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Ingrown Nails
When the sides of a toenail curl down and begin growing by digging in the surrounding skin, it is called an ingrown nail. An ingrown nail hurts the skin where it pushes in. It is easy to prevent this problem, which may sometimes need a small surgery.
Causes
When a growing healthy nail is pressed in the side skin, it takes that path and begins growing there. If you wear very tight fitting shoes that give no space to normal growth of your nail, this may happen. If you trim the nail at the corners, this can happen.
Treatment & Prevention
Cut your toenails in a straight line across. Give them space to grow outwards. Wear shoes that fit well and don't add any pressure to the nails. If the pain is not severe, topical or oral antibiotics can treat the infection. If the growth has gone deeper, your doctor may perform a small surgery to pull out the growth of the nail.
Article created on: July 20, 2006
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