Clean Nails: No tip-toeing around this one

There is no denying the fact that pretty feet can make or break your appearance!

Every nation has its own definition of beauty and aesthetics by which they assess the human form. Some cultures deem long faces, thin eyes and large protruding chins as beautiful whereas others tend to be more appreciative of aquiline noses or doe shaped eyes.

In some tribes in Africa, women pierce and place lip plates to increase the size of their lips to be “beautiful”. But one feature that is almost universal is pretty feet, and there is no denying that they can make or break your appearance!

Good looking toe nails are like the finishing touch on your feet. One of the things that can ‘blemish’ the feet is an ingrown nail. Usually afflicting the big toe, ingrowth occurs when the edge of the nail starts digging into the adjacent skin. This might happen when you go around all day with ill fitted shoes, clip the nails incorrectly; the nail shape is very convex or distorted by previous injury or infection. Apart from the foot looking displeasing with a red bump forming around the nail, it is also painful. The swelling can increase in size and might even become purulent.

Although it is beneficial to visit the doctor for most problems, this is one condition where a home remedy may be a better idea.

Wash your feet and the affected area with soap and water at least twice a day. Keep them soaked in warm water frequently through the day. Some topical antibiotic creams may be applied to keep it from getting infected. The important and slightly painful step of self-care is to lift up the edge of the nail and place a new piece of clean cotton underneath it every day. This needs to be done for about a week or two to allow for the nail to outgrow the skin fold. And finally, shelve the heels and boots for some casual flip-flops or sandals allowing your feet to breathe.

However, three days down the line, if the situation does not seem to mitigating or a fever sets in despite an active regimen at home, you will have to schedule a doctor’s appointment after all. Good clinical acumen is all that will be needed to evaluate the severity and to decide which approach to take. The doctor can attempt to file or clip the nail in his office with perhaps some local anesthetics to numb the pain. Alternatively, he or she might improvise a splint to be placed beneath the nail. Some minor surgical procedures might be recommended for much advanced cases when the nail needs to be removed, pus drained and surrounding tissue excised.

It is much easier to avert the whole problem to begin with, however. This can be done with ease by clipping the toenails straight, so that the nail edges are longer than the surrounding skin and do not poke. Avoid wearing shoes that are tightly fitted for prolonged hours and ensure hygiene. Nail down these two simple tips and you’ll never have to ditch the glass slipper!

Published in The Express Tribune, March 3^rd, 2012.