be prepared for some extra ‘feet face time’.

What to Expect

It is expected that small amounts of blood may seep through your dressing following surgery. Fret not; all normal here! Swapping these out will keep everything clean/hygienic in the process along with helping see how it’s progressing.

When To Change Your Dressing

Dressing changes should occur every 24-48 hours (unless otherwise instructed). Be sure to do this immediately if seeping starts flooding like Falls Niagara gushing past ever-trusty rock formations!

Can I Shower Or Bathe?

Showering & bathing are indeed allowed into post-op routine but let’s not turn those toesies into Kevin Costner Waterworld scenarios by submerging them fully which could lead unknown particles sneakingly slide under tape/sterilized areas accessed directly from undersides during cleaning etc.

DO NOT use anything other than plain warm water and Soap without fragrance such as Johnson and Johnson’s Baby Wash (others like dove have been known to cause flare ups) in contact with surgical areas until totally scabbed/healed over.

Foot Soaks

You’re going away next week end right after procedure….sure thing odd-ball! Instead swap foot baths SOAKS(warms one) still ace prob idea then access non-surgical regions instead while above chest :).

Avoid caked-on salt/bubble mixtures too because they sometimes used oil, milk or chemicals absent on ingredients list (!):all putting new unforseen obstacles before healing altogether. Then pat dry carefully avoiding toweling off bandages/’scabby bits’ if possible.

Precautions & Prevention

After such surgery, taking precautions is also as important as the post-care itself. So what should you avoid and how do we prevent further complications?

Avoid Picking at It

Your toenail will be tender for a while so it’s best to avoid anything that could cause irritation or make it worse. This includes picking at the area around your toe! (Trying to act like the tough guy one minute then crying when any little bit of pain happens doesn’t count OK!).

Also, let’s not forget – cutting nails too short or too tight like a Randy ‘Macho Man’ -styles– CANNOT sit well with newbly-regrown nail bed tissue ANY time after having been whooped.nailed down by super invasice procedure.Remind yourself repeatedly that patience pays off in this type of situation because c’mon…who wants future repeat surgeries/billings??

Wear Proper Footwear

Avoid wearing shoes (doesnt need saying obviously) during recovery can gently harsh on precious baby feet; instead try more foot-covering flip-flops while outside keep them bootiful toes cool/elevated underneath chairs inside whenever possible OR run-free sandals!

Socks shouldn’t rub / squeeze intensely over surgical areas either without totally sans cushiony extender materials which ensures no excess pressure yet still enough friction has teeth bite into soft carpet fibers beneath those piggies trotting about shaking line dancing,swoosh fans wherever they choose go next!

You wanna experience some lighter footing again right?? Right??

Moving Forward

So there we have our top tips for caring for an ingrown toenail following surgery. The most important thing is rest your foot/leg area often! Wearing comfy show alternately changes position from high incline elevation use sofa cushions/cubes/day beds/poufs/recliners etc). Follow through on the steps above for optimum healing and be mindful of your toes!

If there is any persistent or worsening condition, speak to a doctor as soon as possible before it snowballs into much greater problems. Happy toe-caring all!

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