Ingrown toenails are uncomfortable to live with and can be difficult to treat. There are a number of at-home treatments, though, including soaking the ingrown toenail in an Epsom salt bath, which you can try before seeking treatment from a healthcare provider.

What is an ingrown toenail? Ingrown toenails, a condition also known as onychocryptosis, occur when the edge of a toenail cuts into the tissue surrounding it or when the skin around a toe grows over the bed of the toenail. Once your toenail breaks the skin, bacteria starts to form, the area will start to swell, and you could develop a serious fungal infection. If it goes untreated, an ingrown toenail could result in serious health problems.

Infected toenails have a fairly unique set of symptoms. In many cases, it should be easy to tell that you have an ingrown toenail because you’ll have some combination of the following symptoms:

There are a number of ways your toenail can get infected. Causes of ingrown toenails include:

Pretty much anyone can get ingrown toenails, but some groups are more susceptible than others. If you have diabetes or another condition that causes circulation issues, you may experience ingrown toenails more often than normal. If this is the case, you should check your toes often and see a podiatrist regularly – poor blood flow can prevent toenail infections from healing quickly.

One of the most common self-treatments for ingrown toenails involves Epsom salt. How does Epsom salt help an ingrown toenail? As long as there’s no discharge, pus or other sign of infection on your toe, you can create a warm water and Epsom salt bath for your foot. You can soak it for 20 minutes a few times a day, these baths paired with a soft massage near the infected area to reduce inflammation and improve circulation.

After you soak your foot, dry it thoroughly and use an antibacterial cream on the toe.

There are plenty of other ways to help your ingrown toenail heal at home. Consider the following remedies:

If you find that you’re constantly battling ingrown toenails, take precautions to prevent them. You can try any of the following:

If your ingrown toenail hasn’t healed after a week or so of home care, visit a podiatrist or other healthcare provider specializing in foot care. They may prescribe you oral antibiotics and may need to take part of the nail out of your toe.

If your ingrown toenails keep coming back, you may need to undergo a procedure. A common ingrown toenail procedure is a partial nail avulsion. This occurs when a thin vertical piece of nail on the ingrown side is sliced from the edge to the base of the nail and removed. Your healthcare provider might also put phenol, a chemical that discourages nail growth, on the empty area where the cuticle is. Visit your healthcare provider if you:

If you come down with a fever and have red, streaky skin near the toe, see your healthcare provider immediately.

Cedars-Sinai: “Happy Feet: 5 Tips to Remedy Ingrown Toenails.”

Cleveland Clinic: “How to Prevent and Treat Ingrown Toenails.”

Harvard Health Publishing: “Foot health: What to do about an ingrown toenail.”

Intermountain Healthcare: “Caring for an Infected or Ingrown Toenail.”

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